L.A. in five! The Dodgers — from the stars to the supporting cast — are World Series champs
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Bradford Doolittle, ESPN Staff Writer
NEW YORK — The 2024 World Series is over: Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers are champions in five games, the first title for him and, for the team, the eighth in franchise history.
There were heroes and goats, as there are in every Fall Classic, but no storybook showdown of Shohei Ohtani versus Aaron Judge. There were dramatic grand slams, stunning comebacks and horrible defensive miscues. The New York Yankees’ title drought reached 15 years, and their captain, Aaron Judge, faced struggles that sometimes reached nightmarish levels.
In the end, what we got was a pure baseball matchup decided by baseball factors, and mostly by the fact that the Dodgers had more good players than their opponent. They earned it — as a group.
This championship, and the way Los Angeles achieved it, is less about the names on the marquee and more because of the ensemble. It belongs to them all, as much to the supporting cast of Teoscar Hernandez, Gavin Lux and Max Muncy as to Ohtani and fellow stars Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts. To anonymous relievers as much as more heralded starters such as Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Jack Flaherty. None of this is by accident. The Dodgers won this way because they were built to win this way.
Every season, the Dodgers rank near the top of the majors in categories such as rookie WAR and in total appearances on the transaction wire. Think about that: With all of the resources poured into the L.A. payroll — the Dodgers spent more than $1 billion this past offseason — the Andrew Friedman-led front office never stops tweaking the roster mix, addressing needs both immediate and imagined. The Dodgers excel at turning other teams’ excesses into gold, with journeymen such as Ryan Brasier, Brent Honeywell and Anthony Banda becoming crucial contributors to the bullpen. Every bit as much attention is paid to the bottom 10 slots on the 40-man roster as it is the top three.
“It’s about getting the right players, the right people,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Talent is a lot, but it’s not everything. You still have to be cohesive. I just think we do a great job of getting the right players in our clubhouse.”
The Dodgers have as much star power as any team we’ve seen in recent years, but they could never be accused of taking a stars-and-scrubs approach, or constructing a top-heavy roster. Depth or stars? We’ll have both, thank you.
“We have a culture here at the big league level,” Roberts said. “But the scouting and player development is second to none.”
After a second title in five years, the Dodgers, from top to bottom, are what Roberts says — second to none.
THIS WAS SUPPOSED to be the Ohtani-Judge World Series.
Just look at the cover of the official program. On the left is Ohtani, his face exuding focus and exertion, his arms pointing behind him in the act of the backswing that completes the arc of one of his mighty hacks.
Judge is on the right, his mouth open in the midst of a shout, his head turned as he presumably looks at the bedlam in the dugout in the aftermath of one of his missile-like blasts into the farthest expanses of Yankee Stadium.
It would be Ohtani vs. Judge, in the ultimate version of a baseball hero’s journey, one with no antagonists but two protagonists on a parallel odyssey in pursuit to slay the same dragon: a career-first championship.
Thus was the hook for the resumption of baseball’s most prolific Fall Classic matchup, Yankees-Dodgers, the dream showdown between two of baseball’s most storied franchises.
The hype wasn’t without justification. This truly was an unprecedented clash between perhaps the best-right-now players in the sport, starring for marquee franchises in the glitziest of markets and biggest of stages. Together during the regular season, Judge and Ohtani hit .315/.423/.672 with 112 homers, 274 RBIs, 256 runs and 69 stolen bases. That’s from two players.
This pairing of the game’s two best players just hasn’t happened very often in World Series history. It’s easy to lose yourself in a debate about just who was considered the best in the game at any point, but the clear precedents are few: Ty Cobb vs. Honus Wagner in 1909. Ted Williams vs. Stan Musial in 1946. George Brett vs. Mike Schmidt in 1980.
Let’s imagine the Platonic ideal as the climactic scene of “The Natural,” when Roy Hobbs — “the best there ever was” — homers into the stratosphere, turning another Knights disappointment into an instant pennant. We’ve never had that payoff — a championship-winning, come-from-behind home run blasted by the game’s best player.
