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The Dodgers-Yankees World Series is a dream matchup for the MLB and its fans

After a seemingly endless wait, the World Series, Major League Baseball's biggest showcase, begins Friday night with arguably the biggest matchup in a generation. The New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers, meeting in the World Series for the 12th time, the first since 1981, are expected to have a combined 20 players who have made at least one All-Star team. That list includes Dodgers unicorn Shohei Ohtani and teammates Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. The Yankees' All-Star players include Aaron Judge, likely to be named the American League's Most Valuable Player, soon-to-be half-billion-dollar man Juan Soto and potential Hall of Famer Giancarlo Stanton.

The World Series begins Friday night with arguably the greatest matchup in a generation.

This could be the most consequential World Series in decades as MLB grapples with the headwinds of dwindling attendance. The 1981 World Series averaged 41 million viewers per game. Remember, back then there were only about 30 cable channels and a much less fragmented audience. But since we hit the 2000s, only four World Series have averaged more than 20 million viewers per game. Last year's game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers had a record low viewership of just over 9 million viewers per game.

Juan Soto of the New York Yankees on October 19 in Cleveland.Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

That shouldn't be the case for a series that features two of the most successful franchises in sports. The Dodgers have won the World Series seven times and the Yankees a historic 27 times. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has his dream matchup.

Ohtani had one of the best regular seasons in MLB history and became the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a season. Betts will one day be enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown along with first baseman and all-around do-gooder Freddie Freeman. The Dodgers were a MASH unit when it came to their starting pitching. And yet they still suffered four shutouts in their 11 postseason games.

In addition to Judge's MVP-caliber season, the big story for the Yankees this season was Soto, who came to New York via a trade with San Diego before the season began. So many star transplants have had problems after the pinstripes were applied, but Soto was no wilted flower. His three-run home run in the 10th inning was the decisive blow that defeated the Cleveland Guardians in five games, and he is on pace to become one of the highest-paid players in the game's history this offseason. Will that be the case for the Yankees? That remains to be seen. He could choose to take his talents elsewhere, perhaps to New York's other franchise, the extremely deep-pocketed Mets, or build a legacy in pinstripes.

Is it crazy to think that with enough storylines for a documentary, the Dodgers and Yankees could average 35 to 40 million viewers per game? If you look at the way the schedule is set up for the best-of-seven series, it's not crazy. It should have high viewership if we continue to believe in baseball as America's pastime.

Ohtani's record-breaking season began with a whirlwind of controversy after it was discovered that his then-interpreter and friend Ippei Mizuhara had stolen $17 million from the Japanese star that was used for sports betting. Mizuhara later pleaded guilty. In what caused a collective sigh of relief among fans, MLB determined that Ohtani was a victim and was in no way involved in the gambling controversy.

The Dodgers won the 2020 World Series with some of the same players. That was the Covid-shortened season that included just 60 regular-season games and neutral sites in the postseason. But just one World Series for manager Dave Roberts with such a stellar group of players could be considered a disappointment, considering he won eight division titles in Los Angeles and this is his fourth trip to the World Series. The Dodgers somewhat resemble Bobby Cox's Braves teams of the 1990s. Cox reached the playoffs eight times this decade and appeared in five World Series appearances, winning only one.

These are just a few of the storylines this series begins Friday in Los Angeles. This could be the series that pushes baseball back behind the NFL as the most popular sport in the country. The two biggest teams from the two biggest markets. Could they deliver an all-time classic? Everything points to yes. But that's why they play the games.

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