Is a Dodgers-Yankees World Series good or bad for baseball? Our readers weigh in

The Yankees and Dodgers are in the World Series. It is a match-up that even non-baseball fans are aware of. The stars are big, and the payrolls are bigger. Even the fans are famous.

What this meeting might be able to tell us about the current state — and future — of baseball is intriguing to think about. This led us to an interesting question: Is this particular face-off at the end of the line good or bad for the game? Or something in between?

It’s a question without a simple answer. Opinions on the matter can range from the emotional to the existential. How this series might feel for fans of teams from smaller markets with lower payrolls to what it could mean for the global expansion of the game — there’s a lot bubbling under the surface.

Here at The Athletic, we wanted to get an idea of how you, the fans, are feeling about it.

Earlier this week, we asked our readers: “Is a Yankees-Dodgers World Series good or bad for baseball?”

More than 2,000 of you responded, and, as you can see below, the majority of you believe it’s ultimately beneficial for the sport. But the question elicited some very thoughtful and nuanced responses from across the spectrum. We’ve shared some of the best ones below.

Thanks to all of you who weighed in — we hope you enjoy watching (or hate-watching) the Series.

Some entries have been lightly edited for clarity and length.

Total: 2,190 votes

Good for baseball. A dream series with the East and West Coast’s two most powerful franchises going head to head. The respective leagues’ MVPs playing against each other. And one of the best overall players in Mookie Betts playing against one of the best all-time purest hitters, Juan Soto. You’ve got an aging slugger, Giancarlo Stanton, playing against another great aging player, Freddie Freeman, who was bypassed by his old organization for someone younger. Two well-run organizations and two very successful managers withstanding calls for their jobs year in and year out. And national and international audiences are all tuned in. (I will add that I’m a Mets fan with absolutely no rooting interest in either team’s outcome.) — Lucy S.

Bad for baseball. No one wants to watch Godzilla vs. Godzilla! — Benson D.

Good for baseball. Six of the top 10 players in the game are playing. It’s an All-Star Game and World Series combined. — Sal C.

It’s complicated. There is no doubt that having a World Series featuring the game’s best players and two big markets will draw more eyeballs to the game and be a ratings bonanza. In that sense, it’s “good for baseball.”

That said, I answered “It’s complicated” because while this matchup is good for the two large fanbases involved, casuals, and national baseball writers, it isn’t for fans of 28 teams. The inference drawn by the media over the season was that this is the World Series matchup everyone should want, the only matchup that matters. It’s belittling to anyone who didn’t grow up in pinstripes or Dodger Blue.

I think it’s good for baseball that Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani will share baseball’s biggest stage and that the two biggest markets and international brands will be participating. What I think is bad for baseball will be the ensuing media sentiment that comes from this World Series, which will only continue to make most of the 28 other fanbases feel increasingly like second-class citizens. — Mike B.

Good for baseball. As an anti-fan of both teams, this matchup is still incredible for the game. You want your biggest stars on the biggest stage, and this brings that aplenty. At the end of the series, either Shohei Ohtani or Aaron Judge will be a World Series champion. How is that in any way bad for baseball? — Jeremy C. 

It’s complicated. On one hand, you’ve got perennial powerhouse clubs with the second- and third-largest payrolls vying for a pennant. No surprise there. On the other hand, it’s going to draw eyes, so that’s good for the game. And several clubs with top-10 payrolls didn’t make the playoffs — so it’s about identifying talent, too. I’m not going to complain; the Astros didn’t advance and the Rangers already won it all. The wounds from Game 6 finally healed. — David C.

Good for baseball. Baseball has always had difficulty marketing its stars. Before Ohtani came to the Angels, it was hard to market Mike Trout considering the team was mediocre at best. This World Series will showcase the best players in each league in Ohtani, Betts, Judge and Soto. That will draw the eyeballs MLB needs to grow the game. Baseball fans like myself will lament that the two mainstays at baseball’s upper echelons will get a crack at yet another title, but the positives from a marketing and engagement perspective overwhelm the negatives. — Trae H.

It’s complicated. Whereas this will be a great pull for new and international fans, the rest of the established baseball world will roll their eyes. There’s something that cannot be duplicated when a small-market upstart goes on a run, regardless of TV ratings. That’s what the sport is about. The only saving grace for us longtime fans this Fall Classic will be to watch Ohtani’s legend continue to grow as he chases the Bambino through the record and history books. — Kevin B. 

Bad for baseball. Money spoils competition. Sure we have salary caps and luxury taxes, but this was inevitable and playoff baseball missed a lot of excitement this year because of superteams. — Nick R.

Bad for baseball. It would be better for baseball if they actually looked unbeatable. A set of truly dominant top-to-bottom teams with quality starting pitching would be a must-see series. Instead, we get three good players on each team. — Elizabeth D.

Good for baseball. As much as I’m tempted to be a hater, being a fan of a small-market team, it’s hard to deny that a Dodgers-Yankees series is great for the sport. These are two classic powerhouse teams with plenty of star power and national — no, international — fan bases. I may be a small-market fan, but I’m a baseball fan first and foremost. — Nick H.