None of the superstar matchups we highlighted had the type of payoff we might dream of, and most of them disappointed altogether. In the just-completed 2024 showdown, while Ohtani played well as a stalwart at the top of the lineup, his series was most newsworthy because he popped his shoulder on a slide, bringing the term “subluxation” into the mainstream. And Judge, homerless until the clinching game, was astonishing to watch for much of the series, after a season in which he recorded one of the best offensive campaigns in history.
“He’s a great player,” a sympathetic Roberts said after Game 4. “I have so much respect for Aaron. There’s probably a little bit of maybe trying too hard right now.”
That’s baseball, though, isn’t it? When we zero in on a star matchup like Ohtani against Judge, that’s the possibility we’re teasing, even as we know the nature of the sport itself makes the realization of the dream scenario so unlikely.
In fact, the most cinematic moment of the series was not produced by Ohtani, Judge — or even each team’s next best player, Betts or Juan Soto. That belonged to yet another star, Freeman, in a postseason when his injuries threatened to keep him out of the lineup. His two-out, game-ending Game 1 grand slam evoked immediate images of 1988 Kirk Gibson and inspired Joe Davis’ epic, instantaneous Vin Scully homage.
There’s a lesson in there, both about baseball and about the Dodgers. No matter who we zero in on, it’s never about just one person. Anybody might be the one to realize a boyhood dream.
“Those are the kind of things, when you’re 5 years old with your two older brothers and you’re playing whiffle ball in the backyard,” Freeman said, “those are the scenarios you dream about. Two outs, bases loaded in a World Series game.”
CONSIDER THAT 29 different Dodgers saw action this October. Nearly everyone played meaningful roles along the way, including a bright-eyed rookie named Ben Casparius, who began October with all of three big league appearances under his belt. He ended up making a start in Game 4 as an opener.
This is every bit as much a characteristic of this era of Dodgers baseball as the presence of household names Ohtani, Betts, Freeman and Clayton Kershaw.
Since the start of the 2021 season, the Dodgers have had 68 instances of a player recording at least one bWAR. Only the Brewers and Rays (69 each) have more. But the Dodgers have also had 17 instances of a player reaching an All-Star level of four BWAR, second only to the Astros (18). L.A.’s success is built on stars plus depth.
During the 12 full seasons since the Guggenheim Baseball Management group assumed control of the Dodgers, they’ve won 99.2 of every 162 regular-season games they’ve played. During the wild-card era, no team has done better over such a span, one that has included 11 first-place finishes, a 12-for-12 attendance in the postseason bracket, four pennants and, now, two World Series titles. And there is no question that the Dodgers’ economics might plays a role in their staying power. According to Cot’s Contracts, the Dodgers have sported a top-five payroll in all of those seasons. Yet other teams make huge payroll splurges — including the past two teams they beat, the Yankees in the World Series and the Mets in the National League Championship Series — and the Dodgers are sometimes outspent by one or two competitors.
A level of investment measuring in the billions sets a clear expectation for everyone who dons Dodger blue: To do what they did Wednesday — win it all. That expectation isn’t just carried by Ohtani, Betts and Freeman, but everyone who steps into the clubhouse. They would have it no other way.
“You’ve got a lot of good people that care about winning and that want to win,” second baseman Gavin Lux said. “None of them have egos.”
The Dodgers’ stars, including Ohtani, outperformed their New York counterparts, especially Judge, in the Series, but that was mainly because of Freeman’s massive output as World Series MVP. That certainly played a part in L.A.’s triumph.
But in terms of the headliner matchup, at no point did this feel like an Ohtani-versus-Judge World Series. If anything, it was the Freeman series, but of course he isn’t going to claim that title.
“We’ve dealt with a lot since [the season opener in] Korea,” Freeman said. “We’ve battled and faced adversity and pushed back. It’s just a credit to our guys, our staff and everyone in this organization.”
