Judge_Alonso_231204 [1296x729]
Judge_Alonso_231204 [1296x729] (Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports)

Boxing divisional rankings A new No 1 at featherweight

We're down to four teams: Three big-market teams with payrolls funded by Fort Knox plus those scrappy Cleveland Guardians. Three of our teams finished in first place in their division and two of them had the two best records in the majors. With the NLCS kicking off Sunday night in Los Angeles, let's rank the four possible World Series matchups. Our criteria: How interesting are the teams? Do they have star players? What is the history of the franchises? How good were they in the regular season (no offense to the Texas Rangers or Arizona Diamondbacks last year, but an all wild-card matchup isn't the preferred World Series clash for some of us)?

This year, the good news is we can't go wrong: All four teams have intriguing storylines. We could have a historic World Series drought on the line -- and the potential of seeing the greatest superstar showdown of all time.

1. New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

Significance: It wouldn't get any more old-school than this one, a matchup between not only the two most celebrated franchises in the sport, but the two most important in North American sports history. With 27 World Series titles, spanning Babe Ruth to Joe DiMaggio to Mickey Mantle to Reggie Jackson to Derek Jeter, the Yankees have ruled the headlines of America's national pastime for more than 100 years. The story of baseball is the story of the Yankees. But they haven't even been in a World Series since they last won in 2009.

When they were in Brooklyn, the Dodgers broke the color barrier when they signed Jackie Robinson. They moved to Los Angeles in 1958, the lure of the palm trees and a booming new market too hard to resist, and quickly became the preeminent organization in the sport. They became one of the first franchises to invest heavily in Latin America and opened Japanese recruiting when they signed Hideo Nomo in 1995. The Dodgers won the World Series in 2020 -- but that comes with a COVID-19 asterisk; despite all their recent success, they haven't won in a full, normal season since 1988. The pressure to win for both teams would be as immense.

History: You want history? This series has more history than a Ken Burns documentary. The two teams have met 11 times in the World Series -- seven when both were in New York (Brooklyn won just once) and four times after the Dodgers moved to L.A. The 1977 and 1978 showdowns -- Reggie Jackson's three-homer game in 1977, Bob Welch striking out Jackson and Jackson getting his revenge with a mammoth home run later the next year -- are World Series lore. Despite often owning the two highest payrolls in the sport, however, they haven't met in a World Series since 1981.

Best Yankees/Dodgers moment: Too many to count, but among the contenders: Billy Martin's series-saving catch in 1952, Robinson's steal of home in 1955, Johnny Podres' shutout in Game 7 that year as Dem Bums finally won, Sandy Koufax's 15-strikeout game in 1963, Reggie's three homers to clinch in 1977. But the top one: Don Larsen's perfect game in 1956.

Best players who played significant games for both teams: Gary Sheffield, Darryl Strawberry, Tommy John, Willie Randolph, Hiroki Kuroda, Al Downing, Steve Sax, Willie Keeler, Kevin Brown.

Jersey rating: 10 out of 10! The two most iconic uniforms in the game.

Why we want this matchup: Well, the traditionalist will appreciate it for this: The Yankees and Dodgers had the best records in their leagues. In this era of expanded playoffs, that hasn't happened since 2013 when the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals squared off.

So that would be nice, but our inclinations are mostly because of this: Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani are the stories of the season, so it would be fitting the season end with the two megastars in the spotlight. Judge hit .322 with 58 home runs, 144 RBIs and an OPS+ of 223, recording perhaps the greatest season ever from a right-handed batter. Ohtani became the first player ever with 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in the same season, then blew past both numbers with 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases. Even non-baseball fans were aware of what these two were doing.

Both are going to win MVP awards, and the last time both MVP winners reached the World Series was 2012 when Miguel Cabrera's Detroit Tigers played Buster Posey's San Francisco Giants -- and before that you would have to go all the way back to 1988, when Jose Canseco's A's played Kirk Gibson's Dodgers. But Posey's season wasn't really all that historic and Gibson was hurt in 1988 (other than his dramatic pinch-hit home run), so this would be the most anticipated MVP showdown since at least George Brett and Mike Schmidt in 1980 -- and perhaps the most anticipated superstar clash in World Series history.

Five best drama scenarios:

Judge versus Ohtani (no, they wouldn't directly face each other, but this would be top billing) Gerrit Cole versus the Dodgers lineup as Cole tries to win his first World Series and cement his legacy as a true Yankee Dave Roberts versus his own postseason history of pitching decisions that backfire Juan Soto and Judge versus a slew of different Dodgers relievers Freddie Freeman, playing on his hobbled sprained ankle, trying to do Freddie Freeman things 2. New York Yankees vs. New York Mets

Significance: Welcome to Subway Series 2.0. The Bronx vs. Queens. The D train vs. the 7. Yankees Steakhouse vs. Shake Shack. Hal Steinbrenner's very, very deep pockets vs. Steve Cohen's very, very, very, extremely deep pockets. History: The Yankees and Mets have rarely appeared in the playoffs in the same season -- this is just the sixth time -- but did meet in the World Series in 2000. The Yankees were going for a third straight championship that year after winning just 87 games in the regular season -- reaching the postseason only because they won a weak AL East (Cleveland won more games and didn't make the playoffs because there was only one wild card then).

