BYB Roundtable: Thoughts, predictions ahead of Dodgers-Yankees 2024 World Series

The Major League Baseball postseason has reached its climax as the Los Angeles Dodgers are set to face the New York Yankees in the 2024 World Series.

The two cross-country titans give the fans a marquee matchup they will not likely forget anytime soon, including a battle between the presumptive league MVPs on the sport’s grandest stage. The two teams earned a combined 192 wins during the regular season and managed to outlast the playoff gauntlet to make it to the final series.

It has been quite some time since the most recent championship for the Bronx Bombers, who last earned a ring 15 years ago in 2009. The Blue Crew’s last crown came a bit more recently during the COVID season of 2020.

Ahead of MLB’s closing act in 2024, the Bless You Boys staff met at the roundtable to give their respective thoughts and predictions for this year’s World Series. Take a look below at what we have to offer.

Cam Kaiser: Dodgers over Yankees in six games.

I watch less than 14 total innings. If Dave Roberts mentions all the supposed “adversity” his team faced throughout the season, he should be sent to manage the White Sox next year.

Peter Kwasniak: I predict I’ll ignore all of this World Series because I could not care less for either team. I’ll say Dodgers win cause I want Ohtani to at least get a ring.

Patrick O’Kennedy: I picked the Dodgers to win the World Series in our pre-season predictions, so I’m not going to change now.

The Dodgers had the best record in the major leagues and the best roster in the game over the past several seasons. They’ve won their 11th division title in the past 12 seasons and their fourth national league pennant in the last eight years.

Dodgers in six.

Brady McAtamney: I’m going Dodgers in 7. If the series is going to be between two evil empires, might as well make it a fun one and get Shohei a ring while we’re at it.

Brandon Day: I think I’m going to take Yankees in 7.

I may be getting fooled by the fact that they have a functional rotation and the Guardians offense isn’t very good, but I think the Yankees have the better of the pitching right now. Jack looks gassed and the bullpens are both really good but pretty evenly matched.

Without Freddie, I think the offenses are pretty even. LAD does have the home-field advantage, so it should be close, but I think Cole/Rodon are going to be the difference for NYY.

Rob Rogacki: Dodgers in 6. Ohtani gets the series-clinching save.

Jay Markle: I picked the Dodgers preseason and I still feel good about that choice. They’re a loaded team and while the postseason is riddled with random chance, the more talented group of guys should usually come out on top in the aggregate.

Ashley MacLennan: Dodgers over Yankees and I’m going to be bold and say five games. I simply can’t cheer for the Yankees, and I’d like to see Ohtani get a ring after the season he’s had.

Zane Harding: Yankees in 5 to be bold. I don’t expect the Dodger pitching to keep up from here… Wait. Never mind, I picked Dodgers over Yankees in 5 preseason. I’m doubling down against my intuition.

Adam Dubbin: I don’t personally have much of a vested interest in this year’s World Series matchup, but my vitriol for the Yankees far outweighs that for the Dodgers.

For what it’s worth, I picked L.A. to lose to Texas in my predictions, but here I’m going to go with the boys in blue. LAD in seven, Ohtani gets his ring.

Mr. Sunshine: I think it’ll be Yankees in 6. While I have a mild dislike for both teams, there are players on both sides that I think deserve a championship ring. I won’t be super disappointed either way, but I do think the Yankees’ pitching is the edge right now.

Frisbee Pilot: Honestly, outside of Judge, Soto and Stanton — a formidable trio, to be sure — that Yankee lineup doesn’t scare me too much. Ohtani is just danged good at everything, so I see him putting that team on his back and getting a World Series MVP in the process.

Dodgers in six, although if identical meteors turned both stadiums into smoking holes in the ground (with nobody around, of course) and caused the World Series to be canceled… Manfred might be sad, but I won’t be.

Oh, also, my buddy who’s a Blue Jays fan wants the Dodgers to win so Teoscar Hernandez can get a ring.

Brandon: I’m more excited for this than most, clearly. I don’t need and don’t really expect an underdog. Note to those saying the Tigers can’t effectively pursue any big additions. It’s really rare to win that way.

Anyway, there are a bunch of Hall of Famers going at it with a ton of hype because it’s Yankees-Dodgers. I don’t care much who wins but I’m going to be into it. And I think I’m as keen to see Judge and Stanton win rings as I am Shohei. Mookie and Clayton already have one.

Jay: I agree with you in spirit — this series has the potential to go down as an all-timer.

David Rosenberg: Baseball is still happening?

Oh, the Yankees and Dodgers are the only ones left… does anyone really want either team to win? One team will have made a good investment assembling a $300M roster and the other will wonder why that amount of money didn’t get the job done.

I have no love for the Dodgers and know plenty of Yankees fans, so I’m inclined to pick New York here. With that said, it would be nice to see Jack Flaherty get a ring, and the Dodgers probably have the better overall team.

Let’s go Yankees in 7. More baseball is always the right answer. A four-game sweep would be lame (cries in 2012 Tigers).

Now that we have given you our takes, what are your World Series predictions for this year’s fall classic?