Attention fair-weather Dodger fans: This emergency guide will get you sounding like a diehard

It’s time for World Series Dodger baseball! Yes, the Dodgers are back in the Fall Classic and the matchup is a rivalry as old as time itself. East versus West. The Big Apple versus the City of Angels. Subway versus freeway. Chopped cheese versus street tacos. You get the idea…it’s the New York Yankees versus YOUR Los Angeles Dodgers. And Game 1 is tonight, right here in Los Angeles.

If you’re just tuning in to this year’s MLB season and want to familiarize yourself with the competitors and the storylines so you’re in the know when watching with family, friends or fellow Dodger fans at your local watering hole, you’ve come to the right place! This guide will help catch you up on how the Dodgers got here, and what they need to do to win it all.

Who plays in the World Series?

Also known as the Fall Classic, the World Series is a best-of-seven series between the champions of Major League’s Baseball’s two leagues — the American League and the National League. The first team to win four games will be crowned champions of baseball.

Win a bar bet: The MLB’s top prize is called the Commissioner’s Trophy — this circular job in the middle with all the flags.

So, who gets home field advantage? In baseball, it’s decided by the team with the highest winning percentage. This year, that’s the Dodgers. Their 98-64 record was the best in baseball this year, earning them a .605 winning percentage (i.e. they won 60.5% of the games they played). This means that should the series go the full seven games, the Dodgers will get to play four of those games in L.A.

When are the games?

All games will be broadcast on Fox and Fox Deportes. The times here are all for the West Coast, and remember it's the best of seven so the series could be as short as four games if one team sweeps.

• Game 1: Friday, Oct. 25 at 5:08 p.m. at Dodger Stadium
• Game 2: Saturday, Oct. 26 at 5:08 p.m.. at Dodger Stadium
• Game 3: Monday, Oct. 28 at 5:08 p.m. at Yankee Stadium
• Game 4: Tuesday, Oct. 29 at 5:08 p.m. at Yankee Stadium
• Game 5 (if necessary): Wednesday, Oct. 30 at 5:08 p.m. at Yankee Stadium
• Game 6 (if necessary): Friday, Nov. 1 at 5:08 p.m. at Dodger Stadium
• Game 7 (if necessary): Saturday, Nov. 2 at 5:08 p.m. at Dodger Stadium

How the Dodgers got here and what’s on the line

The Dodgers had the best record in the National League, meaning they skipped the first playoff round. They then beat division rival San Diego Padres in the National League Division Series (NLDS). (That was a revenge series — the Padres bounced them out of the playoffs in 2022.)

The Dodgers then knocked off the upstart New York Mets in six games in the National League Championship Series (NLCS), punching their ticket to the Fall Classic.

Win a bar bet: If the Dodgers win, it will be their eighth World Series title, tying them with the rival San Francisco Giants for fifth most of any team.

Their opponent: The Yankees had the best record in the American League this year. They, too, got a bye in the Wildcard Round before cruising past the Kansas City Royals in the American League Division Series (ALDS) and then toppling the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Championship Series (ALCS).

If the Yankees win, it will be their 28th World Series title — the most of any team in baseball — and their first since 2009.

Key storylines

Proving the doubters wrong: The last time the Dodgers missed the playoffs, it was October 2012. President Barack Obama was running for reelection, the iPhone 5 had just been released and Korean rapper Psy was peaking on the pop charts with his viral hit song “Gangnam Style.” The Dodgers have been among the best teams in baseball and have made the playoffs in each of the 12 years since, including four trips to the World Series (counting this year) — but have only one championship to show for it. A win this year would go a long way in proving that the Dodgers are more than just a great regular season team, and that they can win when it matters most.

Winning it for Fernando: Following the death of iconic Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela earlier this week, Los Angeles now has an extra incentive to motivate them -- winning it all in honor of the late legend.

Winning it “for real”: The Dodgers won the World Series in 2020, but it was during a COVID-shortened season. Teams played just 60 games, compared to the usual 162, in empty ballparks. Now, a championship is a championship in our eyes, but that hasn’t stopped sports talking heads and fans of other teams from suggesting that the 2020 title means less because the season was shortened. Winning a World Series in a full season would silence those critics.

