Yankees vs Dodgers live updates: World Series Game 1 score, predictions, lineups and more

The overarching theme of this World Series for the New York Yankees is as straightforward as it gets: Can the Yankees capture their 28th world championship?

Baseball’s biggest brand has not won the sport’s ultimate prize since 2009. The 15-year drought feels like an eternity in Yankee years. This year’s iteration of the Yankees is bolstered by twin-pillar stars in Aaron Judge and Juan Soto. But the emergence of others such as catcher Austin Wells, starting pitchers Clarke Schmidt and Luis Gil and trade-deadline acquisition Jazz Chisholm Jr. helped carry the Yankees to this point. That’s not to mention the postseason performance of Giancarlo Stanton, who has homered five times already in these playoffs.

Here in October, the Yankees bullpen has worked 38 2/3 innings to the tune of a 2.56 ERA. Relief contributions from the likes of Tommy Kahnle (seven scoreless innings) and Tim Hill (one earned run in six innings) serve as one more reminder that it will take more than Soto and Judge for the Yankees to win this World Series.

That said, this matchup could be a legacy maker for Judge in particular. The Yankees’ right-handed force enters Monday hitting only .161 with a .704 OPS in 41 postseason plate appearances. His ALCS home run off Emmanuel Clase was a signature moment in his career, but it won’t be remembered with as much reverence if the Yankees do not finish the job.

In his seventh season as Yankees manager, Aaron Boone has also endured the high-level scorn that comes with managing in the Bronx and has produced some of his finest work with what’s become his most tight-knit team. A ring would be a validation of the organization’s faith in Boone through good and bad.

These are the Yankees. Everything exists in the context of history and legacy. The World Series is where legends are made.

“We’ve had our shares of ups and downs this year,” Boone said Thursday. “It hasn’t been a perfect season by any means. We’ve had some tough moments, some low moments, and these guys have never flinched.”