Looking ahead to the upcoming World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees, all the makings of a historic matchup are on the table.
Both clubs boast star-studded lineups, big name frontend starters and bullpens that have been stellar during the regular season and into the playoffs. But when it comes down to finding an edge, it may come down to the subtle things that sway those minor advantages.
Because the Dodgers faced the New York Mets in the 2024 National League Championship Series round, they’ve dealt with the travel to and from the East Coast this year. For many veterans around the team, including Max Muncy, this isn’t their first time playing on the big stage and dealing with the factors of cross-country travel.
“It’s hard to really quantify how much experience plays into it this time of year,” Muncy said. “The World Series is obviously a whole different spectacle, but that’s a very good team over there with very good players. A lot of veterans. I wouldn’t expect this stage is going to be to big for them.
“You’re talking about a team that plays in New York, so they’ve dealt with that all year long. Especially that franchise. So it’s a tough question as to how much experience plays into it at this time of year. If anything, I would say one thing we do have an advantage is we’ve been having to go coast to coast already. It’s something they haven’t done. They’ve stayed pretty local in their playoff series.
“So if there is one thing I would say experience would come into play with, it’s that. You’re talking about different sleep schedules, the time change, long flights, different weather. That is something we do have an experience with.”
The Dodgers took two of three games at Citi Field, and won a deciding Game 6 at Dodger Stadium, punching their ticket to the 2024 World Series. The quick turnaround didn’t appear to impact their roster, and isn’t expected to be a detriment for the Dodgers in the Fall Classic.
How much travel plays a role is on an individual basis, but for the initial two contests of the potential seven-game series, the Dodgers have able to stay in their home game routines for nearly a week.
Dodgers starters for 2024 World Series
The Dodgers announced Jack Flaherty would be getting the ball in the first game of the 2024 World Series, lining up against Yankees ace Gerrit Cole.
Flaherty is coming off a blowup outing in Game 5 of the NLCS, but showed flashes of brilliance, tossing seven shutout innings in the opener against the Mets. For the Yankees, Cole has made three starts this postseason, carrying a 3.31 ERA over 16.1 innings pitched.
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