Refreshing a rivalry: On the surface, you wouldn’t really call the Dodgers and Yankees “bitter rivals.” The Dodgers’ most-hated rivals are the San Francisco Giants, and the Yankees’ are the Boston Red Sox. But there’s actually a lot of history to this matchup because — like all the new good bagel places in town, the Dodgers are a New York import. They used to be the Brooklyn Dodgers, until moving here in 1957, and they were the Yankees’ crosstown rivals. And this year is the 12th World Series matchup between the Dodgers and Yankees, the most in MLB history. The Yankees do have the historical edge in the matchup, winning eight of the previous 11 World Series matchups between the teams.

Superstars collide: Dodgers’ designated hitter Shohei Ohtani and Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge are arguably the two best players in baseball. Both have won MVP awards (and will likely each win another this year), both are coming off 50+ home run seasons and both are seeking their first World Series. Surprisingly, it’s rare to see this much star power in a World Series — it’s the first time ever that two players who hit 50+ home runs in a season face off in the World Series.

Dodgers players to watch

Shohei Ohtani, designated hitter

The phenom. The $700 million man. The Sho. Shotime. We’ve never seen a baseball player quite like Shohei Ohtani. He is a once-in-a-generation player who can hit, run and even pitch, though that part of his game has been shut down this year as he recovers from elbow surgery he had in 2023 (you’re welcome, New York). He's the Dodgers' designated hitter, meaning he bats in the lineup but does not play a defensive position in the field. This year, he became the first player EVER to record a 50 home run, 50 stolen base season.

If the Dodgers are going to win the World Series, they’re going to need him to replicate his offensive performance from the regular season. That could be complicated by the fact that Ohtani is nursing an injury. He suffered a subluxation (partial dislocation) of his shoulder as he slid into second base during a steal attempt in Game 2, but he is in the starting lineup for Game 3 so it appears he'll try to play through it.

Mookie Betts, right field

Since arriving in L.A. in 2020 from the Boston Red Sox, Markus Lynn “Mookie” Betts has been the heart and soul of the Dodgers lineup. He’s also a generational baseball talent:

Mookie has played outfield most of his career in the big leagues, and has anchored the Dodgers outfield so far in the World Series, but the last two years he’s been called on to play in the infield to help his team fill defensive gaps. He’s the kind of selfless team player you can’t help but root for, and he also brings World Series experience to the team — he won rings in 2018 with the Red Sox and 2020 with the Dodgers. And if that wasn’t enough to make you a fan, get this: he’s made the World Series in both baseball … and bowling. Here he is bowling a perfect 300 game in the 2017 World Series of Bowling:

Freddie Freeman, first base

Together with Shohei and Mookie, Freddie Freeman completes the “Big 3” in the Dodgers lineup.

He missed a couple games due to injury in the NLCS, but has played every game of the World Series so far and has been the biggest offensive contributor. Freeman has homered in each World Series game so far, including a game-winning, walk-off grand slam in Game 1. His homer in Game 4 makes SIX straight World Series games (dating back to his time with the Atlanta Braves when they won it all in 2021) where he's gone yard, which is an MLB record:

Standing 6-foot-5, Freddie’s an imposing figure when he steps up to the plate. But don’t let his towering stature fool you — he's got a million dollar smile and fellow players will tell you he’s one of the nicest guys in the league. Don’t believe me? Here’s Freddie reading nice tweets about himself:

How many people have nice things said about them on X these days? Freddie does.

Tommy Edman, shortstop & center field

Even though he joined the team in the middle of the season after being traded from the St. Louis Cardinals, this dual-threat has been a huge factor in the Dodgers’ postseason success. He’s an excellent defensive player who plays both shortstop and center field, which are considered the “captain” positions of the infield and outfield, respectively. His defining moment came in Game 6 of the Championship Series when he hit a two-run home run to give the Dodgers a 4-1 lead:

Edman also has local roots — he grew up in La Jolla and his mom is from Los Angeles.

