The 2024 World Series begins Friday at Dodger Stadium, and the Bleacher Report MLB writing staff is ready with a full rundown of picks and predictions for what promises to be a thrilling Fall Classic.

This year's World Series is loaded with star power, as the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees have some of the game's biggest superstars.

B/R's MLB writing staff of Tim Kelly, Kerry Miller, Joel Reuter and Zach Rymer answered the following questions in advance of Game 1:

1. Which team needs a World Series win more?
2. Who or what is the biggest X-factor for each team?
3. Who will be the unexpected offensive star and unexpected pitching star?
4. Who has the better offense?
5. Who has the better pitching staff?
6. Which player will earn himself the most money this offseason?
7. Which team will win the World Series? In how many games?
8. Which player will win World Series MVP?

Off we go!

Which Team Needs a World Series Win More?

Tim Kelly: Yankees

Juan Soto can become a free agent after this season. Gerrit Cole could opt out of his deal. Aaron Judge is 32. Giancarlo Stanton is 34. Right now is the best chance this era of Yankees will have to deliver a title.

Kerry Miller: Yankees

Surely the Dodgers would be disappointed if they don't win it all, seeing as how they invested more than $1.1 billion this past offseason into what was already quite the stable of well-paid stars. But the Dodgers at least won a World Series in the past half-decade and have now played in four of the past eight Fall Classics.

The Yankees, on the other hand, are here for the first time since 2009 and just the second time in the past two decades. While there has been a growing consensus that wunderkind Soto is going to re-sign with the Bronx Bombers in free agency, what a kick-in-the-teeth, punch-in-the-gut combo it would be if they lose the World Series and lose Soto to the New York Mets this offseason.

Joel Reuter: Dodgers

When the season started, the Yankees felt like an imperfect team with some serious star power. Expectations are different in the Bronx, but it still feels like they've exceeded expectations in many ways after finishing 82-80 and missing the playoffs in 2023.

On the other hand, the Dodgers entered the year squarely in World Series-or-bust mode after their offseason spending spree. They have also spent the last four years listening to people discount the value of their 2020 season. They can erase that narrative with a full-season World Series title.

Zach Rymer: Yankees

We can quibble about how much the Dodgers' triumph during the shortened 2020 season really matters, but a W in the World Series is a W in the World Series. And since this is their fourth trip to the Fall Classic since 2017, the Dodgers' appearance here feels almost routine.

This feels bigger than a four-year title drought vs. a 15-year title drought. This is the Yankees' chance to reclaim the mantle of MLB's Big Bad after ceding it to the Dodgers over the last decade, basically becoming the Saruman to their Sauron in Lord of the Rings terms.

There is also the Soto subplot. If everything else is equal, the chance to return to a championship-winning team could conceivably sway his decision to sign in free agency.

Biggest X-Factor for Each Team

Tim Kelly: For the Yankees, it's the ability of Giancarlo Stanton and Gleyber Torres to stay hot. This lineup felt like a two-man show at times during the regular season, but with those two locked in, it's become a deep group. Imagine if Austin Wells and/or Jazz Chisholm Jr. gets going.

For the Dodgers, they need more from Jack Flaherty, who has a 7.04 ERA across three postseason starts. Dave Roberts can't have to use his bullpen for five or six innings every night. They need Flaherty to pitch like a frontline starter.

Kerry Miller: For the Dodgers, it's the starting pitching and where Roberts decides to deploy the inevitable bullpen game(s). Yoshinobu Yamamoto has a 5.11 ERA in three postseason starts. Walker Buehler's mark is 6.00 in two starts. And while Flaherty was responsible for L.A.'s lone quality start of October, he got shelled in his other two starts and has a 7.04 ERA.

For the Yankees, it's the bullpen, which was kind of terrible over the final four months of the regular season, untouchable through the first six games of the postseason, disastrous in Games 3 and 4 against Cleveland and then incredible again in Game 5. Can they shut down the mighty Dodgers bats? Or will Clay Holmes trying to navigate an eighth inning against Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Teoscar Hernández be as adventurous as it sounds?

Joel Reuter: With at least one bullpen game looming for the Dodgers, they need Flaherty and Yamamoto to play the part of co-aces and chew through some innings in their starts to help take some pressure off the relief corps. Early exits from either of those guys will have a ripple effect on the rest of the series.

The Yankees need at least two of Soto, Judge and Stanton to have a good series offensively to keep pace with the Dodgers' offense. They have the starting pitching advantage, but they need that trio to bridge the gap offensively because the Dodgers are not going to be silenced.

Zach Rymer: The Dodgers have the deeper pitching staff, but that could just as easily become a liability as an asset. The results have been shaky when Roberts has used an opener in this postseason. And the more hitters see relievers in a playoff series, the better they tend to do.

