LOS ANGELES — Even 8-year-old Charlie Freeman is excited about a Dodgers-Yankees World Series.
“He’s at Universal (Studios) right now with a couple of his buddies, but he goes, ‘Daddy, I can’t wait for the World Series to start tomorrow,’” Los Angeles first baseman Freddie Freeman said at the last workout before the opener. “He’s on YouTube and seeing all the videos about Yankees-Dodgers. So you’re starting to get a hint of how big this could be.”
This will be the 12th Dodgers-Yankees matchup and the first in 43 years. The rivalry dates to 1941, when the Dodgers were in Brooklyn and Joe DiMaggio’s Yankees were seeking their fifth title in six years.
“You can be the best player. You can do whatever you want,” Yankees star Juan Soto said, “but at the end of the day, people remember you because you won a World Series.”
Broadway vs. Hollywood has produced the starriest Series in decades, if not ever. The League Championship Series had the highest U.S. TV ratings since 2017, and that’s been dwarfed by viewership of the Dodgers from Japan driven by interest in Shohei Ohtani.
“You could easily argue that on a global scale, the Yankees and the Dodgers are the most followed, the most supported, the most visible,” Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts said.
This figures to be the first World Series featuring five MVPs: the Dodgers’ Ohtani, Freeman and Mookie Betts, and the Yankees’ Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. There hasn’t been a Fall Classic with four since 1971.
Ohtani and Judge are the likely MVPs this year, marking the first Series to feature both since San Francisco’s Buster Posey and Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera in 2012. This will be the first Series with a pair of 50-home run hitters in Judge (58) and Ohtani (54).
In an age of expanding playoffs, this is just the fifth World Series since the Wild Card Era started in 1995 involving the teams with the best records in each league.
“I’m sure I’m going to feel how special it is,” Ohtani said through an interpreter.
Players practiced in 85-degree weather as the sun highlighted Dodger Stadium’s sky blue, yellow, light orange and sea foam green seats. Freeman, slowed by a bad ankle, insisted he will be in the lineup for the opener.
While the Dodgers are seeking their eighth title and second in five years, the Yankees are in the World Series for the first time since winning No. 27 in 2009.
“This is where the real fun starts,” Judge said.
Judge realizes a title is necessary for…