Dodgers – Yankees Clash is of Historical Proportions

On Friday night, the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees kicked off the marquee series of the entire season perhaps at Dodger Stadium. And why is this? Indeed, you’re seeing two of the best teams of all-time in the regular season face off.

Indeed – by several historical statistical measures – the 2019 New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers are two of the best to ever face off. In this post, let’s take a look at a few of the items that make this series so saucy (besides being Players’ Weekend).

They are the first teams 30 games over .500 to meet

The @Yankees–@Dodgers game tonight will be the first interleague game all-time in which both teams enter 30+ games over .500.

It's also the latest date that teams with the best record in each league will play each other in the regular season.#PinstripePride#LABleedsBlue pic.twitter.com/7eNxgQ7RMo

— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) August 23, 2019

Thanks to Stats by Stats on twitter, we know that this is the first ever interleague game in the in the history of the sport where both teams were 30+ games over .500. Now, the Yankees sit at 83-46 on the year; firmly entrenched in the AL East lead. By the same token, the Dodgers are 85-44; easily making them the mightiest team in the NL standings.

Which of course means, you’re going to be treated to some high-octane baseball all weekend in Los Angeles.

The 2019 Dodgers Come From Behind More Than Any Team in History

The @Dodgers have had 23 home games this year where they were trailing in the 9th inning or later. They have now won 7 of those games (30.4%).

No MLB team in the live-ball era (since 1920) has won at least 30 percent of their home games in which they trailed in the 9th or later.

— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) August 23, 2019

Certainly, you can read back that bold text twice. Recently, we highlighted the walk-off wins by the Dodgers. All the magic is flowing at Chavez Ravine, especially when the frames are ticking away.

Furthermore, the 2019 Los Angeles Dodgers have had 23 home games this year in which they were trailing in the 9th inning or later. The key take home on this tweet by Stats by Stats? In seven of those 23 games (30.4 percent), the Dodgers found a way to grasp victory from the jaws of defeat.

Without question, it is one of the grittiest come-from-behind squads in the history of the game. While you should file this away and never count the Dodgers out late, it could serve them well in a series that the Yankees figure to hold some leads.

The Series is at Dodger Stadium – Where the Dodgers Win Constantly

Via Stats LLC — Highest home winning percentage in NL history
1975 Cincinnati Reds .790
1953 Brooklyn Dodgers .779
1942 St. Louis Cardinals .779
2019 LA #Dodgers .761 (51-16)
1962 SF Giants .744

— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) August 23, 2019

Next up, Bill Plunkett of the OC Register shows us how phenomenal the Dodgers are at Chavez Ravine. Now, measuring them against teams this season wouldn’t quite be fair. In fact, measuring them against teams over the last few decades isn’t fair either.

In terms of the highest home winning percentage in NL history – the 2019 Dodgers are in the top five. It feels like they win a lot at home – but this is astonishing to think about. Their .761 winning percentage ranks fourth only behind The Big Red Machine, a 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers squad, and the 1942 St. Louis Cardinals in the category.

Remember, you are watching one of the greatest teams in their home park ever. With the Yankees in town, this should serve as a little bit of a gravity tilt for the Boys in Blue.