The New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers are two of the most iconic franchises in Major League Baseball (MLB) history. As the flagship teams of the two largest cities in the US and two of the largest media markets globally, the spotlight shines brightest on the Yankees and Dodgers. According to Wynn Bet New York, the Yankees have won 27 World Series and have the second-best odds of winning the championship in 2023 at +750. The Dodgers have won seven World Series titles and have the third-best odds at +800.
The Yankees have won more World Series titles than any other franchise, thanks to their dominant teams of the 1920s and 1930s with Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth and the 1950s with Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, and Joe DiMaggio. Meanwhile, despite leading the National League in World Series appearances, the Dodgers have won seven championships while losing seventeen.
The two teams have met in the Fall Classic 11 times, with the Yankees winning eight matchups and the Dodgers just three. Los Angeles leads the National League with 24 pennants over the franchise’s history, while the Yankees lead the American League with 40. Both teams lead their respective leagues in terms of pennants won.
As the 2023 MLB season approaches, the Yankees and the Dodgers seek to solidify their place as championship contenders. The Yankees’ core of players has been in business since 2017 and has made it to the playoffs every year since then, but they’ve struggled to get past the Astros in the American League. On the other hand, the Dodgers have been a consistent force in the National League but have faced struggles in the playoffs.
Houston is the Problem
In recent years, both teams have faced their share of challenges. For the Yankees, the Houston Astros have been their most significant obstacle in the American League, having won the World Series twice and made it to the Fall Classic four times in six seasons. Despite their consistent regular-season success, the Yankees have struggled to surpass the Astros in the playoffs, losing them in the American League Championship Series in 2017 and 2019.
If the Yankees want to get to the World Series in 2023, they must overcome their postseason woes against the Astros. The Yankees have only won one playoff series since 2017, which came against the Minnesota Twins in 2019. With Gerrit Cole and Aaron Judge, who just signed a new nine-year contract, leading the way, the Yankees have the pieces to make a deep playoff run.
Tough Path for Los Angeles
For the Dodgers, the goal is to win a championship outside of the 2020 playoff bubble and solidify their dynasty status. The biggest challenge for Los Angeles has been breaking through in the postseason, and it only got tougher with division rival San Diego Padres going all in this season and the New York Mets record-setting payroll.
Yet the Dodgers return a core that includes two past league MVPs (Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts) and a three-time Cy Young award winner Clayton Kershaw anchoring a strong supporting cast of dynamic young players and veterans. And as we’ve seen in the playoffs, anything can happen.
