Yankees' 5 biggest X-factors vs. Dodgers in 2024 World Series

Deesha Thosar

MLB Writer

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The Yankees have been involved in several close games this postseason. They’ve yet to be in a close series. That figures to change in the Fall Classic, as New York takes on the National League’s top-seeded Los Angeles Dodgers.

The heavyweight matchup is sure to test the depth of both rosters. Here are X-factors who could swing the 2024 World Series in the Yankees’ favor.

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1. Carlos Rodón, starting pitcher

It will be important for the Yankees to save their bullpen arms in a long series against the potent Dodgers, so any extra length their starters can give will go a long way. That starts with Gerrit Cole setting the tone in his Game 1 start, no doubt. But it will be equally important for Rodón to, at the very least, aim for a quality start in his first game of the Fall Classic. Rodón’s outings can be a bit of a roller-coaster if he’s struggling to focus and keep his emotions in check. But when he’s on, he’s worthy of being the ace of a pitching staff.

Fortunately for the left-hander, the Yankees don’t need him to be an ace to win their 28th World Series title. Really, he just needs to pitch like he did for half the season — when he recorded 16 quality starts out of a career-high 32 outings and 175 innings pitched. The Yankees have to hope all of that workload hasn’t caught up to him. Rodón said he watched the first six innings of Game 6 of the National League Championship Series between the Mets and Dodgers before he changed the channel to football, but what stood out to him was how obvious it was that right-hander Sean Manaea was gassed at this point in October.

Rodón registered an excellent outing sandwiched between two subpar starts this postseason. In the ALDS against the Royals, he was pulled after giving up four earned runs in just 3.2 innings. After six innings of one-run ball in his first start of the ALCS, he lasted just 4.2 innings in his second. Rodón noted how important the rest days were ahead of his first pitch in this series. And if he accomplishes his goal of pitching three times through the order, the Yankees and their entire pitching staff will be in better shape.

2. Giancarlo Stanton, designated hitter

Stanton has tallied five home runs, 11 RBIs, 10 hits, five walks and six runs in nine playoff games this October. These are video-game numbers. Amid a roster full of players yearning to win the championship, Stanton has been the most vocal about how nothing — not even his insane stats — matters unless the Yankees finish the job. His deep-seated determination to win a title has carried him this far, but it will be truly fascinating if he can keep up this pace in the World Series.

If he can, the Yankees look unbeatable with a lineup that boasts Juan Soto and Aaron Judge before Stanton even gets to the on-deck circle. There’s been a lot of talk about Soto being the one that pushed the Yankees over the edge and into the Fall Classic, and in many ways, he has. But Soto is new around here, and the clubhouse respects what Stanton has had to overcome in the Bronx (years of booing because of his injuries and underperformance) to reach this point: American League Championship Series MVP. If Stanton’s next act can somehow top his last one, he’ll be carrying the offense to a ring.

3. Luke Weaver, relief pitcher

Man, are the Yankees putting a ton of responsibility on this journeyman’s shoulders, and he has answered the bell almost every step of the way. Ever since the Yankees ended the Clay Holmes-closer experiment and promoted Weaver (a starter-turned-reliever) to begin earning saves, all he’s done is exceed expectations. Weaver entered the postseason with just four career saves — all of which were secured in the final month of the regular season — and it was a real question jowl he would fare in the postseason. Weaver quickly responded by pitching six scoreless innings and collecting four saves in his first five career playoff appearances.

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Proving he’s human, Weaver finally faltered in Game 3 of the ALCS, blowing his first save when he gave up a game-tying home run to Jhonkensy Noel in the ninth inning against the Guardians. But he bounced back in Game 5, pitching two scoreless innings, allowing just one hit to Cleveland and earning the win that sent the Yankees to the World Series. Up next, facing the star-studded Dodgers lineup will be the biggest challenge of his career. Weaver has surprised everyone down the stretch. Now, it’s tough to see New York winning without him playing a key role.

4. Gleyber Torres, second baseman

The Yankees veteran has had a love-hate relationship with the Bronx fan base — mostly driven by his 18 errors, the most of any second baseman in MLB this year — but he’s received nothing but support from those that know him best within the organization. That confidence from his manager and teammates seemed to spur a different level in Torres ever since he was moved up to the leadoff spot in mid-August. Torres’ .755 OPS, six home runs, 11 doubles, 25 walks and 22 RBIs over 56 games batting leadoff are by far his best numbers of any spot in the lineup. Since he started setting the table in front of Soto and Judge, he started drawing more walks, too.

We’ve seen how that enhanced plate approach has translated to this postseason; he’s drawn just as many walks (7) as Judge and Soto across nine games in the ALDS and ALCS. Torres’ bat provides another key element to a Yankees offense that is already plenty lethal without him. Not only will fans forgive and forget his rocky season if he continues to be productive in the World Series, but Torres is getting hot ahead of his upcoming free agency. After seven years in the Bronx, he’s forcing the Yankees front office to make a difficult decision. If he can continue doing his part at the top of the order, it’s getting easier to envision Torres in pinstripes next season and beyond.

5. Jazz Chisholm, third baseman

The Yankees were a trade deadline winner with their acquisition of Chisholm proving to be a huge success right away. Chisholm slugged nine home runs and collected 14 RBIs in his first 20 games with the Bombers, all while stealing six bases and posting a 1.029 OPS. His jolt of power, speed and energy were exactly what the Yankees needed at the time — after falling into a rut around the All-Star break, they entered the stretch run with a legitimate new threat in their lineup. Then we saw Chisholm’s fire on the field after Maikel Garcia’s slide into Anthony Volpe in the ALDS against the Royals, and it provided another edge on a Yankees roster that is so buttoned up that it can sometimes come off as boring.

Chisholm, however, has cooled off considerably at the plate. He’s batting just .147 (5-for-34) with a .481 OPS, two walks and two stolen bases this postseason. When he does get on base, he’s still a menace on the basepaths. The Yankees don’t necessarily need Chisholm to display the power he did when initially acquired from Miami. They just need him to draw some walks and rip some singles so that others behind him can bring him in. That would be the best-case scenario for the bottom of the Yankees’ lineup, and perhaps their dangerous top.

Deesha Thosar is an MLB reporter for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

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