One of the most prestigious championships in sports has just taken place. The 2024 World Series finished on October 30, where the New York Yankees faced off against the Los Angeles Dodgers. It began with game one at Dodger Stadium and ended with game five played at Yankee Stadium with the Dodgers being the overall pick to win it all.
This year the playoff scene saw the Dodgers surpassing the Mets and the Yankees, defeating the Guardians in order to make it to the championship. Both teams finished the regular season first in their division- the Yankees in the American League East and the Dodgers in the National League West. The Dodgers had a better overall record being 98-64, but the Yankees were not far behind with a record of 94-68.
There were many players who were extremely instrumental in these closely matched games. According to the MLB’s 2024 World Series Hitter Rankings, Juan Soto from the Yankees was projected to be the number one hitter in this year’s championship. This could be because of his outstanding performance in game five of the Yankees’ ALCS where he hit a homer that scored three runs in the 10th inning. Other top ten players included Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Mookie Betts.
In game one the Dodgers beat the Yankees with a score of 6-3. The highlight of this game was the walk-off grand slam hit by Dodger’s first baseman Freddie Freeman. Freeman made history with this astounding finish to the 10th inning, making it a monumental moment in baseball.
The Dodgers went on to win game two and game three. This would require the Yankees to have a major comeback if they wanted to have any chance at the title. In a shocking turn of events, the Yankees blew out the Dodgers in game four with a score of 11-4. Game five offered a glimmer of hope for Yankees fans that was then diminished by the Dodgers comeback after being down five runs. The final score of Game five was 7-6 leading the Dodgers to their 8th World Series Championship.
Along with the amazing ball being played, these games featured some controversial highlights. There were multiple occasions when fans interfered with the game. The first occurrence happened when a Dodgers fan interfered with a potential home run hit by Yankee infielder Gleyber Torres, leading the umpire to rule a double. This, however, was not the most egregious interference. In game four, two Yankees fans reached over the fence in an attempt to pry the ball out of Mookie Betts glove. This was a shocking incident to witness as the fans were then escorted out of the stadium by security.
According to Forbes, the Dodgers were the favorite to win the championship by 80%. ; however, it really was anyone’s game. A fan remarked, “The yankees could have won the series but they weren’t as fundamentally sound as the Dodgers.” When reflecting on the series, the New York Yankees fan stated, “They were clearly the best team in the American League this year despite some hot and cold stretches… The Yankees absolutely should have won game one. Game five, fifth inning was an absolute nightmare to watch. It should have been going back to LA for game six and an improbable comeback for the Yankees but it wasn’t meant to be.” It is still believed that the Yankees can win the championship next year; however, there will need to be multiple adjustments made to ensure that outcome holds true.
Among all the exciting moments, the 120th World Series ended with the Dodgers as the 2024 champions. They are now tied with the San Francisco Giants in 5th place for the most World Series wins, further developing the Dodgers-Giants rivalry. As the season concludes, fans can look forward to next year. The Dodgers are currently projected to be the first back to back champs since 2000, being the favorite to win the World Series 2025.
