2024 World Series

Los Angeles Dodgers

After back-to-back upset losses to division rivals in the postseason in 2022 and 2023, the Dodgers looked to reshape their roster. In the off-season, they signed superstar two-way player Shohei Ohtani to a record $700 million, 10 year contract.^[16] Other big additions were signing outfielder Teoscar Hernández and pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (from Japan through the posting system) and trading for starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow. During the regular season, the Dodgers were not quite as dominant as previous years due to various pitching injuries, a two-month hand injury to Mookie Betts, and a three-month abdominal injury to Max Muncy, failing to win 100 games for the first time in a full season since 2018. However, they still achieved the best win-loss record in the majors that year and won the National League West. They qualified for the postseason for the 12th consecutive season, dating back to 2013, the third-longest streak in MLB history.^[17]

Although Ohtani could not pitch in 2024 due to elbow surgery, he was tremendously successful as a batter and baserunner. Playing at designated hitter, Ohtani became the first player in MLB history to break the 50 home runs, 50 stolen bases barrier in a single season. He also surpassed Shawn Green's Dodgers single-season home run record with 54 home runs. At the All-Star Game, the Dodgers sent six players—Ohtani, Betts, Hernández, Glasnow, Freddie Freeman, and Will Smith.^[18] At the trade deadline, the Dodgers added starting pitcher Jack Flaherty, set-up reliever Michael Kopech, and utility player Tommy Edman;^[19] Edman won the NLCS MVP Award after recording 11 runs batted in (RBIs) in the series.^[20]

In the National League Division Series, the Dodgers faced a 2-1 deficit to their division rival San Diego Padres before rallying to take the series in five games. In the National League Championship Series, they defeated the New York Mets in six games to win their 25th pennant in franchise history and return to the World Series for the first time since their championship season in 2020, and the fourth time in eight years (2017–2018, 2020, and 2024).^[21][22] The Dodgers were just the second team in MLB history to face the two New York baseball teams in a single postseason, following the 1999 Braves. The Dodgers were looking to win their eighth World Series title.^[23]

For the Dodgers, 2024 marked the World Series debuts of Ohtani, Yamamoto, T. Hernández, and Edman. Freddie Freeman and Will Smith made their second World Series appearances. Max Muncy, Mookie Betts, and Walker Buehler made their third World Series appearances. Freeman, Smith, Muncy, and Buehler were seeking their second World Series championships, with the former having won with the Braves in 2021 and the latter two having won with the Dodgers in 2020, while Betts was seeking his third World Series championship and the second with the Dodgers, having won with the Red Sox in 2018 and with the Dodgers in 2020. Dave Roberts, in his ninth year as a manager for the Dodgers, was seeking his second World Series championship as a manager, and third overall.^[24]

The Dodgers also announced plans to use the World Series games at Dodger Stadium to pay tribute to former pitcher Fernando Valenzuela, who died shortly before the 2024 World Series and who was vital to the team's 1981 championship season.^[25][26]

New York Yankees

After missing the postseason in 2023, the New York Yankees traded for star outfielder Juan Soto to help bolster their lineup.^[27] Soto and Aaron Judge helped the Yankees to lead the American League in runs and the MLB in home runs.^[28] Joining Soto and Judge as All-Stars were relief pitcher Clay Holmes. The Yankees' closer role initially belonged to Holmes, but after recording an MLB-leading 11 blown saves, he lost the position. Luke Weaver took over the role in September and retained it throughout their postseason run. After not appearing in a game until June 19 due a spring training injury, reigning AL Cy Young award winner Gerrit Cole headed a deep rotation of starters including Carlos Rodón, rookie Luis Gil, Nestor Cortes, Marcus Stroman, and Clarke Schmidt. At the trade deadline, the team added Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Mark Leiter Jr.^[29][30]

The New York Yankees qualified for the postseason as the American League East division winner and the league's first seed. In the American League Division Series, they defeated the Kansas City Royals in four games. In the American League Championship Series, they defeated the Cleveland Guardians in five games to win their 41st pennant in franchise history and return to the World Series for the first time since their championship season in 2009, putting an end to their 15-year World Series appearance drought.^[31][32]

