MLB Series of the Week: Yankees vs. Dodgers

From June 7 to June 9, two of baseball’s most iconic franchises will go head-to-head at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York for the first time since 2016.

From designated hitter Shohei Ohtani to infielder Mookie Betts to outfielders Juan Soto and Aaron Judge, the stars will shine between two teams with some of the highest payrolls in the game.

Los Angeles Dodgers (38-23, first in the NL West)

The Dodgers rebounded after a sweep at the hands of the Cincinnati Reds to sweep the New York Mets and take two of three from the Colorado Rockies in their previous three series.

Ohtani, second in the National League with a .988 OPS, has only homered once since May 18.

Betts, third in the league with a .926 OPS, is also in a slump, as he is only one for his last 17.

Freddie Freeman, third in the league with a .399 on-base percentage, is on a heater, as he is eight for his last 21.

On the mound, the Dodgers are third in the majors in ERA at 3.22, Gavin Stone has not given up an earned run in 12 innings over his last two starts and Japanese rookie Yoshinobu Yamamoto has endured some ups and downs in L.A. but has been able to showcase his talents.

Tyler Glasnow, who will start on June 9, has been electric in his first year with the Dodgers with a major league-leading 95 strikeouts.

In the bullpen, closer Evan Phillips returned from the injured list on May 31 after missing almost all of May with a hamstring injury, joining a bullpen featuring Blake Treinen, Alex Vesia and Daniel Hudson, among others.

New York Yankees (42-19, first in the AL East)

The Yankees are the hottest team in the American League with a five-game winning streak, and their stars have stepped up in separate ways.

Judge capped off a month for the ages by launching two home runs in San Francisco on May 31, going six for 10 with three walks, three homers and six RBIs overall in the Yankees’ series against the Giants between Friday and Sunday.

Judge, the AL Player of the Month in May, leads the majors with a 1.075 OPS.

Soto, the reigning AL Player of the Week, had the big blow in the series' final game against San Francisco with a go-ahead two-run homer in the top of the ninth, and he leads the league in batting average at .322.

Soto and Judge both lead the league in on-base percentage at .417.

As for pitching, Luis Gil, who won AL Rookie of the Month and AL Pitcher of the Month in May, is third in the league with a 1.99 ERA among qualified pitchers.

Gil, scheduled to start on Tuesday against the Minnesota Twins, pitched an eight-inning gem against the Los Angeles Angels during his last start, which was on May 29.

Gil has filled in admirably for 2023 AL Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole, who is set to make his first rehab start on June 4 as he recovers from an arm injury.

The Yankees lead the majors in ERA at 2.78 and their closer, right-hander Clay Holmes, has given up earned runs in only one game this season.

Projected Starters (per ESPN)

Game 1 (June 7, 7:05 p.m. EST, Apple TV+): RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (6-2, 3.32 ERA) vs. RHP Cody Poteet (2-0, 2.45 ERA)

Game 2 (June 8, 7:35 p.m., FOX): RHP Gavin Stone (6-2, 2.90) vs. LHP Nestor Cortes (3-4, 3.46)

Game 3 (June 9, 7:00 p.m., ESPN): RHP Tyler Glasnow (6-3, 3.04) vs. RHP Luis Gil (7-1, 1.99)

All stats and records are as of before the games on June 3, 2024.

Owen Klein is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email ojk5092@psu.edu