The World Series turned in Game 1. In the sixth inning, Timo Perez thought Todd Zeile's fly ball was a home run and slowed up on the bases -- only to see the ball bounce off the wall. He was thrown out at home plate. Armando Benitez then blew the save in the bottom of the ninth for the Mets and the Yankees won in 12 innings on Jose Vizcaino's two-out walk-off single. The Yankees, who went on to win in five games, remain the last team with consecutive World Series titles (three in a row in their case).

While that Yankees dynasty included some key former Mets -- David Cone, Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden -- most of the history between the two franchises is battling for headlines on the back pages of the tabloids. Yankees fans mock Mets fans for their ineptitude through the years and lack of a title since 1986, while Mets fans mock Yankees fans for their sense of entitlement and whining despite almost always making the playoffs. And don't forget that social media video circulated of Mets and Yankees fans engaged in a brawl in the concourse of Yankee Stadium after a game in July. This one would definitely get a little chippy.

Best Yankees/Mets moment: One of the craziest, most surreal moments in World Series history occurred in Game 2 in 2000, when Mike Piazza hit a foul ball and shattered his bat. A chunk of it flew toward Roger Clemens, who promptly flung the jagged piece of wood in the direction of Piazza. Benches cleared. Clemens first tried to say it was just an emotional reaction. Then he said he thought it was the ball, which doesn't make sense (why would he fling a ball?). Then he claimed he didn't know if it was a ball or a piece of bat. Piazza's analysis: "Bizarre."

Best players who played significant games for both teams: Cone, Strawberry, Gooden, Rickey Henderson, Robinson Cano, Carlos Beltran, Robin Ventura, Curtis Granderson, Al Leiter. Yogi Berra only played a few games for the Mets, but managed both teams, as did Casey Stengel, Joe Torre and Buck Showalter.

Jersey rating: 10 out of 10! The Mets arguably have the best uniform set in the majors, although they did originally steal the pinstripes from the Yankees when they joined the National League as an expansion franchise in 1962.

Why we want this matchup: Hey, I get it: Much of America will groan at an all-New York, high-payroll World Series. The 2000 World Series between the two clubs drew the lowest TV ratings ever up to that point. As a matchup, however, it's a fun one even beyond the same city sideshow. The Yankees would be in the World Series for the first time in 15 years -- an absolute eternity for a franchise that expects to be there every year. The Mets were mostly an afterthought heading into the season after coming off a 75-87 record in 2023 -- and even in early June, when they were 11 games under .500, the stories were about which impending free agents the Mets would be dealing at the trade deadline.

So, two great storylines: Could the Yankees return to the top and do it against their city rivals? Could the Mets, after decades of see-sawing between playoff teams and embarrassing periods of incompetence, win their first World Series since 1986 and do it against their city rivals? Could Judge finally deliver on the biggest stage? Could the Mets continue their run of OMG-LFGM-Grimace inspired late-game comebacks?

Five best drama scenarios:

Mets left-handed starters facing off against Soto and Judge Yankees pitchers vs. a tough top of the Mets lineup Luke Weaver vs. Edwin Diaz (again, they won't face each other, but Weaver is the anonymous veteran suddenly serving as the Yankees closer while Diaz is the high-paid star who has been walking a tightrope with every appearance) Pete Alonso, heading into free agency, trying to lead the Mets Former Yankees coach Carlos Mendoza, now the Mets' first-year manager, going against Aaron Boone 3. Cleveland Guardians vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

Significance: This would be a battle of so-called original 16 franchises -- teams that have been around since the American League was founded in 1901 -- and those always feel a little more special. The last one came in 2018 with the Red Sox and Dodgers. The Guardians have the longest World Series drought of any of those 16 franchises, last winning the World Series in 1948. They lost in 1954 and 1995 -- and then lost worse, with heartbreakers in 1997 to the Marlins (blowing a lead in the bottom of the ninth of Game 7 and losing in 11 innings) and 2016 (blowing a 3-1 series lead to the Cubs).

History: There is playoff history here. Cleveland and Brooklyn met in the 1920 World Series, back in the short interval when the series was a best-of-nine series. It's arguably the most obscure World Series matchup of all time (Brooklyn was even called the Robins then, not the Dodgers). That was also the year Cleveland shortstop Ray Chapman died in August after getting hit by a pitch. Cleveland won the series in seven games as future Hall of Famer Stan Coveleski went 3-0 with three complete games.

Otherwise, there isn't a whole lot of history between the two franchises. Maybe the most significant connection is that while the Dodgers broke the color barrier with Jackie Robinson, Cleveland was the first American League team to do it under owner Bill Veeck. Larry Doby debuted the same season as Robinson, and then Veeck signed Negro Leagues legend Satchel Paige in 1948. There haven't been many big trades either, with the most significant one between the two involving minor leaguers: Pedro Guerrero going to the Dodgers in 1974 and Carlos Santana going to Cleveland in 2008. Cleveland did trade Dave Roberts to the Dodgers as a player after the 2001 season (where he got to play as a regular for the first time).

