World Series 2024 preview

 There are those that will claim Major League Baseball & Fox got what they wanted for the World Series, which begins tonight in Los Angeles.

They wanted the two biggest stars in the game, the Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani and the Yankees' Aaron Judge, both in their first Fall Classic, on the biggest stage, and they got it. To them, the dreams of another Subway Series between the Mets & Yankees would have to wait.

Confined to DH as he recovers from Tommy John surgery, Ohtani had a season for the ages. Only San Diego's Luis Arraez winning the batting title kept Ohtani from the NL Triple Crown. Judge was just being his usual self, part of an imposing middle of the batting order, flanked by Juan Soto, Giancarlo Stanton, and/or Austin Wells, the latter of whom had a breakout season, while Stanton regained his power stroke in the AL playoffs.

In the Dodgers' defense, the Mets did them a favor by ousting NL East champ Philadelphia, adding to the misery of Phillies slugger Bryce Harper, who left Washington for Philly before the Nationals won it all 5 years ago. Soto was a part of that 2019 Washington club, and now seeks his 2nd ring.

Winning another title would give the Yanks a chance to re-sign Soto to a longer contract, although Soto's agent, Scott Boras Badenov, would rather have Soto chase the money and seek his fortunes elsewhere. Boras doesn't get it. His shell game tactics are dying out, but that's for another time.

New York's already seen one tickertape parade this week (The WNBA's Liberty), and would love to have another if the Yankees avenge their 1981 loss. Gerrit Cole takes the ball tonight for the Yanks, opposed by Jack Flaherty. Ohtani aside, the Dodgers do have some issues on offense, with the questionable health of Freddie Freeman, who's also seeking his 2nd ring (Atlanta 2021), nursing an ankle injury.

For the pride of New York, the pick is the Yankees in 7.

Of course, I could be wrong.