LOS ANGELES —The waiting is just about over for the star-studded World Series between the Yankees and Dodgers, and everything surrounding the high-profile matchup is huge—both now and into the future.
The two well-heeled clubs held a workout day Thursday at Dodger Stadium in advance of Game 1 Friday. Between the star power of the teams led by Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge, the storied World Series history between the two, the financial might of the two franchises, the sorrow of this week’s death of Fernando Valenzuela, and the raucous crowds expected at the 56,000-seat ballpark, a sense of expectation was palpable and heavy.
“It’s Dodgers-Yankees, two pillar franchises in the sport, obviously with a lot of history, going back a long, long time,” said Yankees manager Aaron Boone, referencing in part the 11 prior World Series meetings between the two teams. “This is something that will garner a lot of interest all over the country, all over the world, probably more so than usual. I think everyone can identify with the Dodgers, can identify with the Yankees, and just what that means worldwide.”
The Big Question
Even before the World Series starts, questions persist about the future status of star Yankees outfielder Juan Soto, who will be a free agent after the Series. Even before the postseason, Soto was likely in line for a $500 million contract that would be the second-largest player deal in MLB history. After his October heroics, particularly in the American League Championship Series against the Guardians, that projected outlay is growing quickly—even among Soto’s own teammates.
For now, though, Soto is doing his best to block out the salary chatter and focus on beating the Dodgers.
“[Agent] Scott [Boras] has been doing a really good job to not make it hard for me,” Soto said in response to a Front Office Sports question. “He’s been taking all the bullets and everything. I’m just focused on playing baseball right now. That’s what I’ve been doing since day 1. Everything that comes up around [the free agency], I just let him do it.”
Local vs. National
The 2024 World Series, meanwhile, is happening against the backdrop of the ongoing reorganization of the bankrupt Diamond Sports Group, parent company of the newly renamed FanDuel Sports Network. While the entire regional sports network business remains on a large-scale decline, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has actively pursued a more nationalized strategy regarding baseball’s in-market media rights. That push recently received a further boost with the Brewers, Guardians, and Twins electing to have the league produce and distribute their local games.
But the presence of the Yankees and Dodgers in this World Series likely just reinforces the serious obstacles Manfred will have in advancing that new strategy. New York had MLB’s No. 2 player payroll ($309 million) this year and Los Angeles was at No. 5 ($241 million)–spending made possible in no small part by the meaningful ownership stakes that each have in their RSNs, the YES Network and Spectrum Sportsnet, respectively. Even in a state of industry retreat, large-market clubs such as these—and others including the Red Sox and Cubs—will almost certainly be reluctant to shift to a radically different media model.
Remembering A Legend
Two days after the death of Valenzuela, a former star pitcher and broadcaster for the Dodgers, commemorations for the fallen icon began to come into focus. The Dodgers will wear a patch bearing his uniform No. 34 during the World Series and all of next season. A moment of silence will also be held in his honor prior to Game 1 Friday. Additionally, ans developed a makeshift memorial outside of the Dodger Stadium gates, marking another tribute of Valenzuela’s galvanizing impact among fans, particularly Latinos. Valenzuela also helped the Dodgers beat the Yankees in the 1981 World Series—the team’s last Fall Classic meeting until now.
“I was taken off guard, and I was deeply saddened,” Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole said of Valenzuela’s passing. “He’s one of the great Dodgers of all time, one of the great Mexican players of all time, and he’s a legend. It’s just sad he won’t be here for this series, but he’s probably got a great seat for it upstairs.”
Still A Hot Ticket
Soon after the World Series matchup was set, ticket resale prices soared to levels not seen for this event since the Cubs’ historic championship run in 2016. As the games have approached, those levels have only largely held.
While average list prices across the event are still in excess of $3,500, get-in pricing has softened somewhat in the last two days. Low-end tickets that previously started at around $1,200, particularly for the Dodger Stadium games, can now be had for around $950 each. Demand for Games 3-5 at Yankee Stadium next week, however, is still higher, with pricing there generally starting around $1,100.
