The Moonshot: World Series predictions, potential Game 1 heroes and more

Well, we believe in exit velocity, bat flips, launch angles, stealing home, the hanging curveball, Big League Chew, sausage races, and that unwritten rules of any kind are self-indulgent, overrated crap. We believe Greg Maddux was an actual wizard. We believe there ought to be a constitutional amendment protecting minor league baseball and that pitch framing is both an art and a science. We believe in the sweet spot, making WARP not war, letting your closer chase a two-inning save, and we believe love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good, too.

Welcome to The Moonshot.

What will be the biggest story to emerge from this World Series?

Terrence Jordan: The Yankees have done well to reach their first Fall Classic in 15 years, but the story coming out of this one will be that this is the beginning of a Dodgers dynasty. Shohei Ohtani will lead the way, and next year he’ll be pitching too. The Dodgers have had a rash of injuries this season that would cripple any other franchise for years. Yes, they spend a lot, but they do it intelligently, and even though they’re missing Tyler Glasnow, Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May, Clayton Kershaw and others, they still have had a superior talent edge every time they take the field. With Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Dodger blue, the Japanese pipeline is officially open, so don’t be surprised if ace pitcher Roki Sasaki and NPB Triple Crown winner Munetaka Murakami follow suit when they come to America. The Dodgers’ reign is just beginning.

Scott Rogust: It will obviously be Shohei Ohtani’s first World Series appearance in the first playoff run of his career. There is going to be a ton of attention on this year’s Fall Classic and to see how well Ohtani performs as Los Angeles’ designated hitter.

Chris Landers: My heart wants to say that this is finally the series where Aaron Judge turns it on, but the answer is clearly Shohei Ohtani: the game’s best player, finally on its biggest stage. We’ve already seen Ohtani’s impact on this postseason’s TV ratings in Japan, and this could be the moment where he officially becomes a globe-straddling megastar — and potentially a villain in New York just like Trae Young, Chipper Jones and Reggie Miller before him.

Robert Murray: I agree wholeheartedly with Scott. It’s Shohei Ohtani. After all, how couldn’t it be? We’re talking about the biggest superstar in baseball history not only finally reaching the postseason, but the World Series. This is a global event that we’re about to witness. And I expect Ohtani to rise to the occasion and be the talk of baseball.

Zachary Rotman: Regardless of how he does, all eyes will be on Shohei Ohtani. If he excels, we will never hear the end of how he is the greatest baseball player ever (deservingly so). If he struggles, he will be blamed for Los Angeles falling short on the big stage once again (deservingly so). Ohtani finally being in the spotlight in October is great for the game. He’s lived up to the hype in the postseason thus far, but there’s no bigger test than a World Series against the New York Yankees.

Zach Pressnell: In an attempt to be different, I’ll take Shohei Ohtani being the biggest story, but spun a bit differently. How about Shohei Ohtani vs Aaron Judge as the biggest story? AL MVP vs NL MVP? The two best players on the planet. The two of them have the entire weight of their city sitting on their shoulders. Whichever team comes out victorious, it will likely have a lot to do with the play of their MVP player. I think Judge and Ohtani will be compared all series long.

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Who will be the hero of Game 1?

Terrence Jordan: The answer is obviously Tommy Edman, the greatest baseball player who ever lived. Don’t tell me I’m lying, because I watched the NLCS with my own eyes. Edman spent most of the series batting cleanup and stealing the show from Ohtani and Mookie Betts. He threw Grimace in front of the 7 Train and blasphemed OMG. You think he’s going to be scared of the Yankees? Edman may only come up to Aaron Judge’s belly button, but he’ll continue his New York conquest with another impactful game.

Scott Rogust: Let’s go with Shohei Ohtani. He has the chance to set the tone for the World Series in Game 1 as their leadoff hitter. Just imagine, Ohtani steps up to the plate to face Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, and sends a pitch into orbit over the outfield wall at Dodger Stadium to put LA up early? Either way, Ohtani’s bat and ability to get on base will be a tremendous help for the Dodgers and can help provide run support for starting pitcher Jack Flaherty.