It feels weird to refer to Aaron Judge as an "X-factor," but the reality is that he's a .154 hitter in his last 30 playoff games. Especially knowing what kind of offense the Yankees are up against, they need him to do more than just run into one or two homers. They need him to be Aaron Judge.

Unexpected Offensive and Unexpected Pitching Stars

Tim Kelly: This is about as star-studded of a World Series as you could possibly have. It's hard to imagine anyone sneaking up from either team. Kiké Hernández is as close as I can come to a potential unexpected offensive star, but his postseason history is pretty incredible.

Pitching-wise, Jake Cousins' stuff has been impressive in limited outings out of the Yankees bullpen this postseason, even if his resume this October isn't blemish-free.

Kerry Miller: At this point with these rosters, it's hard to make the case for anyone as an unexpected offensive star. How about Austin Wells? The Yankees' rookie catcher was fantastic from July 4 through the end of August, batting .305 with nine home runs. Since the beginning of September, though, he has gone 11-for-105 with 35 strikeouts. We know he can hit, but it's certainly unexpected right now.

For a pitcher, put me down for an unexpected duel between Walker Buehler and Clarke Schmidt in Game 3, assuming we get that matchup. Buehler was in his bag in his last start against the Mets, and Schmidt quietly made 16 starts with a 2.85 ERA during the regular season. We'll get at least ten total runs in each of Games 1 and 2, leading to expectations of a 12-11 type of barnburner in Game 3, only to have a scoreless draw through four innings.

Joel Reuter: It's been a trying season for Alex Verdugo, but with free agency looming this winter and facing off against the team that drafted him, he's a sneaky pick to have a strong Fall Classic. He could provide a spark at the bottom of the lineup.

Nestor Cortes's contribution will be a surprise, but it sounds like he is trending toward being on the World Series roster. He hasn't pitched since Sept. 18 while nursing a flexor tendon strain and is risking further injury if he returns to the mound too quickly, but he sounds ready to face those potential consequences to help win a title.

Zach Rymer: Anthony Volpe only has one extra-base hit in these playoffs, yet the funny thing is he's been hitting the ball harder (i.e., 95.7 mph) harder than he did at any point in the regular season. If Volpe keeps that up, the extra-base hits will come.

As for Clarke Schmidt, he hasn't been quite the same since returning from a three-month stay on the injured list in September. I nonetheless have my eye on him because he has a good cutter and there's a lefty in the Dodgers lineup who is weirdly ineffective against cutters from righties: Shohei Ohtani.

Who Has the Better Offense?

Tim Kelly: Dodgers

Given how well Giancarlo Stanton and Gleyber Torres are hitting right now, the gap has closed. The Dodgers have Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernández and Will Smith, but it was Tommy Edman who emerged as the NLCS MVP. This is one of the deepest offenses in modern history, and they have the edge.

Kerry Miller: Dodgers

One of these teams has Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, Giancarlo Stanton and three regulars (Gleyber Torres, Anthony Volpe and Anthony Rizzo) with a postseason OBP of .400 or better.

Yet there's really no question that the other team has the better offense after the Dodgers averaged 7.7 runs in the NLCS against the Mets.

Both Edman and Max Muncy have been on fire, and who could have guessed that Andy Pages would be one of four players with a multi-homer game this postseason? With those more unlikely hitters thriving alongside Ohtani and Betts, the Dodgers have been unstoppable even with Freddie Freeman severely hampered by his bad ankle.

Joel Reuter: Dodgers

With NLCS MVP Edman, Muncy and perennial playoff standout Kiké Hernandez all swinging a hot bat in support of their superstar talent, the Dodgers are well-equipped to navigate Freeman being less than 100 percent.

The Yankees are more reliant on their stars. While they could be tough to stop if Soto, Judge and Stanton are all swinging it well simultaneously, the Dodgers simply have far more offensive depth.

Zach Rymer: Dodgers

Next question, please.

In all seriousness, the Dodgers outscored the Yankees in the regular season and have outscored (6.4 R/G vs. 4.8 R/G) and out-homered (1.8 HR/G vs.1.4 HR/G) them in the playoffs. Even if Freeman's ankle continues to be an issue, the Dodgers still have at least four scary hitters. The Yankees have three, and even that is assuming that Stanton's playoff hotness doesn't have an expiration date.

Who Has the Better Pitching Staff?

Tim Kelly: Yankees

The Yankees have the better pitching staff, although neither team necessarily has what you would consider World Series-caliber pitching coming into the season.

The Dodgers have been decimated by pitching injuries this season and will ask a ton of their bullpen in the World Series. The Yankees have Gerrit Cole, but you're not really sure what you're going to get out of the rest of their starters beyond him, even with Cortes likely back in the picture.

Kerry Miller: Dodgers

If we're talking starting rotation, it's pretty clearly the Yankees, who will arguably have that advantage in every game.

