World Series: How to watch the Dodgers-Yankees, betting odds, ticket prices and more

By DAVID BRANDT

Sometimes it really helps to have so much money.

The big-spending Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees meet in a World Series heavyweight duel starting Friday night at Dodger Stadium. The Yankees ranked second in payroll this season with $311 million, while the Dodgers were third with $266 million, according to MLB’s latest projections.

The two franchises are among the most successful in the sport. The Yankees just won their 41st American League pennant and the Dodgers won their 25th National League championship.

New York is seeking its 28th World Series title, but its first since 2009, while the Dodgers are seeking their eighth and second in a five-year span.

Here’s a look at some things to watch as the series begins:

Ohtani v. Judge

The series pits two of this generation’s greatest hitters against each other: LA’s Shohei Ohtani versus New York’s Aaron Judge.

Ohtani became the first player in baseball history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a regular season, reaching that milestone on September 19 with his second of three home runs against the Marlins. He largely maintained that performance throughout the playoffs, batting .286 with three home runs and 10 RBIs.

Judge had another mammoth regular season, leading the major leagues with 58 home runs. He also hit .322 with 144 RBIs. The 32-year-old has been somewhat quiet in these playoffs, batting .161 with two home runs and six RBIs.

Unsung heroes

The match between Ohtani and Judge will certainly draw the most attention, but both teams have other players who have starred so far in October.

Veteran slugger Giancarlo Stanton has an outstanding postseason, hitting .294 with five home runs and 11 RBIs and being named AL Championship Series MVP. The 34-year-old has battled injuries and inconsistency since joining the Yankees in 2018, but could cement his place in franchise history with a major World Series.

The Dodgers are coming through with an unlikely centerfielder in October – the 5-foot-10, 193-pound Tommy Edman.

Edman was acquired from the Cardinals at the trade deadline and has been invaluable this postseason. He is batting .341 and hit a two-run home run in the team’s decisive NLCS victory over the Mets on Sunday. He won the NLCS MVP.

Hot ticket

To get to this year’s Fall Classic, you have to put a lot of money in your pocket – for the teams and for the fans.

According to Stubhub, the lowest ticket price on the resale market for a game is between $1,200 and $1,300.

StubHub said Monday that sales exceeded last year’s final numbers and were four times higher than the pace of the 2022 series. Sales of Games 3-5 in New York were 40% higher than Games 1, 2, 6 and 7 in Los Angeles.

Rule changes

Many of baseball’s recent rule changes are still in effect in the postseason, including the pitch clock, a ban on extreme infield shifts and a limit on how many times a pitcher can come off the rubber. The pitch clock was a major change for the sport and was widely celebrated as it shortened game times by about half an hour.

There’s one rule that doesn’t make the postseason cut: the automatic runner in extra innings.

During the MLB regular season, if a game goes 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. Additional innings are played the same as the previous nine.

Betting favorites

The Dodgers (-130) are the current betting favorite to win the World Series, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. The underdog Yankees are at +110.

Here’s how to watch

All seven games will be broadcast on Fox. They are 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, October 28, 8:08 p.m. EDT

Game 4: Los Angeles at New York, October 29, 8:08 p.m. EDT

Game 5: Los Angeles at New York, October 30, 8:08 p.m. EDT (if required)

Game 6: New York at Los Angeles, November 1, 8:08 p.m. EDT (if required)

Game 7: New York at Los Angeles, November 2, 8:08 p.m. EDT (if required)

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AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum in New York contributed to this report.

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