Giancarlo Stanton won the ALCS MVP award with four home runs and seven RBIs. This World Series marked the debut of Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Gleyber Torres, while Gerrit Cole, Juan Soto, and Anthony Rizzo returned to the World Series for the second time in their careers. Rizzo and Soto were seeking second career World Series championship, having won with the Chicago Cubs and Washington Nationals, respectively, while Cole was seeking his first championship after the Houston Astros lost in 2019.^[33] Aaron Boone, in his seventh season as a manager for the Yankees, was seeking his first World Series win as a manager.^[34] The Yankees were looking to win their league-leading 28th World Series championship title.^[35]

Game 1

Game 1 featured starting pitchers Jack Flaherty for the Dodgers and Gerrit Cole for the Yankees. Country singer Brad Paisley performed "The Star-Spangled Banner".^[42] In tribute to Fernando Valenzuela, his former Dodger teammates Orel Hershiser and Steve Yeager placed a ball on the blue No. 34 painted on the pitcher's mound instead of throwing out a ceremonial first pitch.^[43]

The two starters, Flaherty and Cole, kept the game scoreless through the first four innings. After Enrique Hernández hit a triple in the bottom of the fifth inning, he scored the game's first run via a sacrifice fly by Will Smith. In the top of the sixth, Giancarlo Stanton hit a two-run home run after a Juan Soto walk, giving the Yankees a 2–1 lead and knocking Flaherty out of the game. Cole was removed from the game after giving up a leadoff single to Teoscar Hernández in the seventh. In the bottom of the eighth, Shohei Ohtani hit a ball off the top of the outfield wall and reached second base, but Juan Soto's throw got away from second baseman Gleyber Torres, and Ohtani advanced to third base. The next batter, Mookie Betts, hit a sacrifice fly to score Ohtani and tie the game.^[44]

In the top of the ninth, Michael Kopech was sent in by Roberts to close out the ninth inning. He got the first two batters he faced to ground out but then gave up a hit to Torres that was caught at the wall by a fan. Instead of a home run, he was awarded second base on a fan interference call, and the game remained tied at 2–2. After a review, the call was upheld. After intentionally walking Juan Soto, Kopech was removed from the game and replaced by Blake Treinen, who got Aaron Judge to pop out, ending the inning. Yankees closer Luke Weaver pitched a perfect inning in the bottom of the ninth, sending the game into extra innings. In the top of the tenth, Treinen gave up a one-out single to Jazz Chisholm Jr. who then stole second base. Anthony Rizzo was intentionally walked, and Chisholm Jr. stole third. The next batter, Anthony Volpe, hit an RBI force-out that was bobbled by Tommy Edman, allowing Chisholm Jr. to score the go-ahead run, giving the Yankees a 3–2 lead.^[44]

With the Yankees leading by a run, reliever Jake Cousins was sent in to pitch the last three outs. He got Smith to fly out, then walked Gavin Lux. Edman followed with an infield single to put runners on first and second with one out. Cousins was then removed from the game and replaced with Nestor Cortés Jr., who hadn't pitched since September 18. Cortés Jr. first faced Ohtani, who hit a ball into foul territory that was caught by a leaping Alex Verdugo, who toppled into the front row of the stands. Because Verdugo went out of play with the ball, the runners were awarded one base, advancing them to second and third. With the Dodgers down to their final out, the Yankees intentionally walked Betts, thus loading the bases and bringing Freddie Freeman to the plate. On the first pitch, Freeman hit a walk-off grand slam over the right field wall, winning Game 1 for Los Angeles. This is the third consecutive World Series Game 1 to be decided in extra innings, after it previously occurred in 2022 and 2023.^[45]

Freeman's homer was the first walk-off grand slam in World Series history as well as the third Series walk-off homer of any kind for a team that was trailing, following Joe Carter's World Series-winning home run for the Toronto Blue Jays in 1993 and Kirk Gibson's Game 1-winning home run for the Dodgers in 1988.^[46] In particular, Freeman's home run was widely compared to Gibson's off the Athletics' Dennis Eckersley, as both players were playing through injuries at the time and the Dodgers were down by a run and down to their last out in Game 1 of the World Series.^[47] Fox broadcaster Joe Davis' call of "...she is gone!" echoed that of legendary Dodgers and then-NBC broadcaster Vin Scully for the Gibson homer, and Davis also added, "Gibby, meet Freddie!" Both Gibson's and Freeman's home runs were to right field at Dodger Stadium in almost the same spot and both came at 8:37 PM Pacific Time. Game 1 has been widely referred to as one of the greatest World Series games of all time.^[48][49][50]

Game 2

American rapper and Los Angeles native Ice Cube performed "Bow Down" and "It Was a Good Day" before Game 2.^[51] Pearle Peterson, a 19-year-old, sang the national anthem, accompanied by organist Dieter Ruehle. Game 2 featured starting pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto for the Dodgers and Carlos Rodón for the Yankees.^[52] Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier threw out the ceremonial first pitch.^[53]

In the bottom of the second inning, Tommy Edman hit a solo home run off Rodón as the Dodgers took a 1–0 lead. Juan Soto hit a solo home run off Yamamoto in the top of the third inning to tie the game. In the bottom of the inning, Mookie Betts hit a single followed by a Teoscar Hernández two-run home run and a solo home run by Freddie Freeman to give the Dodgers a 4–1 lead. Yamamoto allowed only one hit in 6+1⁄3 innings in his start. In the bottom of the seventh inning with two outs, Shohei Ohtani had a left shoulder subluxation when he slid in his steal attempt at second base, as he was caught stealing to end the seventh inning; he lay at second base in pain until his trainer tended him to leave the field.^[54] With the Dodgers leading by three runs, Blake Treinen was sent in to close out the game in the top of the ninth. He gave up a leadoff single to Soto, who advanced to second on a wild pitch. After Aaron Judge struck out, Giancarlo Stanton hit a ground ball that bounced off the third base bag and into the outfield, scoring Soto. The Yankees then loaded the bases with an Anthony Rizzo hit-by-pitch and Jazz Chisholm Jr. single, but Volpe struck out for the second out. After the Volpe at-bat, Treinen was replaced with Alex Vesia, who got pinch-hitter Jose Trevino to fly out on the first pitch, ending the game and giving Los Angeles a 2–0 series lead.^[55]

Game 3

Fat Joe performed "New York" and "All the Way Up" prior to Game 3.^[51] New York native Leslie Odom Jr. sang the national anthem and Derek Jeter threw the ceremonial first pitch.^[57] Joe's performance was mostly panned by fans on social media.^[58] Clarke Schmidt was the starting pitcher for the Yankees^[59] and Walker Buehler for the Dodgers.^[60]

In the top of the first inning, after Shohei Ohtani's leadoff walk, Freddie Freeman hit a two-run home run, tying a record by homering in his fifth straight World Series game going back to the 2021 World Series, where he appeared as a member of the Atlanta Braves.^[61] In the top of the third inning, Tommy Edman led off with a walk, advanced on a groundout and then scored on a single by Mookie Betts. The Dodgers threatened again in the fourth with runners at first and third and no outs, but the rally was thwarted when Gavin Lux was tagged out on a close play at home on an attempted squeeze bunt by Edman. In the bottom half of the inning, Giancarlo Stanton doubled and tried to score on Anthony Volpe's single, but he was also cut down at the plate via an accurate throw by left fielder Teoscar Hernandez to keep the Yankees off the board.

The Dodgers added another run in the sixth inning when Gavin Lux was hit by a Jake Cousins pitch, stole second base, and scored on a single by Enrique Hernández. The Yankees left five runners on base over the next three innings before Alex Verdugo followed an Anthony Rizzo single with a two-out, two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth to cut the Los Angeles lead in half at 4–2. However, the next batter, Gleyber Torres, grounded out to end the game and give the Dodgers a 3–0 series lead. Buehler pitched five scoreless innings in the game for the Dodgers to receive the win.^[56]

Game 4

R&B singer and New York native Ashanti performed the national anthem before Game 4 and Paul O'Neill threw the ceremonial first pitch to A. J. Burnett.^[57][63] Luis Gil was the starting pitcher in Game 4 for the Yankees.^[64] The Dodgers employed a bullpen game with Ben Casparius as the opener.^[65]

