For an unprecedented 12th time, the Yankees and Dodgers meet again in the World Series.
Despite the frequency of their Fall Classic clashes, this is the first time since 1981 that New York and Los Angeles will meet in October.
There is an abundance of rich history between these two behemoth teams. For the sake of brevity, this piece will focus solely on positions. A previous article from Stadium Rant accentuates on the composition and deep history between the historic rivals.
Without further ado, the positions for each team will be compared.
Advantage: Yankees
Yes, the Dodgers broke the NL record for the most consecutive scoreless innings in the postseason, but that was mostly the bullpen, and soon an afterthought. The Dodgers’ rotation enters the 120th World Series with a postseason ERA of 6.08 and a 5.59 FIP.
Trade deadline acquisition Jack Flaherty has a 7.04 ERA and has a 1.43 WHIP in 15 1/3 October innings pitched. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the highest-paid starting pitcher in MLB history, has also underperformed this October. He has a 5.11 ERA and 4.71 FIP throughout the playoffs.
New York’s rotation, anchored by Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon, has fared far better over the past three weeks. The primary arms of the Yankees have a 3.89 ERA and 3.35 FIP through the ALCS.
While Gerrit Cole has relinquished a .288 average against this month, he also has a 3.31 ERA. Carlos Rodon has given the Yankees their best postseason outings by a starting pitcher, bar none. In his last two starts, Rodon has struck out 15 of the 41 batters he’s faced and has surrendered three earned runs.
The Yankees’ rotation is healthier, and there is a chance that Nestor Cortes Jr could return. Despite playing four fewer games than the Dodgers, the Yankees’ rotation has 43 strikeouts to Los Angeles’s 27 and has a lower walk rate, 6.9% to the Dodgers’ rate of 9.7%.
New York’s rotation is healthier and has been objectively better. The Yankees get the advantage here.
Advantage: Yankees
Luke Weaver has found his way as the Yankees’ closer and has been mostly masterful in that role. The main concern for Weaver is his workload. He’s pitched in all but one game in the postseason and made multiple four/five-out saves. Thankfully, he gets all the rest he needs.
Despite some scares, Tommy Kahnle, Tim Hill, and Clay Holmes have been mostly effective this postseason. Overall, the Yankees’ bullpen has produced a 2.56 ERA and has yielded just a .204 average against. They even outdueled Cleveland’s historically vaunted bullpen in the ALCS.
The Dodgers late-inning hurlers have been good this month in their own right. Their collective 3.16 ERA is second-best among all NL playoff teams this year, behind only the Padres.
Closer Blake Treinen has been brilliant, with three saves and a 1.13 ERA. Brent Honeywell, Edgardo Henriquez, and Ryan Brasier have all struggled mightily. Evan Phillips, Anthony Banda, and Daniel Hudson have all been lights out, though.
Slight edge to the Yankees here. Their bullpen has not only been better peripherally, but they have also induced ground balls at a much higher rate and have more depth.
Advantage: Dodgers
Austin Wells has been a ghost all postseason long. He has struck out 41.7% of the time and has a negative wRC+ (-1).
Will Smith has had a subpar October showing of his own, but he has not been anywhere near as bad as Wells has. This goes to the Dodgers without question.
Advantage: Even
Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani will comprise most of the storylines for this World Series, but it is worth mentioning that two highly decorated first baseman will be playing as well.
After deploying Jon Berti and Oswaldo Cabrera at first base in the ALDS, Anthony Rizzo was triumphant in the ALCS. Rizzo had six hits in 14 at-bats and generated a 1.000 OPS. He did all of that while playing through multiple broken fingers.
Freddie Freeman is no stranger to playing through injury, either. He has missed three games, and Max Muncy has taken his place when absent. Freeman, for all of his fortitude, has not produced this postseason; he has a .377 OPS and has hit .167.
Max Muncy, however, has been excellent this month, with a 1.014 OPS and three home runs. Freeman and Rizzo will both have ample time to rest and heal even more.
