The 2024 World Series is finally here. After hundreds of games, thousands of pitches and more than a few IL stints, the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers will face each other for the Commissioner's Trophy and bragging rights before the cold, dark winter. The series opens Friday at Dodger Stadium and will end on Nov. 2 at the latest.
The Yankees got here by winning the AL East, then taking down the Kansas City Royals in the ALDS and the Cleveland Guardians in the ALCS. The Bronx Bombers haven't won the World Series since 2009 (they hadn't even won a pennant since then until this year). Does that mean more pressure for Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, Gerrit Cole and the rest of the team? Or would ring No. 28 just be par for the course?
The Dodgers, on the other hand, won the NL West, securing their own bye past the Wild Card Series. They beat the San Diego Padres in the NLDS and the New York Mets in the NLCS. This marks the Dodgers' second pennant of the decade and fourth since 2000. They won it all in 2020 during the pandemic-shortened season and will now go for their eighth franchise title. L.A. has not won a World Series in a full season since 1988.
As such, your CBS Sports MLB experts are here to predict how the best-of-seven series will go. Let's get to it.
Yankees vs. Dodgers predictions
Anderson: Best teams in their respective leagues; tons of stars on both sides; and you can make a reasonable case either way. On paper, this should be a great series and a lot of fun. As for my pick, the Yankees feel "safer" because of their rotation advantage. I do think that maybe we're overstating it on the whole -- the Dodgers are clearly capable of running a bullpen game and getting good results -- but when it feels like a coin-flip situation, it's OK to default to the team that features your favorite safety blanket. Pick: Yankees in 7. MVP: Juan Soto
Axisa: I tend to lean toward the highest-powered offense in October and the Dodgers have more lineup depth than the Yankees, even with Freddie Freeman hobbled, and just as much star power. Once you get beyond the top four hitters in New York's lineup -- Gleyber Torres, Juan Soto, Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton in that order -- there are some easy outs to be had. The Yankees do have the rotation advantage, for sure, but the Dodgers have a slightly deeper bullpen, and the offense to paper over any pitching issues. To me, the key to the series is Gerrit Cole. He's the best starter in the World Series and needs to shove accordingly to give the Yankees the best chance to win. Ultimately, I'm going with the Dodgers in an all-time classic series. Pick: Dodgers in 7. MVP: Teoscar Hernández
Feldman: This is, on paper, probably my favorite World Series matchup of my lifetime (I'm not telling you how old I am, so don't ask). It has everything. Superstars in Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto and more. Owners who are willing to open their checkbook to field the best team they can. Legacy. History. Drama. Give me a 50-game series. Unfortunately, neither team may have the pitching to go seven, let alone 50. That's tomorrow's problem. This series is so much bigger than a winner. Pick: Yankees in 7. MVP: Juan Soto
Perry: I do think the rotation edge for the Yankees is significant and meaningful. The Dodgers, of course, have three healthy starting pitchers. The L.A. pen has done the job, but after throwing 60 innings in the NLCS I wonder about workload catching up to them. I'll say that's the difference-maker in a tight, classic series between two heavyweights. This one will be a classic, it says here. Pick: Yankees in 7. MVP: Gerrit Cole
Pianovich: I am going to be bold by making some milquetoast predictions. First of all, I do not think we'll get seven games. Secondly, I think the heavy World Series MVP favorite will win World Series MVP. The Dodgers have the deeper lineup, and it's reasonable to expect Giancarlo Stanton to cool off a bit. A bolder prediction: The possibility of Shohei Ohtani pitching out of the Dodgers' bullpen becomes a big late-series storyline, even if it doesn't happen. Pick: Dodgers in 6. MVP: Shohei Ohtani
Snyder: It'll take a long series because the Dodgers' rotation is so banged up and inconsistent, but it seems like they are in kill mode right now and will find a way to win it all. Not much would surprise me either way. I could see anything from a Dodgers sweep to a Yankees sweep. There's a lot of offensive firepower here and a lot of pitching talent on both sides. I think the Dodgers have a bit more offensive talent, but that might not prove to be true, especially with Freddie Freeman compromised. I think it's gonna be a classic, though. Pick: Dodgers in 7. MVP: Mookie Betts
2024 World Series odds
(Odds via Caesars Sportsbook)
Odds to win World Series
- Dodgers: -130
- Yankees: +110
World Series MVP odds
- Shohei Ohtani: +175
- Aaron Judge: +400
- Juan Soto: +475
- Mookie Betts: +650
- Giancarlo Stanton: +750
- Max Muncy: +1800
- Teoscar Hernández: +2500
- Freddie Freeman: +2500
- Kiké Herandez: +3000
- Gerrit Cole: +3300
- Tommy Edman: +3500
- Gleyber Torres: +4000
- Will Smith: +4500
- Jazz Chisholm: +5000
(All other players have odds longer than +5000)
