MLB World Series 2024 Storylines to Track in Yankees vs. Dodgers Fall Classic Bracket

Two of the most storied franchises in Major League Baseball history will square off in the 2024 World Series.

The New York Yankees are back in the Fall Classic for the first time since 2009 behind a superstar lineup, led by Juan Soto, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton.

The Los Angeles Dodgers will make their fourth World Series appearance since 2017 and their first since winning the title in 2020.

Los Angeles' roster looks a bit different than the one that won the title, starting with the presence of Shohei Ohtani at the top of the lineup.

Soto, Judge, Ohtani, Mookie Betts and others have the potential to make the 2024 Fall Classic one of the best championship series in the sport's history with how much offensive firepower they bring to each team.

The Juan Soto trade has more than paid off for the Yankees in 2024.

The 25-year-old outfielder was the megastar the Yankees were missing alongside Judge and Stanton, and he's delivered on countless occasions throughout the postseason.

Soto hit the series-clinching home run against the Cleveland Guardians in the ALCS and had three total long balls in the series.

Soto carries one thing most players on the Yankees roster doesn't have and that is a title.

His World Series experience combined with the clutch hitting we've already seen this postseason should make Soto one of the stars of the World Series.

Also looming over Soto is his impending free agency. He could potentially sign the richest deal in baseball history in the coming months. The Yankees will be keen to keep him regardless of the Fall Classic result.

Shohei Ohtani went from having zero postseason bats to a World Series appearance in his first season with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Ohtani went 8-for-22 with two home runs in the NLCS triumph over the New York Mets.

He has to be the tone-setter at the top of the Dodgers lineup against Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon in the first two games of the series.

Ohtani was signed by the Dodgers to shine in these specific moments and now he has the stage to do so.

He will naturally be compared to everything that Soto and Judge do throughout the best-of-seven series, and the matchup may come down to which superstar comes up with the most clutch hits.

Freddie Freeman did not play in Sunday's series-clinching NLCS Game 6 because of an ankle issue that's been bothering him all postseason.

Freeman suffered the injury in the final week of the regular season, and he's clearly in pain every time he tries to run.

The star first baseman only went 3-for-18 in the NLCS, and he missed Games 4 and 6 to rest the ankle.

The Dodgers won both of the games Freeman did not start thanks to contributions from throughout the order.

However, the Dodgers may need Freeman's hitting to win the World Series. The break until Friday's Game 1 should at least help him get the treatment he needs to prepare for the series.

If Freeman's injury continues to linger, it will affect how Dave Roberts aligns his lineup and the potential strategy within certain games if Freeman still can't run.

The Yankees own the clear advantage when it comes to pitching.

Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon will open the World Series and then each player will pitch later on in the series if it goes the distance.

New York is also set up with Clarke Schmidt and Luis Gil to go at least four or five innings in Games 3 and 4.

The Dodgers have Jack Flaherty, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Walker Buehler as their starting rotation right now.

Los Angeles utilized a few bullpen games, including in Sunday's Game 6, to navigate their lack of depth in the starting rotation.

New York's starting depth could become a factor in the series if the Dodgers starters leave Games 1 and 2 early and tax the bullpen arms that already have been heavily used this postseason.

The Dodgers could neutralize that edge through strong starts by Flaherty, Yamamoto and Buehler, but at least on paper, the Yankees are better suited to get through the series with their pitching depth.