2024 World Series: A Recap

The Fall Classic has officially ended with the Los Angeles Dodgers winning Game 5 over the New York Yankees 7-6, taking the series 4-1. Game 5 did not appear to be the final game at the start with the Yankees taking an early 5-0 lead, however things soon got interesting after a myriad of errors led to the Dodgers scoring 5 runs in the 5th, eventually finishing the job in the 8th driving in 2 more runs. It was the most viewed series since 2017, averaging 15.81 million viewers per game. Game 5 was also the most viewed World Series game since Game 7 of the 2019 World Series. Considering the series was between arguably the two biggest MLB clubs  and star studded rosters, the viewership was definitely warranted. The baseball itself also did not disappoint.

Game 1 started off with a bang, going into extra innings, with the Yankees taking the lead in the top of the 10th, only for Freddie Freeman to hit a walkoff grand slam to secure the win for the Dodgers. Then in Game 2, the Yankees brought it to within two in the top of the 9th with the bases loaded, but failed to score again as the Dodgers secured the last two outs. Game 3 was more of the same with the Yankees making a final push in the 9th, with Alex Verdugo hitting a two-run homerun, only for the Dodgers to get the final out with the next batter. Game 4 was the anomaly of the series with the Yankees blowing out the Dodgers by 7 runs, which included another grand slam, this time by Yankees’ Anthony Volpe. And finally, the aforementioned Game 5 was the crown jewel of the series capping off a great MLB postseason.

Now what does this result mean for both teams? The Dodgers finally got over the hump of dominating the postseason and then crashing out in the World Series. They were the best team in baseball this year and finally capitalized on it. They also get to finally celebrate a World Series, their first since 1988. They did win the World Series back in 2020, however with it being during the pandemic no parade or other celebrations ensued. This time, they can finally go all out.

On the other side of things, we have the Yankees. The greatest franchise in MLB history hasn’t won a World Series since 2009. This was the first time they had been to one since then, and is probably the most talented team they’ve had in a long time. With the likes of Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, Gerrit Cole, and many others, the time was now for the Yankees. Especially with no guarantee of Juan Soto coming back, the Yankees needed to make the most of their opportunity. And ultimately, they did not. The high power offense went cold. Aaron Judge especially, the best slugger in the majors, went 4/18, batting .222, with only 3 RBIs and 1 home run. With your best player not producing, and no one else stepping up to the plate, the Yankees were going to have a tough time being successful. Ultimately this was the case, and now it’s time to reset. The first goal is to resign Juan Soto. If this can happen, you may very well see the Yankees back in the World Series. And with the Dodgers keeping pretty much the same roster, we might get this heavyweight rematch once again in a year’s time. One can only hope.