Sometimes, it really does help to have all that money.
The big-spending Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees will meet in a matchup of World Series heavyweights starting Friday night at Dodger Stadium. The Yankees ranked second in payroll this season at $311 million while the Dodgers were third at $266 million, according to MLB's latest projections.
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The two franchises are among the sport's most successful. The Yankees just won their 41st American League pennant and the Dodgers their 25th National League championship.
New York is seeking its 28th World Series title but first since 2009, the Dodgers their eighth and second in a five-year span.
Here's a look at some things to watch as the series begins:
Ohtani vs. Judge
The series pits two of this generation's great sluggers against one another: LA's Shohei Ohtani vs. New York's Aaron Judge.
Ohtani became the first player in baseball history to hit 50 homers and steal 50 bases in a regular season, reaching the milestone Sept. 19 with his second of three homers against the Marlins. He's largely kept up that production in the playoffs, batting .286 with three homers and 10 RBIs.
Judge had another mammoth regular season, leading the big leagues with 58 homers. He also hit .322 with 144 RBIs. The 32-year-old has been a little quiet in these playoffs, batting .161 with two homers and six RBIs.
Unsung heroes
The Ohtani vs. Judge matchup is sure to command the most attention, but both teams have other players who have starred so far in October.
Veteran slugger Giancarlo Stanton is having an excellent postseason, batting .294 with five homers and 11 RBIs, earning the AL Championship Series MVP. The 34-year-old has struggled with injuries and inconsistency since joining the Yankees in 2018 but could cement his spot in franchise lore with a big World Series.
The Dodgers are pushing through October with an unlikely middle-of-the-order threat — the 5-foot-10, 193-pound Tommy Edman.
Edman was acquired at the trade deadline from the Cardinals and has been invaluable this postseason. He's batting .341 and clubbed a two-run homer in the team's NLCS-clinching win over the Mets on Sunday. He won the NLCS MVP.
Hot ticket
It'll take deep pockets to get to this year's Fall Classic — for the teams, and for fans.
The lowest asking ticket price on the resale market to any game has hovered in the $1,200-$1,300, range according to Stubhub.
StubHub said Monday that sales outpaced last year’s final figures and were four times higher than the pace of the 2022 Series. Sales for Games 3-5 in New York were 40% higher than for Games 1, 2, 6 and 7 in Los Angeles.
Rule changes
Many of baseball’s recent rule changes are still in effect during the postseason, including the pitch clock, a ban on extreme infield shifts and a limit to how many times a pitcher can disengage from the rubber. The pitch clock has been a huge change for the sport and widely celebrated, cutting game times by about a half-hour.
There is one rule that doesn’t make the postseason cut: the automatic runner in extra innings.
During the MLB regular season, if a game goes to extra innings, a runner is placed at second base to start the 10th inning when each team bats. That doesn't happen in the postseason. Extra innings will be played just like the previous nine.
Betting favorites
The Dodgers (-130) are the current betting favorites to win the World Series, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. The underdog Yankees are at +110.
How to watch
All seven games will be broadcast on Fox. They're also available on Hulu + Live TV, DirecTV and YouTube TV.
World Series schedule
Game 1: New York at Los Angeles, Friday, 8:08 p.m. EDT
Game 2: New York at Los Angeles, Saturday, 8:08 p.m. EDT
Game 3: Los Angeles at New York, Oct. 28, 8:08 p.m. EDT
Game 4: Los Angeles at New York, Oct. 29, 8:08 p.m. EDT
Game 5: Los Angeles at New York, Oct. 30, 8:08 p.m. EDT (if necessary)
Game 6: New York at Los Angeles, Nov. 1, 8:08 p.m. EDT (if necessary)
Game 7: New York at Los Angeles, Nov. 2, 8:08 p.m. EDT (if necessary)
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AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum in New York contributed to this report.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB