Heading into this past weekend’s series with the Dodgers, the national media had all the clichés ready to go. This was the best of the AL vs. the best of the NL. The east vs. the west. A World Series preview.
It turned out to be the Varsity scrimmaging the JV at the JV field.
I am inherently biased. Having grown up a Yankee fan, I have always been partial to the American League. But that doesn’t change the fact that the American League is much better than the National League and has been for several seasons. The Dodgers have built up an impressive record while beating up on bottom feeders. They are the only team in their division above .500. I’ll repeat that: The Dodgers are the only team in the NL West with a record above .500.
What about the rest of the league, you ask? Well the American League has six teams with 75 wins or more. The National League has two. What about individual players? From July 11 to Aug. 23, a stretch of over six weeks, the top ten leaders in WRC+ were all in the American League. Not a single NL player.
The dominance also extends to the All-Star game, where the AL has won seven contests in a row. And finally, the World Series. The AL has won three of the past four World Series, and the Dodgers have lost the past two.
Getting back to the two teams at hand, the JV was totally outclassed. They scored five total runs in three games at home at full strength. The Varsity scored 16 runs while missing half of their lineup in the middle of a grueling west coast swing. The list of players missing:
Aaron Hicks
Edwin Encarnacion
Luke Voit
Giancarlo Stanton
Dellin Betances
Luis Severino
The Yankees sweep this series with their eyes closed at full strength.
In terms of pitching, the Dodgers sent this year’s Cy Young winner and the greatest pitcher of our generation to the hill to slow down the mighty Yankees. They both got lit up. Meanwhile, the much maligned Yankee rotation dominated the Dodger hitters.
It’s a lot easier pitching in the JV League where you get a free out at the end of the lineup!
When you consider the health of both teams and where the games were played, you can’t help but get excited for this potential October rematch. Quite frankly, it would be stunning to see the Dodgers come into the Bronx in October and beat the Yankees at full strength. Even if the Dodgers have homefield advantage, the Yankees have already shown that winning in LA is no problem.
The Dodgers and Yankees have a lot of similarities. Big name stars, iconic uniforms, and storied histories.
But in terms of on field talent, the Dodgers have a lot less of it.