In the top of the first inning, Freddie Freeman hit a two-run home run, breaking the record he had tied in the previous game with the sixth consecutive World Series game he had homered in.^[66] In the bottom of the first inning, Gleyber Torres flied out to right fielder Mookie Betts in foul territory for the first out of the inning. As he leapt to make the catch against the wall, Betts was accosted by two Yankees fans who attempted to strip the ball from his glove. The fans were ejected from the stadium and banned from the rest of the series.^[67] The Yankees scored a run in the bottom of the second inning after Anthony Volpe drew a walk, Austin Wells hit a double, and Alex Verdugo hit an RBI groundout. In the bottom of the third inning, Volpe hit a two-out grand slam off of Daniel Hudson to give the Yankees a 5–2 lead. Will Smith hit a home run for the Dodgers in the fifth inning to cut the lead to two runs. Later that inning, Tommy Edman scored when Freeman beat out a fielder's choice to first base after the Dodgers won a review challenge on what had originally been called an inning-ending double play. Wells hit a solo home run for the Yankees in the sixth inning to increase the lead to two. The Yankees scored five more runs in the bottom of the eighth inning off Dodger reliever Brett Honeywell Jr. on an RBI fielder's choice by Verdugo, a three-run home run by Gleyber Torres, and an RBI single by Aaron Judge, extending the lead to 11–4. Tim Mayza closed out Game 4^[68] to make the Yankees the first team since the Cincinnati Reds in 1970 to force a fifth game and avoid being swept after having lost the first three games in a World Series.^[69]

Game 5

R&B singer Babyface sang the national anthem before Game 5 and Hideki Matsui threw the ceremonial first pitch to Jose Trevino.^[71][72] The game featured a pitching rematch of Game 1 between Gerrit Cole for the Yankees and Jack Flaherty for the Dodgers.^[73]

After being limited by Flaherty in Game 1, the Yankees' offense started very quickly in Game 5, scoring the first runs for the first time in the series. In the bottom of the first inning, Juan Soto drew a walk, which was followed by a first-pitch two-run home run by Aaron Judge and a solo home run by Jazz Chisholm Jr. to give the Yankees an early 3–0 advantage. In the bottom of the second, Anthony Volpe hit a double and scored on an RBI single by Alex Verdugo, extending the Yankees' lead to 4–0, and chasing Flaherty from the game after just four outs. Giancarlo Stanton led off the third inning with a first-pitch solo home run off Ryan Brasier, pushing the Yankees' lead to 5–0.^[74] Through four innings, Cole held the Dodgers hitless and allowed just two walks.

In the fifth, the Yankees committed a series of errors and defensive mistakes that allowed the Dodgers to tie the score. After a leadoff single by Kiké Hernandez, Judge committed his first error of the season, dropping a routine fly ball off the bat of Tommy Edman that put runners on first and second. Anthony Volpe then committed a throwing error while trying to throw out Hernandez at third on Will Smith's ground ball, which loaded the bases with no outs. Cole responded by striking out Gavin Lux and Shohei Ohtani, but a slow ground ball from Mookie Betts resulted in an RBI infield single when first baseman Anthony Rizzo did not charge the bag after fielding the ball and Cole did not cover first base; had this play been made, the inning would have ended with no runs scored. With the Dodgers' deficit now 5–1 and the bases still loaded, Freddie Freeman then hit a two-run single and Teoscar Hernández a two-run double, tying the game at 5–all, with all five runs unearned.

The Yankees continued to put traffic on, forcing the Dodgers to burn through relievers. In the bottom of the fifth, Alex Vesia escaped a two-out bases-loaded jam to keep the game tied at 5–5. In the bottom of the sixth, Brusdar Graterol allowed the first two Yankees to reach on walks, with the lead runner Soto scoring two batters later on a Stanton sacrifice fly to give the Yankees the lead again at 6–5. Blake Treinen, the Dodgers' closer, entered to record the final out of the sixth and retire the side in the seventh. On the other side, Cole remained in for the Yankees for another 1+2⁄3 innings to help the Yankees reach the eighth inning with the lead.