NO TEAM LOST more player games to injury in 2024 than the Dodgers. Even as they sprayed champagne and whooped it up in the clubhouse at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday, the Dodgers had more than an entire upper-tier starting rotation on the injured list.
That’s why Roberts — whose postseason decisions have been maligned by Dodgers fans and detractors alike over the years — deserves so much credit for this run. It’s not just that Roberts, along with pitching coach Mark Prior, was able to navigate around the losses in the pitching staff. It’s also that the skipper, as usual, folded in rookies such as outfielder Andy Pages, Landon Knack, Casparius and even Yamamoto, not a traditional rookie but a rookie nonetheless. It’s also that when the Dodgers splurged at the trade deadline, adding Flaherty, Tommy Edman and Michael Kopech, they all fit so seamlessly on and off the field that it’s easy to forget they didn’t join the team until the end of July.
No game showed it more acutely than the Dodgers’ Game 5 win against San Diego in the NL Division Series, when the big three went a combined 1-for-10 but four relievers backed Yamamoto on a two-hit shutout and Teoscar Hernandez and Enrique Hernandez hit solo homers for the game’s only runs.
“He lets you be the player that you’ll always be,” Teoscar said of Roberts. “He lets you have fun. His communication with his players is one of the best that I’ve had in my career. I think that’s why he’s so special for this team and the players.”
Through it all, Roberts spreads the credit steadily away from himself.
“You never foresee a season like we’ve gone through, but you’ve still got guys that are upright and are talented,” Roberts said. “We’ve taken a hit, so it’s an organizational kind of thing. The front office, Andrew [Friedman] is brilliant.”
If Roberts required validation that perhaps the team’s shortened-season 2020 title did not supply — he has it. He might just be another high-profile cog in the Dodgers’ immense apparatus, but he’s a vital one. He’s also the manager of a dynasty.
This championship — after a grueling, marathon of 162 games plus a month of playoffs, cannot be diminished. It took all of the Dodgers to make it happen, right to the end.
When the Dodgers spilled out of the third-base dugout after the final out, Ohtani, Betts and Freeman were in the middle of the pile. So too were Casparius and Knack. Baseball’s latest championship doesn’t belong to any one of them, but all of them, under a banner dyed a rich Dodger blue, just how it was drawn up all along.
The 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs have begun with 16 teams looking to be the last one standing after four grueling rounds of playoff hockey action. The Florida Panthers return to defend their championship, but will have to contend with regular-season powerhouses including the Winnipeg Jets, Washington Capitals and the Edmonton Oilers.
The Panthers first have to contend with their cross-state rival Tampa Bay Lightning, but got off to a strong start in Game 1 with 6-2 road win. The victory saw the Panthers leapfrog several teams to be given the second-shortest odds behind only the Carolina Hurricanes, who have emerged as the Eastern Conference favorites thanks to a 2-0 series lead over the banged-up New Jersey Devils.
The Toronto Maple Leafs, looking to snap the longest championship drought in NHL history, are up 2-0 on their provincial rivals, the Ottawa Senators, and are now among the top five favorites. The Capitals took care of business in Game 1 against the Montreal Canadiens with Alex Ovechkin scoring his first career playoff OT winner and followed it up with a Game 2 victory to take a commanding series lead.
In the West, two of the favorites clash in the first round as the Dallas Stars take on the Colorado Avalanche with the teams trading wins in Games 1 and 2, followed by a Game 3 road win by the Stars which saw the teams essentially trade places in the odds race. The Jets have a 2-0 series lead on the St. Louis Blues, while the Vegas Golden Knights and Minnesota Wild traded wins in Games 1 and 2. The Oilers lost both their road games to the Los Angeles Kings, who are considered the favorite in this series, and must now win at home to get back into the race.
Last year’s Conn Smythe Trophy winner, Connor McDavid, won the top award for playoffs MVP despite his team not winning the championship. This year, he hopes to win it again, but on a happier note. Below, you can see all of the top favorites for Conn Smythe, as well as the odds for every team to win their opening-round series, advance to, and to win the Stanley Cup.