Best Guardians/Dodgers moment: Well, let see ... they've only played 21 times in interleague (the Dodgers took two of three in September), and nothing pops up there. So going back to the 1920 World Series, it was tied 2-2 when Game 5 featured two memorable moments: Cleveland second baseman Bill Wambsganss turned an unassisted triple play -- still one of just 15 in major league history; and Cleveland's Elmer Smith hit the first World Series grand slam.

Best players who played significant games for both teams: Manny Ramirez, Brett Butler, Eddie Murray, Orel Hershiser, Frank Robinson, Tom Candiotti, Rick Sutcliffe, Stan Williams.

Jersey rating: 7 out 10.

Why we want this matchup: That's a long drought for the Guardians -- and, really, a franchise that has suffered more than its share of crushing defeats through the years. They had those great Manny Ramirez-Jim Thome-Albert Belle-Kenny Lofton teams in the 1990s and couldn't get over the hump. They've rebuilt a few times since then and had a great team in 2016 and an even better one in 2017 (that won 102 games, only to lose in the ALDS after blowing a 2-0 series lead to the Yankees). No, the Guardians' drought isn't as long or as famous as the Cubs' drought was back in 2016, but it would be a great story if they won.

Five best drama scenarios:

Emmanuel Clase vs. Shohei Ohtani with the game on the line would be as good as it gets The constant battle of the bullpens, starting early in most games, would be an armchair manager's delight Jose Ramirez is so often called underrated that he might not actually be underrated, but it would still be great to see the future Hall of Famer doing big things on the national stage All the pressure would be on a heavily favored Dodgers team with the much bigger bank account (their estimated luxury tax payroll is nearly $200 million higher than Cleveland's) Clase vs. Mookie Betts with the game on the line would work as well 4. Cleveland Guardians vs. New York Mets

Significance: Well, we would have a combined 114 years of World Series droughts going on here, so that would be quite the matchup -- even if 1986 feels like yesterday for some of us. This feels like a bit of an awkward pairing except for one obvious connection: Francisco Lindor. The one-time face of the franchise for Cleveland, the Guardians knew they wouldn't be able to afford him when he became free agent, so they traded him to the Mets before the 2021 season.

Lindor signed a 10-year, $341 million extension for the Mets on Opening Day. At the time, it felt like he wasn't exactly sure New York was where he wanted to play, but it was simply too much money to turn down. That first year was a disaster: He didn't play well, he got injured, he and Javier Baez infamously gave a thumbs down gesture to the fans after getting booed. It looked like the 10-year contract might be a colossal mistake, but Lindor turned things around and has followed up two top-10 finishes with a potential second-place finish to Ohtani this year.

History: Well, there was the famous Harry Chiti trade in 1962. The Mets acquired Chiti from Cleveland -- only to trade him back a few months later, making him the first player traded for himself. Other than Lindor, the two biggest Mets-Guardians trades involved second basemen. Jeff Kent went from New York to Cleveland for Carlos Baerga in what turned out to be an awful deal for the Mets (Kent would produce 45.8 WAR the rest of his career while Baerga would produce minus-0.5). A few years later, the Mets acquired Hall of Famer Robert Alomar, but he immediately fell off the table. Otherwise, not a lot going on between the two franchises.

Best Guardians/Mets moment: Hmm ... Pete Alonso won the Home Run Derby in Cleveland in 2019. Can we count that? Best players who played significant games for both teams: Lindor, Alomar, Bartolo Colon, Eddie Murray, Dwight Gooden, Asdrubal Cabrera, Amed Rosario, Jesse Orosco, Orel Hershiser, Carlos Carrasco.

Jersey rating: 6 out of 10.

Why we want this matchup: It's kind of silly to describe the Mets -- a team with a $350 million payroll -- as plucky, but that's kind of the best description. And that fits the Guardians as well, so this would be the all-plucky World Series. The Mets are paying 12 different players at least $10 million (not including Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer, who they paid a combined $57 million this year to pitch for other teams). The Guardians are paying just two players that much and one of them, Shane Bieber, is injured.

Aside from that, it would be a fun matchup of contrasting styles. The Guardians are built around their bullpen, the Mets around their starting pitching. The Guardians play great defense and run the bases and don't have much power aside from Ramirez and Josh Naylor while the Mets will try to beat you with home runs. And the matchup of first-year managers -- Stephen Vogt and Mendoza -- would be an interesting test of strategy as well.

Five best drama scenarios:

Lindor up with the game on the line Ramirez up with the game on the line How the Mets' bullpen matches up against Steven Kwan (who finished the ALDS with three consecutive three-hit games), considering the only lefty they've used is David Peterson, who might return to the rotation Back to the contrasting styles and how quickly Vogt goes to his bullpen and how long Mendoza stays with his starters Considering the Guardians history in Game 7s, we get to a Game 7 and it's Lindor, Mark Vientos and Brandon Nimmo coming up in the ninth with Clase protecting a one-run lead. That would be the World Series drama we want