In the top of the eighth, the Yankees sent in reliever Tommy Kahnle, who had not allowed an earned run in eight postseason games. Hernandez once again led off with a single, Edman followed with a broken-bat infield single, and Will Smith followed with a four-pitch walk. With the bases loaded, Kahnle was relieved by Luke Weaver, pitching in his third straight game. Weaver allowed a Gavin Lux sacrifice fly that scored Hernández, tying the game at 6–6, which moved Edman to third. Shohei Ohtani next reached on a catcher's interference, once again loading the bases. On the first pitch of his at-bat, Betts hit a sacrifice fly to score Edman, giving the Dodgers a 7–6 lead.

In the bottom of the inning, Treinen allowed a one-out double to Judge and a walk, but induced a flyout to Stanton and struck out Rizzo to complete 2+1⁄3 scoreless innings of relief in his longest outing of the season. With the Dodgers still maintaining a one-run lead heading into the bottom of the ninth, and with very few remaining bullpen options available, Dave Roberts called on Game 3 starter Walker Buehler to close out the game and season. Buehler, on one day's rest, pitched a perfect ninth inning, striking out Austin Wells and Alex Verdugo for the final two outs and clinching the title for Los Angeles.^[75]

With the win, the Dodgers won their eighth World Series championship in franchise history,^[74] tying their longtime rivals the San Francisco Giants for the second-most among National League clubs and the fifth-most overall. The Dodgers joined their 2020 team, the 2018 Red Sox, the 2016 Cubs, the 2013 Red Sox, the 2009 Yankees, the 2007 Red Sox, and the 1998 Yankees as teams to win a World Series after having the best regular-season record in MLB in the wild card era.^[76] The Dodgers also set the record for most runs to come from behind from in a clinching game.^[77] The World Series MVP Award went to Freeman, the first player to homer in the first four games and hit a walk-off grand slam in the World Series. His 12 RBIs tied the World Series record set in 1960 by Bobby Richardson.^[78][79] Freeman became the 12th player to win regular season MVP and World Series MVP in a career, having previously won a regular season MVP in 2020.^[80]

Composite line score

2024 World Series (4–1): Los Angeles Dodgers beat New York Yankees.

Television

For the 25th consecutive year, the World Series was televised in the United States by Fox. Play-by-play announcer Joe Davis (who was the Dodgers' lead television announcer on Spectrum SportsNet LA during the regular season) called the games, along with Baseball Hall of Famer John Smoltz as color analyst and Ken Rosenthal and Tom Verducci as field reporters. Kevin Burkhardt hosted the pregame and postgame shows, joined by analysts Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, and David Ortiz. Fox Deportes aired the Spanish-language telecasts, with play-by-play announcer Adrian Garcia Marquez, analyst Edgar Gonzalez, and reporters Carlos Alvarez and Jaime Motta.^[81]

MLB International provided television coverage outside of the United States, using feeds remotely produced by MLB Network. Dave Flemming (play-by-play) and Ryan Spilborghs (color commentator) were the English-language commentators. Univision aired Game 1 in Spanish for its first World Series telecast, after its sister network UniMás carried both the ALDS and ALCS in their entirety.^[82]

For Freddie Freeman's Game 1 walk-off grand slam, Fox broadcaster Joe Davis' call of "...she is gone!" echoed that of legendary Dodgers and then-NBC broadcaster Vin Scully for Kirk Gibson's Game 1 walk-off home run in the 1988 World Series; and Davis also added, "Gibby, meet Freddie!".^[83]

Radio

For the 27th consecutive year, ESPN Radio broadcast the series in the United States. Jon Sciambi did play-by-play, while Jessica Mendoza (who was part of the Dodgers' television crew on Spectrum SportsNet LA during the regular season) and Eduardo Pérez provided color commentary and Buster Olney reported from the field.^[92] TUDN Radio broadcast the series in Spanish.^[93]

The flagship radio stations for both teams also produced local broadcasts of each game. In Los Angeles, KLAC and KTNQ broadcast in English and Spanish respectively, while in New York, WFAN (in English) and WADO (in Spanish) aired the games. The series marked the last broadcasts for longtime Yankees radio play-by-play announcer John Sterling of WFAN, as he had announced his retirement in April 2024.^[94][95]