Maureen Edman, Tommy Edman's mom, kisses him on the cheek after the Dodgers defeated the New York Mets to advance to the World Series.

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Kiké Hernández, utility

If you’re going to win a World Series, you need a Kiké on your team. Enrique “Kiké” Hernández isn’t a superstar like Mookie Betts or Shohei Ohtani. During the regular season, his stats are nothing to write home about. But during the playoffs? He’s got that dog in him. He's a utility player, meaning he can play pretty much any position on the field. So far this postseason he’s hit a couple of huge home runs for the Dodgers, including this home run in the decisive Game 5 of the Division Series that helped propel his team to the next round of the playoffs:

And this two-run homer in Game 3 of the Championship Series to give the Dodgers a 4-0 lead:

Bottom line? Kiké is CLUTCH in October. The Dodgers will need more “Playoff Kiké” in the World Series if they want to win it all.

The entire Dodgers bullpen

You may hear the term “bullpen series” in conversations about Dodgers pitching for the World Series. While the Dodgers’ starters are solid, none of them are expected to pitch particularly deep into games. That means that the responsibility of keeping the powerful Yankees’ bats quiet will likely rest on the shoulders of the Dodgers’ relief pitchers. Expect to see plenty of guys like Ben Casparius, Anthony Banda, Michael Kopech and Blake Treinen, who came through clutch for the Dodgers in the conclusive Game 6 of the NLCS:

Yankees players to watch

Aaron Judge, center field

Standing 6-foot-7 and weighing 282 lbs., New York Yankees captain and outfielder Aaron Judge is one of the most imposing figures in baseball. He is a towering human who hits towering home runs — 58 of them during the regular season — and he’s expected to win the American League MVP Award this year. Here he is punishing a poor, defenseless baseball in the ALCS:

Win a bar bet: Judge is from Sacramento and played college baseball at Fresno State.

Juan Soto, right field

Don’t let his youth fool you, this 25-year-old phenom is the real deal. Soto already has a World Series ring, which he won with the Washington Nationals in 2019 at age 21. He was also the hero of the ALCS this year for the Yankees — he smashed a 3-run-homer in the 10th inning of Game 6 to give the Yankees the lead, and ultimately the series-winning victory:

Giancarlo Stanton, designated hitter

The only thing you really need to know about Stanton is that he hits baseballs very, very far. In 2015, while he was with the Miami Marlins, he hit a home run out of Dodger Stadium. Literally:

And when he makes contact, he hits the ball VERY hard. Watch how fast this ball comes off the bat:

For those of you without a radar gun built into your brain, that ball traveled 446 feet and came off the bat at a speed of 117.5 miles per hour, according to the MLB’s metric tracking system Statcast. Look for Dodgers pitchers to try and pitch around Stanton.

Gerrit Cole, starting pitcher

The ace pitcher of the Yankees staff, Gerrit Cole, is expected to start Game 1 of the World Series Friday night. He’s got devastating pitches that can make even the best hitter miss, and the longer he goes the harder he gets to hit:

Luke Weaver, closing pitcher

Sure, he might be wiry, but don’t sleep on Yankees’ closing pitcher Luke Weaver. His job is to come in to the game in the final inning of the game when his team has the lead and literally close the door on a comeback, like he did here against the Royals in the ALDS:

Weaver’s also an, um, interesting cat, shall we say? But hey, his interviews make for great content.

Celebrate good times

When you’re watching the World Series, you might notice the Dodgers break out some unique celebrations. For example, you’ll likely see this one when a Dodgers hitter gets on base:

It’s believed to have been started by Kiké Hernández during Spring Training this year, and while it’s not exactly clear what its origins are, the internet believes it’s a nod to a dance from the popular anime series Dragon Ball Z.

And if (OK, when) the Dodgers hit a home run, you might see them get showered with sunflower seeds when they return to the dugout after rounding the bases:

This celebration was started by outfielder Teoscar Hernández, who reportedly brought it with him from his days with the Toronto Blue Jays. Which may explain why others on the team don’t quite have the hang of it yet:

We still love you, Mookie. Here’s hoping we see a lot of sunflower seeds flying in the coming week. Go Dodgers!