It’s complicated. I would argue it’s good for baseball in the short term, maybe bad in the long term. I expect more people domestically and abroad will watch this year’s Fall Classic than any other over the last 10 years. But it may point to a trend that is bad for baseball in the future. Yes, the Yankees and Dodgers are the two most popular teams, but the majority of baseball fans are fans of neither. Even though there is much more parity in baseball than a lot of people realize  — there have been more different champions over the last 20 years than any of the other major U.S. sports — you can understand the frustration of smaller-market fans who see their favorite players traded away or left unsigned, along with either persistent mediocrity or a boom-bust cycle designed to maximize the “window”. And while many teams are in play to win the title, all but one of the winners over the last 20 years had a top-10 payroll.

Finally, before you say those small-market owners could spend, too, let’s not pretend the owners of the Yankees and Dodgers are more altruistic or care less about money than anyone else. They have the revenue streams to justify the larger payrolls while retaining a comfortable profit margin. And this is coming from a dedicated Dodgers fan hoping Shohei can carry us to the summit. Just because you think the system should change doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the ride! — Daniel H. 

GO DEEPER

The Yankees and Dodgers are both in the World Series. No mascots will be there

Good for baseball. The best record in the NL vs. the best record in the AL. The two biggest media markets. The most combined MVPs playing for a World Series. Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge both making their World Series debuts. Most fanbases list the Yankees and Dodgers as teams they love to hate.

America loves an underdog story, but we also love heavyweight title fights. There isn’t another matchup that could be a bigger headline than this. — Braden M.

Bad for baseball. Look at the NFL to understand. The Kansas City Chiefs can compete every year. The Kansas City Royals: Maybe an open window for a year or so every few decades. It’s the economy, stupid. — Mitchell W.

It’s complicated. It’s been a while since two of the oldest teams and best World Series rivalries have been able to play each other. Plus, you have some of the best players going against each other for a championship, which is what any league would love to see. However, you have two of the richest teams in baseball basically “paying” their way in. Not the best look when you have other teams that would be a better feel-good story, having to beat the paychecks with young and upcoming talent, or veterans who were a steal in the free agency market. MLB works best when you have these two factors working together. League executives should be worried if the big-bucks teams become too familiar of opponents in October. — Rusty M. 

Good for baseball. I’m not a fan of either team, but I am a fan of baseball. Hopefully, this brings more eyes to the sport so that access to watching all of the playoff games becomes easier in the future. (I don’t have access to FS1 so couldn’t watch the Dodgers clinch on a Sunday night when there was nothing else on … that’s just sad.) — Sarah F. 

GO DEEPER

New York fans who grew up with Brooklyn Dodgers face a tough choice in this World Series

Good for baseball. I was born in 1966 and I grew up a Dodger fan in Giants land. The Yankees and Dodgers left us with so many historical moments. Thinking back always makes me remember the good times during those wars between the stars. Unfortunately, the Yankees got us a lot more times than we beat them. Dodgers in 6. — John M. 

Bad for baseball. Oh yes, an exceptional example of the lack of salary cap in the sport Americans are becoming less and less interested in. Great. — Martin M.

Good for baseball. 1977, 1978 and 1981 are among my favorite World Series I’ve seen and I’m not a fan of either team. I love the big-city show, bring it on. — Patrick M. 

GO DEEPER

Ranking all 11 Yankees-Dodgers World Series, from Joe D and Jackie to Reggie and Rau

Bad for baseball. Put it this way: if the NFL had the same financial structure as MLB, the Dallas Cowboys would have twice as many Super Bowl titles and NFC Championship appearances. Nobody except front-runner type “fans” wants that. — Sean D.

Good for baseball. As a San Francisco Giants fan who grew up despising the Dodgers and resenting the Yankees’ success, this is the World Series matchup that I’ve long dreaded. Yet odd as it sounds, I am actually finding myself very excited. In Dodgers-Yankees, we’re getting the best teams in baseball, a murderers’ row of stars, not one but two likely league MVPs at the peak of their powers, and the renewal of a classic October rivalry. My only regret is that they can’t somehow both lose! — Corbin D.

It’s complicated. Obviously, this is the MLB’s dream World Series scenario. The star power, the historic franchises, and the markets involved make this matchup a guarantee to draw the most eyes possible in 2024. We all know baseball doesn’t get close to the NFL in terms of popularity. Dodgers-Yankees is by far the most glamorous possible pairing. Any baseball fan should want to see the league succeed and stay relevant.

While that’s good for Major League Baseball and casual viewers of the sport, it’s the worst possible scenario for the dedicated baseball fan. These two teams spend so much money that it can make a mid-market team’s fans question their team’s chances of making more than a token run at a championship. Unless you really love to hate-watch teams you strongly dislike, it’s hard to pick one of these teams to root for. — Zack W.

Good for baseball. You have the biggest stars on the biggest stage in what is arguably the year with the biggest global audience (especially in Japan and South Korea). Could be a game changer in terms of global reach and on the back of the uptick in attendance post-recent rule changes. — Jamie T.

Bad for baseball. Neither team interests me in the least. They aren’t teams in the true sense of the word. Just a couple of superstars per team. Yawn! — Pam B.

Good for baseball. Stars upon stars should bring in eyeballs, provide compelling storylines and result in competitive games. It also shows owners that investing in your team, in both payroll and player development, leads to winning. — Irby J. 

Good for baseball. Lifelong Dodger fan and old enough to have watched the ’77, ’78 and ’81 Series on TV. If you’re a baseball fan, this is great! The best team in the NL vs. the best team in AL, what’s not to love? The only downside is the cheap seats are $1,200. — Jeff J. 

GO DEEPER

How much will it cost to attend the Yankees-Dodgers World Series?

(Top photo: Daniel Shirey / MLB Photos via Getty Images)