Chris Landers: Ohtani is the obvious choice, but give me Mookie Betts to have a big opener. He’s been almost as scorching-hot as Ohtani has this postseason, and he’s no stranger to the World Series stage. He’s also no stranger to Yankees Game 1 starter Gerrit Cole, who Betts regularly terrorized when he was in Boston. If New York decides to play it safe with Ohtani, Betts could be the one delivering big hits in big moments.

Robert Murray: I’ll go with Freddie Freeman. In talking to people in and around the Dodgers, it’s clear that Freeman is playing through something more serious than what the public knows. He’s had to sit some games in the postseason, but with an extended break, he should be more healthy than he’s been all postseason. Which bodes well for the Dodgers. I think that off time shows up in a big way for Freeman, who comes up with a key hit late in Game 1 to seal a Dodgers victory.

Zachary Rotman: I’m going to choose a non-superstar and go with Kiké Hernandez. He might not be the best regular-season player, but boy, does he have a knack for stepping his game up in October. Hernandez has a .863 OPS thus far this postseason, had a great series against the New York Mets in the NLCS, and there’s no reason to believe he’ll slow down in the Fall Classic. The fact that he has gone 8-for-21 (.387 BA) with three doubles and a home run against Gerrit Cole in his career should only make Hernandez’s Game 1 performance that much better.

Zach Pressnell: Here we go. I’ll go with Gerrit Cole. Cole is a playoff monster, posting a 2.98 ERA in 20 postseason starts. He may not be the top pitcher in the game anymore, but with the season on the line, I expect Cole to be in ace form during Game 1. If he can toss six or seven innings with less than two runs allowed and leave the game with the lead, I’d consider him the hero. Especially given how potent this Dodgers offense that he faces will be.

Which franchise needs this World Series win more?

Terrence Jordan: This era of Dodger baseball has had tremendous success in the regular season, but not nearly as much in October. Their only title in recent years came during the COVID-shortened season of 2020, and if they want to silence the critics who’ve thrown the term “asterisk” around, they could really use a win here. That being said, I’m going with the Yankees. The proudest and most successful franchise in sports hasn’t won a title since 2009. For a fanbase that prides itself on rings, their boasts of superiority haven’t carried much weight since they’ve been just a good, but not exceptional, team for years now. They need to prove that the Yankee name is still one to be feared.

Scott Rogust: The Yankees. They are one of the winningest sports franchises ever, but they haven’t made it to the World Series since 2009. While general manager Brian Cashman did say recently that the Houston Astros cost them the chance in 2017 by cheating (which is a fair complaint to make), how come they couldn’t even get close to the Fall Classic from 2018 until 2023? It’s time for the Yankees to put up or shut up. They’ve notably said the postseason is a “crapshoot” over the years during their postseason disappointments. Go win. Prove your doubters, who obviously get under their skin based on Cashman’s rant in Arizona last winter, wrong.

Chris Landers: It has to be the Yankees. The Dodgers are set up to contend for the foreseeable future, both because Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and the gang aren’t going anywhere and because Los Angeles has proven to be a development machine under Andrew Friedman. For New York, however, everything is a lot more fragile: Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Gerrit Cole aren’t getting any younger, and Juan Soto and Gleyber Torres may well not be back next season. The COVID-shortened 2020 World Series tends to be forgotten, but it does take the edge off of things for Dodgers fans, and L.A. figures to have it rolling again in 2025. This Yankees core has waited a long time for this moment, and if they don’t get it done here, the chance may never come again.

Robert Murray: The Yankees. When they traded for Juan Soto in the offseason, they knew it was potentially a one-year rental, and the move would be graded on whether they win the World Series. Well, they’re here! But it’s not just Soto, either. Gleyber Torres is a free agent after the season with no guarantee to return. This is the Yankees’ best chance to win the World Series in quite some time. If they re-sign Soto, then that window will be extended long-term. But in free agency, there are no guarantees, and it’s possible that he signs somewhere other than in the Bronx.

