MLB
The four possible World Series matchups
With the Championship Series for both leagues now set, we take a look at the four possible matchups for the World Series.
Every possible World Series matchup this year offers something special. Each has its own unique storyline, full of drama, history, and anticipation. With the League Championship Series set and four teams still standing, let’s take a closer look at what each potential matchup might bring. Here’s a ranking of the four possibilities, starting with the most fascinating.
Dodgers vs. Yankees: A Clash of Titans
World Series meetings: 11 (Last in 1981)
This one is the heavyweight bout. Coast to coast, star power up and down the lineups, and history that runs deep. We’re talking Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Juan Soto, Freddie Freeman, Gerrit Cole. It’s a marketer’s wet dream, and one of those series where even casual fans can’t help but tune in.
The Yankees haven’t won a World Series in 15 years, which for them, feels like an eternity. For all their regular-season dominance, the Dodgers only have one recent title, from the shortened 2020 season. Fair or not, most fans still put an asterisk next to that one, making this a chance for the Dodgers to silence those whispers.
These two teams are tied together by history - they’ve met in the Fall Classic 11 times, more than any other matchup. But it’s been over 40 years since they last squared off. Maybe it’s time to renew this rivalry, with both sides looking to break through and add to their legacy.
Mets vs. Yankees: Subway Series, Part II
World Series meetings: 1 (2000)
If you lived in New York in 2000, you remember the buzz when the Yankees and Mets met in the World Series. The city was electric, and the Yankees were at the height of their powers, cruising to their third straight title. The Mets, on the other hand, were the underdogs, scrappy but not quite on the Yankees’ level.
Fast forward to now, and things have changed. The Yankees are still the bigger, more storied franchise, but this current group of players has never won a championship. They’re desperate for one. The Mets, meanwhile, have been hungry for a title since 1986. Both fanbases are feeling the weight of their teams’ title droughts, and the stakes would be enormous if they faced each other again.
This time, it wouldn’t just be about city bragging rights. The Yankees are no longer the established kings, and the Mets aren’t just happy to be there. Both teams need this one badly.
Guardians vs. Mets: The Lindor Connection
World Series meetings: None
The storyline here is all about Francisco Lindor, the former Cleveland star who was the face of the Guardians before heading to New York. He’s still beloved in Cleveland, even though the trade that sent him to the Mets in 2021 was a difficult pill for fans to swallow.
Lindor didn’t have the easiest start in New York, but he’s turned things around and is now playing some of his best baseball. Meanwhile, Andrés Giménez, who went to Cleveland in the trade, has developed into an All-Star and key part of the Guardians’ future. You couldn’t script this better.
If the Guardians and Mets meet in the World Series, it would be Lindor’s first return to Cleveland in October since he led them to the 2016 World Series. The connection is strong, and the emotions would be running high. For Cleveland, it’s about getting back to the promised land without Lindor; for the Mets, it’s about finally breaking through with him.
Dodgers vs. Guardians: A Century in the Making
World Series meetings: 1 (1920)
It’s hard to believe, but the Dodgers and Guardians last met in the World Series back in 1920. The world was a different place, and so were these teams. The Dodgers were then known as the Brooklyn Robins, and Cleveland was called the Indians. The 1920 Series featured baseball’s first (and only) unassisted triple play, turned by Bill Wambsganss, and Cleveland took the series, 5-2.
Now, more than a century later, these two clubs could meet again. The Dodgers, one of baseball’s perennial powerhouses, would be looking to add to their trophy case. Cleveland, meanwhile, hasn’t won a World Series since 1948 and is still chasing that elusive third championship.
The history between these two teams is distant, but there’s something poetic about the idea of them squaring off once again, so many decades later. This time around, the stakes are different, but for Cleveland fans, the hunger remains the same.
No matter which matchup emerges, the 2024 World Series will offer compelling stories, great baseball, and a chance for one team to add to its history. Will it be a battle between baseball’s titans or an emotional return for Lindor? We’re about to find out.