This will be the twelfth time that the two most storied franchises in baseball history, who once shared the same city, will meet in the World Series. But it’s the first time since 1981.

The Dodgers finished with the best record in baseball (98-64), while the Yankees had the best record in the American League (94-68). With Aaron Judge, Juan Soto and Mike Stanton anchoring the Yankees’ lineup, and stars like Shohei Ohtani and Betts playing for the Dodgers, Friday’s Game 1 is the start of a dream matchup for baseball.

New York achieved its MLB-best performance in the 41st World Series – and first since 2009 – by defeating the Kansas City Royals in an American League Division Series and the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Championship Series. Los Angeles reached the World Series for the fourth time since 2017 by beating the San Diego Padres in the National League Division Series and then defeating the New York Mets in the National League Championship Series.