Zachary Rotman: Don’t get me wrong, both franchises need this World Series win, but the Yankees need it a little bit more. This is their only guaranteed year with Juan Soto, so making the most of it is a must for New York. While the Dodgers would love to win it right after spending over $1 billion in the offseason, they’ve got their team locked in for the long haul. The Dodgers will be in World Series contention for many years to come, while New York’s future is a bit tougher to envision without Soto locked in.

Zach Pressnell: The Yankees. Next season, the Yankees could lose Soto, Verdugo, Rizzo and multiple other key pieces of their 2024 roster. The Dodgers are set with their top talent for the next few seasons while paying Ohtani $2 million a year for the next nine seasons. A World Series victory for the Yankees could be a huge piece in the puzzle to signing Juan Soto back in 2025. It would be much harder for him to leave the reigning World Series champions. Judge, Stanton and Cole aren’t getting any younger and this could be the Yankees’ last shot with those three and Soto on the same roster. The Bronx Bombers need this one.

Who wins the World Series?

Terrence Jordan: You may have guessed from my previous answers, but I’m going with the Dodgers in five. Ohtani and Betts are every bit as good as Judge and Soto, but beyond the superstars, the Dodgers are superior in every way. The bullpen has been dominant, the offense has been unstoppable, and unless Gerrit Cole turns into prime Bob Gibson, I don’t see a path for the Bronx Bombers to pull this one out.

Scott Rogust: I have to agree with Terrence here. Dodgers in 5. Yes, Los Angeles’ starting rotation has been hammered with injuries, but their batting order is so deep. Come on, they have Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernandez, and a red-hot Tommy Edman. Plus, they are one of the more patient teams at the plate, so they could prove to be a nightmare for the Yankees’ starting pitchers. Plus, the Yankees got bailed out this postseason for their sloppy defense and, as legendary team radio voice John Sterling aptly put it, drunken baserunning. I think the Dodgers will take advantage of these weak spots on the Yankees, and win the World Series with relative ease.

Chris Landers: Give me the Dodgers in 6. I just keep coming back to how top-heavy New York’s lineup feels: Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt allowed Torres, Soto and Stanton to beat the Guardians in the ALCS, but Dave Roberts won’t be as generous, and I’m not sure that the rest of this Yankees offense is up for the task. (The story is much the same in the bullpen, where Aaron Boone has precious few trustworthy options to turn to.) L.A. just feels a little bit deeper all the way around, and while the state of their rotation gives some pause, I don’t have enough confidence in Carlos Rodon, Clarke Schmidt and Luis Gil to hold up against this Dodgers lineup.

Robert Murray: Dodgers in 6. I think the Yankees are too deep and talented to be eliminated in five games. They’ll put up a strong fight. But I think the Dodgers’ talent, from Shohei Ohtani on down, will be too much for the Yankees to handle especially with Los Angeles’ pitching staff now fully rested.

Zachary Rotman: I’m going to go with the Dodgers in 6. Their rotation is a problem, but as we saw in the NLCS, their bullpen is deep enough to mask it. Oh, and they’re likely going to get both Alex Vesia and Brusdar Graterol back from injury, helping them form a super bullpen. Both lineups have star power, but the Dodgers have more of it and a much deeper group one through nine. Stars like Soto, Gerrit Cole, Aaron Judge, and Giancarlo Stanton won’t go down without a fight, but this Dodgers team is just too deep.

Zach Pressnell: I’ll take the Yankees in 7. Seven games means three starts (likely) for Gerrit Cole. The Yankees rotation is better and has played better than the Dodgers’ rotation has. Los Angeles has gotten here with spectacular performances from just about everybody, besides their starting pitchers, across the board. The Yankees have gotten here with horrible play from Austin Wells and Jazz Chisholm alongside sub-par play from Aaron Judge. Now, imagine those three players turn their game up, at least to their typical play, followed by Stanton and Soto continuing to be dominant, 1.000+ OPS playoff monsters. I just don’t see Jack Flaherty or any other Dodgers starter being a problem for the Yankees. Give me the Bronx Bombers hanging up number 28 in 7 games.