All odds accurate as of publish time. For more, go to ESPN BET. 
Odds to win Conn Smythe trophy
The Conn Smythe is awarded to the player deemed to have been the most valuable to his team throughout the playoffs. Players listed with 200-1 odds or better. More odds available at ESPN BET..
Connor Hellebuyck, Jets: 12-1
Sebastian Aho, Hurricanes: 15-1
Jack Eichel, Golden Knights: 16-1
Anthony Stolarz, Maple Leafs: 18-1
Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche: 18-1
Aleksander Barkov, Panthers: 20-1
Alex Ovechkin, Capitals: 20-1
Auston Matthews, Maple Leafs: 20-1
Matthew Tkachuk, Panthers: 20-1
Seth Jarvis, Hurricanes: 20-1
Adrian Kempe, Kings: 25-1
Cale Makar, Avalanche: 25-1
Darcy Kuemper, Kings: 25-1
Frederik Andersen, Hurricanes: 25-1
Jake Oettinger, Stars: 25-1
Mitch Marner, Maple Leafs: 25-1
Nikita Kucherov, Lightning: 25-1
Andrei Vasilevskiy, Lightning: 30-1
Connor McDavid, Oilers: 30-1
Kyle Connor, Jets: 30-1
Logan Thompson, Capitals: 30-1
Mark Scheifele, Jets: 30-1
Sam Reinhart, Panthers: 30-1
Sergei Bobrovsky, Panthers: 30-1
Tomas Hertl, Golden Knights: 30-1
Anze Kopitar, Kings: 40-1
Leon Draisaitl, Oilers: 40-1
Logan Stankoven, Hurricanes: 40-1
Adin Hill, Golden Knights: 50-1
Brayden Point, Lightning: 50-1
Dylan Strome, Capitals: 50-1
Kevin Fiala, Kings: 50-1
Kirill Kaprizov, Wild: 50-1
Mackenzie Blackwood, Avalanche: 50-1
Mark Stone, Golden Knights: 50-1
William Nylander, Maple Leafs: 50-1
John Tavares, Maple Leafs: 60-1
Andrei Svechnikov, Hurricanes: 75-1
Jaccob Slavin, Hurricanes: 75-1
Matt Boldy, Wild: 75-1
Mikko Rantanen, Stars: 75-1
Pavel Dorofeyev, Golden Knights: 75-1
Roope Hintz, Stars: 75-1
Wyatt Johnston, Stars: 75-1
Brady Tkachuk, Senators: 100-1
Connor McMichael, Capitals: 100-1
Filip Gustavsson, Wild: 100-1
Jason Robertson, Stars: 100-1
Linus Ullmark, Senators: 100-1
Miro Heiskanen, Stars: 100-1
Nico Hischier, Devils: 100-1
Pyotr Kochetkov, Hurricanes: 100-1
Quinton Byfield, Kings: 100-1
Sam Bennett, Panthers: 100-1
Tim Stutzle, Senators: 100-1
Brandon Hagel, Lightning: 150-1
Jacob Markstrom, Devils: 150-1
Jake Guentzel, Lightning: 150-1
Jordan Binnington, Blues: 150-1
Joseph Woll, Maple Leafs: 150-1
Martin Necas, Avalanche: 150-1
Matt Duchene, Stars: 150-1
Pierre-Luc Dubois, Capitals: 150-1
Shea Theodore, Golden Knights: 150-1
Thomas Harley, Stars: 150-1
Tom Wilson, Capitals: 150-1
Valeri Nichushkin, Avalanche: 150-1
Victor Hedman, Lightning: 150-1
Aliaksei Protas, Capitals: 200-1
The 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs have already included some twists and turns, including long-injured players returning to the ice and others playing through various ailments.
Two teams carry 2-0 leads into Game 3 on Thursday, and history is on their side: according to ESPN Research, teams with a 2-0 lead in a best-of-seven series have gone on to win 86% of the time.