This position is even, because Rizzo has produced through pain and still has a flashy glove – whereas Freeman needs to produce, but he and Muncy both have strong pedigrees.
Advantage: Yankees
Who would have thought that Gleyber Torres would be a catalyst since moving to the leadoff spot? That has continued into October as well.
Torres was the second-best second baseman of the entire second half, and his postseason numbers have been excellent. In 46 plate appearances, Torres is hitting .297 with an .832 OPS and has walked 15.6% of the time. Walks have generally not been a part of Torres’ game, but he has a .400 on-base percentage this month.
Gavin Lux of the Dodgers was the only second baseman who was better than Gleyber Torres during the second half, but he has not been anywhere near Torres’ level during the postseason.
Chris Taylor and October sparkplug Kike Hernandez have also alternated time at second base. Taylor has a 92 wRC+, so he has not done much. Hernandez has numbers identical to Torres this postseason, but second base is not his primary position. The Yankees take the cake here.
Advantage: Dodgers
Jazz Chisholm has brought ample bravado and swagger to the Yankees, but he has been one of the worst hitters of this postseason. With a 37 wRC+ and .481 OPS, Chisholm has essentially not had his bat with him at the plate in October.
Max Muncy and Kike Hernandez have both manned the hot corner for the Dodgers, and they have been excellent – as mentioned above. An easy advantage to Los Angeles here.
Advantage: Even
Anthony Volpe’s bat has caught fire at the perfect time. The second-year shortstop, who himself was at the Yankees’ 2009 World Series parade, has a .310 average and .459 OBP during this World Series run for the Yankees.
Tommy Edman had a historic NLCS for the Dodgers – during which he won MVP and hit 11 RBI, a Dodgers record.
Both shortstops have been swinging uncharacteristically scorching bats, and both have identical numbers. Neither team has an advantage over the other here, as presently constituted.
Advantage: Yankees
Mookie Betts has had a sensational postseason, to the surprise of no one. Teoscar Hernandez has proven to be a good trade acquisition, but he has been quiet in the postseason, with a .690 OPS. The Dodgers have alternated between Andy Pages and Chris Taylor in center field. Pages has been far better, and he will get more playing time in the World Series.
As great as Betts is, he is not Juan Soto. Soto won the pennant for the Yankees with an electrifying, go-ahead three-run home run in the top of the tenth inning of Game Five of the ALCS. Soto’s 1.106 postseason OPS and 203 wRC+ dwarf Betts’s still-excellent output.
Aaron Judge’s bat finally awakened in the ALCS, and he has walked 17.1% of the time. With respect to Pages and Taylor, they are not Judge.
Alex Verdugo has had a mostly underwhelming postseason, but he has not been devoid of big moments. Teoscar Hernandez has clearly been better, but the Yankees have the better outfield overall. Edge, Yankees.
Advantage: Even
Yes, Shohei Ohtani had one of the greatest regular seasons ever, and his first postseason appearance he’s ended up with a .934 OPS and 10 RBI.
Giancarlo Stanton, though, who already had a gaudy October resume before this year, won ALCS MVP and has a 1.179 OPS and five home runs in nine playoff games. He is also slugging .794, which is easily the best of all players this postseason.
Ohtani is the greatest baseball player, and perhaps the greatest athlete, we have seen in our lifetime. It is a privilege to watch him, but Giancarlo Stanton matches Ohtani’s mysticism and prowess with his own postseason output, and he’s the main reason the Yankees won the pennant.
This position is even and will very likely determine the World Series champion.
This is the World Series we’ve been waiting for. Both teams have the bank accounts, the star power, and the illustrious history.
The lineups are about even in skill set and methodology, but the Yankees have a deeper, more reliable bullpen, a better rotation, and Soto and Stanton playing at a historic level.
The Yankees will win the World Series in seven games, and this will be an instant classic.
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