New kings of Major League Baseball will be crowned imminently, as the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers battle for World Series supremacy in a renewal of a fierce and historic rivalry.
The best-of-seven competition will see the Yankees - the American League champions - go for their record-extending 28th World Series MLB title, but not since the 2009 season have the New York franchise conquered the land.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers - who triumphed in the National League - are bidding to win the World Series for the eighth time in their history, having last lifted the Commissioner's Trophy in 2020.
Here, Sports Mole runs down everything you need to know about the 2024 World Series, including the schedule, how to watch and the biggest names to look out for.
When and where is the 2024 World Series?
The 2024 World Series will begin on Friday, October 25 in the USA - or the early hours of Saturday morning UK time - with the Dodgers hosting the Yankees at Dodger Stadium in the first two games.
The New York outfit will then welcome the NL champions to The Bronx for games three and four, and if neither team has built up an insurmountable lead at the conclusion of the fourth game, a further one, two or three matches will be required to determine the champion.
2024 World Series schedule:
Game 1: Dodgers vs. Yankees (October 26, 1.08am)
Game 2: Dodgers vs. Yankees (October 27, 1.08am)
Game 3: Yankees vs. Dodgers (October 29, 0.08am)
Game 4: Yankees vs. Dodgers (October 30, 0.08am)
Game 5*: Yankees vs. Dodgers (October 31, 0.08am)
Game 6*: Dodgers vs. Yankees (November 2, 0.08am)
Game 7*: Dodgers vs. Yankees (November 3, 0.08am)
All start times UK
How can I watch the 2024 World Series?
The 2024 World Series will be shown live on TNT Sports in the UK, which can also be accessed via the Discovery Plus streaming platform.
The Yankees and Dodgers' road to the 2024 World Series
The most successful team in the history of the World Series, the Yankees topped the American League East standings with a 94-68 record, posting a leading .580 winning percentage in the AL.
In the American League Division Series, Aaron Boone's side triumphed 3-1 over the Kansas City Royals to advance to the Championship Series, where the Cleveland Guardians stood in their way of a World Series place.
The Yankees won the first two games before the Guardians reduced the deficit, but in the two days that followed at Progressive Field, the 27-time champions stormed to another pair of victories to prevail 4-1 and confirm their spot in the World Series.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers were the champions of the National League West and recorded the highest winning percentage of the regular season with .605, an overall record of 98-64.
Dave Roberts's side squared up to NL West rivals San Diego Padres in the Division Series and were facing a 2-1 deficit in the best-of-five series, but they came up clutch in the final two games to edge their opening postseason battle 3-2.
The Dodgers then took on the New York Mets in the Championship Series and subjected them to a 9-0 thrashing in the opening fixture, only for the Mets to hit back in Game Two and level the series.
However, Roberts's men strode to another two emphatic victories (8-0 and 10-2) in the third and fourth games, and while the Mets delayed the inevitable in Game Five, the Dodgers ultimately advanced with a 4-2 series success.
2024 World Series players to watch
Los Angeles Dodgers - Shohei Ohtani
© Imago
Earning comparisons with the legendary Babe Ruth, Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani comes into the World Series on the back of achieving an unprecedented feat in MLB, the magnificent 50-50.
The 30-year-old became the first-ever player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season against the Miami Marlins last month, and he is unsurprisingly one of the favourites for the NL MVP award, having also claimed the corresponding AL prize in 2021 and 2023.
Ohtani - who is also a World Baseball Classic champion with Japan - is making his World Series debut this month following a five-year stint with the Los Angeles Angels from 2018 to 2023, which ended when he signed a gargantuan $700m (£540.4m) 10-year Dodgers contract.
It should come as a surprise to nobody that Ohtani's astronomical deal is the largest in professional sports history.
New York Yankees - Aaron Judge
© Imago
In between Ohtani's two AL MVP award wins in the 2021 and 2023 seasons, New York Yankees sensation Aaron Judge took home the 2022 prize, marking a record-extending 23rd time that a Yankees player was named the league's best.
A giant of an outfielder - standing at 6ft 7in tall - Judge broke the record for the most home runs in a single season with 62 during his exceptional 2022, and he fell just four short of that milestone this time around, hitting 58 in the 2024 regular season.
California-born Judge has spent his entire professional career with the Yankees, who snatched him up in the 2013 MLB Draft, and the 2024 tournament will also mark a maiden World Series for the 32-year-old.