Will that be the case for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets? Or can the Ottawa Senators and St. Louis Blues notch victories at home?
Plus, will the Florida Panthers win another game in the Tampa Bay Lightning‘s barn? And which team will win a pivotal Game 3 of the Vegas Golden Knights–Minnesota Wild series?
Read on for game previews with statistical insights from ESPN Research, recaps of what went down in Wednesday’s games, and the Three Stars of Wednesday Night from Arda Öcal.
Matchup notes
Florida Panthers at Tampa Bay Lightning
Game 2 (FLA leads 1-0) | 6:30 p.m. ET | TBS
With the Panthers up 1-0, ESPN BET has adjusted the series line to install Florida as the series favorite at -210, whereas the line was -115 before Game 1.
Matthew Tkachuk made his return after more than two months on the shelf, and scored two goals to help the Panthers take Game 1 in the Battle of Florida. Matthew and brother Brady both scored goals Tuesday, which was the 83rd time in Stanley Cup playoffs history that a pair of brothers scored on the same day, the most recent being Marcus and Nick Foligno on April 21, 2023.
Sergei Bobrovsky has backstopped the Cats to many playoff wins recently, and the Game 1 win was his 45th, putting him fifth all-time in playoff wins for goalies born outside North America. The leader? His opponent Andrei Vasilevskiy, with 66.
Nikita Kucherov won the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL’s leading point-scorer in the regular season, but was limited to just one assist in Game 1. Will that trend continue?
Toronto Maple Leafs at Ottawa Senators
Game 3 (TOR leads 2-0) | 7 p.m. ET | ESPN2
The Maple Leafs have won just one playoff series in the past 20 years, but they are halfway to doing so here in the Battle of Ontario. Oh, and speaking of decadeslong droughts, this is the first time the Leafs have held a 2-0 lead in a best-of-seven series since the 2002 series against the New York Islanders (which they won in seven games).
Max Domi was the overtime hero for the Leafs in Game 2, which was his first playoff OT goal. His father Tie played 98 playoff games in his NHL career, and never had one — albeit in a career where he was known more as a pugilist than a scorer.
Toronto’s Core Four continue to drive the train. John Tavares (two goals, two assists), Mitch Marner (one goal, three assists), William Nylander (one goal, two assists) and Auston Matthews (three assists) are in the top four positions on their stats sheet heading into Game 3. They’ve also gotten strong play from goaltender Anthony Stolarz, who became the sixth netminder in Leafs history to win his first two playoff games with the franchise — Ken Wregget, Mike Palmateer, Bernie Parent, Frank McCool and Lorne Chabot are the others.
One pathway to a comeback for Ottawa is for goaltender Linus Ullmark to steal a game or two. The 2023 Vezina Trophy winner has allowed nine goals on 45 shots through two games, a save percentage of .800. Ullmark allowed just two goals on 50 shots in two games against Toronto in the regular season, both of which were wins for Ottawa.
Vegas Golden Knights at Minnesota Wild
Game 3 (series tied 1-1) | 9 p.m. ET | TBS
Why is this game so important? The winner of Game 3 in a series tied 1-1 has gone on to win 66% of the time in Stanley Cup playoff history (240-123).
The Wild didn’t want to take any chances in Game 2, scoring three first-period goals and keeping the Knights at arm’s length for the remainder of the game. Kirill Kaprizov reminded everyone why he was a Hart Trophy favorite before getting injured this season, scoring two goals and adding a ridiculous assist on Matt Boldy‘s goal. Kaprizov’s second goal tied him with Marian Gaborik for the second-most playoff goals in Wild history, with 12, four behind Zach Parise.
On the Vegas side, “Playoff” Tomas Hertl has shown up, scoring a goal in each of the first two games. The longtime San Jose Shark is the fourth different player to score a goal in his first two games with the Golden Knights, a list that includes Mark Stone, William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault.
The Knights are also hoping this is just a bump in the road for goaltender Adin Hill. He has an .833 save percentage through two games; that figure was .931 in three games last postseason and .932 in 14 starts during their Stanley Cup run in 2023.
