The 2024 Major League Baseball (MLB) World Series saw two historic foes take center stage to culminate the 2024 MLB season.. The top-seeded New York Yankees claimed the throne in the American League, making swift work of their competition. In the National League, the top seed also made it out of the fray, as the Los Angeles Dodgers looked to win their second World Series title within the last five years.
The Dodgers took care of business in this year’s Fall Classic, winning their eighth World Series title. They birthed some of the best moments in postseason history along the way. In what could be seen as the game of the year in game one, first baseman and World Series Most Valuable Player (MVP) Freddie Freeman lived up to his $162 million contract with a single swing, one that every kid dreams of. Down one with two outs and the bases loaded in the tenth inning, Freeman took the swing of his life, launching a walk-off grand slam deep into the Los Angeles night to set the tone for the series. The 35-year-old rode this wave into game two, where he’d hit another home run, going back-to-back with outfielder Teoscar Hernández to help vault Los Angeles into a two games to zero advantage. In games three and four, he’d find the bleachers again and in the closeout game, he’d drive in two in a comeback win to send Los Angeles into a frenzy.
The Yankees struggled to find their footing in clutch situations this series. While they kept games close, they fell short time and time again. Their batters struggled with runners in scoring position in the first few games, and while they came alive in games four and five it was too late. The most notable player in the struggling group was the likely 2024 Most Valuable Player, outfielder Aaron Judge. He managed just two hits in 17 plate appearances through the first four games of the World Series. Game five saw the slugger finally break out of the slump with two hits and two runs batted in, which included his first home run of the World Series, but a few defensive miscues and pitching woes gave the Dodgers the win.
The pitching was also inconsistent for the Yankees. While starter Gerrit Cole was tremendous in game one, the bullpen faltered in the big moments. In game two, the bullpen was up to the challenge, but starter Carlos Rodón’s line off 3.1 innings, six hits and four earned runs was too much to overcome. In game three, walks proved to be an issue, as starter Clarke Schmidt would give up three early in a loss. Things looked grim in what could have been the closeout game in game four when starter Luis Gil gave up four earned runs in four innings, but the bullpen was terrific in the final five frames to give New York some life. Finally, in game five, a couple of errors allowed the Dodgers to come back from down five runs, and reliever Tommy Kahnle could not record a single out and gave up two runs in his outing, allowing the Dodgers to storm back and win this year’s World Series.
Now, teams will look to the offseason. From the trade market to free agency, there’s no telling what could happen this offseason, as teams look to build the next World Series contender.