Winnipeg Jets at St. Louis Blues
Game 3 (WPG leads 2-0) | 9:30 p.m. ET | ESPN2
One other bit of history working against the Blues: Presidents’ Trophy winners that have won Games 1 and 2 of a best-of-seven series have gone on to win that series 95% of the time (tracked since 1985-86).
The Blues will want to track Kyle Connor closely if the game hangs in the balance. He has scored the game-winning goal in both games thus far, giving him five in his career, passing Paul Stastny for the most in Jets 2.0/Atlanta Thrashers history.
St. Louis rookie Jimmy Snuggerud — who was playing for the University of Minnesota earlier this spring — became the second rookie to notch a goal this postseason, joining Carolina’s Logan Stankoven.
Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou — who led the Blues in regular-season scoring and both tallied goals in Game 1 — were held pointless in Game 2.
Arda’s three stars from Wednesday night
Sometimes the stat lines don’t matter. The Avs captain returning to the NHL for the first time since lifting the Cup in 2022 is a moment that transcends one team, and is celebrated throughout the hockey world. Welcome back, Gabe!
1:22
Gabriel Landeskog makes triumphant return to Avs after 3-year absence
Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog makes his return for the Avalanche after nearly three years on the sidelines due to a chronic knee injury.
Kempe scored two goals and added two assists as the Kings dismantled the Oilers 6-2 to take both games at home as the series now shifts to Edmonton.
Thompson made 25 saves, including some key stops on dangerous chances in the third period, to help the Caps beat the Habs 3-1 and take a 2-0 series lead.
0:48
Messier: Logan Thompson won the game for the Caps
Mark Messier tells Scott Van Pelt the critical role Logan Thompson played for the Capitials in their 3-1 win over the Canadiens in Game 2.
Wednesday’s scores
Washington Capitals 3, Montreal Canadiens 1
(WSH leads 2-0)
Another game that was perhaps a bit closer than the pundits (and the fans in D.C.) expected. Montreal’s Christian Dvorak opened the scoring in the second period, before the Caps answered with two goals in a one-minute span from Connor McMichael and Dylan Strome. That lead would hold despite the Habs’ best efforts, thanks to some heroic saves from Logan Thompson. McMichael added an empty-netter just before the final buzzer to ensure that the fans went home happy, and that his team takes a 2-0 lead to Montreal for Game 3.
0:34
Capitals take lead over Canadiens on back-to-back goals
Connor McMichael and Dylan Strome score a minute apart to put the Capitals ahead of the Canadiens in the second period.
Dallas Stars 2, Colorado Avalanche 1 (OT)
(DAL leads 2-1)
The big story here was the return of Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog after three years. And a first-period goal from Valeri Nichushkin sent the crowd into a frenzy. But the Stars have veteran players of their own, and captain Jamie Benn tied the game midway through the third period, before Tyler Seguin tallied the game-winning goal at 5:31 of overtime.
1:04
Tyler Seguin breaks Avs’ hearts with OT winner for Stars
Tyler Seguin spoils Gabriel Landeskog’s return with a goal to claim the Stars’ second overtime win as they take a 2-1 series lead vs. the Avalanche.
Los Angeles Kings 6, Edmonton Oilers 2
(LA leads 2-0)
For the past three postseasons, the Kings have been eliminated in the first round by the Oilers. Is this finally the year they get past their tormentors from Alberta? Continuing to score six goals per game would certainly help. Brandt Clarke got the party started with a power-play goal at 8:44 of the first period, and he was joined on the scoresheet by Quinton Byfield, Andrei Kuzmenko, Adrian Kempe (with two) and Anze Kopitar. The Kings’ power play has been electric in this series, as L.A. has scored five goals on 10 opportunities with the man advantage.
0:42
Adrian Kempe scores again as Kings close in on victory
Adrian Kempe’s second goal of the night makes it 6-2 Kings as they take full control of Game 2 against the Oilers.
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