For overall staff, though, I think it's a slight edge for the Dodgers, especially if Alex Vesia is back in the mix after missing the NLCS with an intercostal injury. He and Anthony Banda have done well all season as the southpaws of the bunch, and then the right-handed brigade of Blake Treinen, Michael Kopech, Daniel Hudson and Evan Phillips makes it feel like the Dodgers should win any game that's tied after four innings.

Joel Reuter: Dodgers

If this were 10 years ago, the Yankees would have a clear advantage thanks to their superior starting rotation. But the days of riding starters for seven, eight or even nine innings in the playoffs are a thing of the past.

The Dodgers have leaned on their bullpen (57.0 IP) for more innings than their starters (40.0) during the postseason, and the relief corps has a 3.16 ERA, a 5-0 record, and a 3-for-3 showing on save opportunities. Their deeper, more reliable relief corps will be the difference on the pitching side.

Zach Rymer: Yankees

The Dodgers' staff goes deeper, yet I simply trust Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón and Clarke Schmidt more than I trust Jack Flaherty, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Walker Buehler. Cole and Rodón are generally functional starters, whereas Flaherty has looked gassed for about a month now and both Yamamoto and Buehler must be kept on short leashes.

I also consider Luke Weaver to be the best reliever on either side. Go back to September 6, and he's allowed a .135 average and struck out close to half the batters he's faced over his last 16 appearances.

Which Player Will Earn Himself the Most Money this Offseason?

Tim Kelly: Juan Soto

This may not fit the spirit of the question, but saying anyone other than Juan Soto feels like overthinking things. Every time he delivers a big hit, there are executives in Flushing and San Francisco (among other places) trying to think of how they can create an offer that woos Soto away from the Yankees.

Above all else, it has become indefensible for the Yankees to let Soto walk in free agency, almost regardless of what the final offer is this winter.

Kerry Miller: Gleyber Torres

I wrote about the top 10 hitters of this free-agency cycle earlier this week, noting that Torres went from a preseason Spotrac projection of seven years, $128.5 million to his current projection of just three years, $21 million.

Gotta say, though, it sure feels like their formula spits out that projection in mid-August, and it hasn't been revisited since. Since August 21, Torres has gone 59-for-185 (.319) with a .390 OBP, six home runs, and 37 runs scored in 44 games played. He'll continue serving as the table-setter for Soto, Judge and Stanton in the World Series, and he'll benefit from what is a scarce crop of available middle infielders worth much of anything.

With that said, if I'm right about Buehler pitching well again in Game 3, he's probably the correct answer here.

Joel Reuter: Walker Buehler

Buehler was brilliant in Game 3 of the 2018 World Series (7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB 7 K) and Game 3 of the 2020 World Series (6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 10 K). He is not the same pitcher he was during those postseason runs, as he has struggled to find consistency this year coming off Tommy John surgery. But it would be far from surprising to see him clamp down and toss a gem in the Fall Classic once again ahead of his first trip to free agency.

Zach Rymer: Teoscar Hernández

Juan Soto is already looking at a potential $600 million payday this winter, so what even is a few million more on top of that if he does well in this series?

Hernández has generally done his earning power well this year, but he's been running hot and cold since he won the Home Run Derby in July. He was cold as he went 0-for-18 in the first five games of the NLCS before breaking out again with two hits in Game 6. He could leave a lasting impression if he picks up where he left off.

Which Team Will Win the World Series? In How Many Games?

Tim Kelly: Yankees in 6

This was the most wide-open postseason I can remember, and the tiebreaker to this point has been the greatness of some of the Yankees stars. While the Dodgers certainly have the big stars to go blow-for-blow offensively, I think you can only go so far without a starting rotation you can really trust. Eventually, your bullpen will be gassed and/or the game will be out of hand by the time relievers even enter the game.

Kerry Miller: Dodgers in 7

Bizarre things always seem to happen in the World Series during presidential election years, so we're probably going to get Shohei Ohtani pitching the final inning and striking out Soto and Judge before delivering the first World Series-ending walk-off home run since Joe Carter in 1993, further depressing Blue Jays fans who thought Ohtani was on that plane in December.

Joel Reuter: Dodgers in 6

With a deep bullpen and a more complete lineup, it feels like the Dodgers have more margin for error as far as someone going cold or a starter having a rough outing. It's easy to point to their shaky rotation as a weakness, but they have navigated it successfully to this point. The Yankees need their superstars to shoulder the load. It feels like anybody could be the star for the Dodgers, and Tommy Edman winning NLCS MVP is the perfect embodiment of that.

Zach Rymer: Dodgers in 7

The only prediction I really feel comfortable making is that this will not be a lopsided series, a la the one we got between Texas and Arizona last year. Both of these teams are capital-S Stacked.

Yet the Dodgers look like the more complete team from where I'm sitting, and they have home-field advantage to boot. There's also just no escaping that sense that the Yankees are in for a rude awakening. They had it easy in the ALDS and ALCS against two teams that, among other faults, had only two-star hitters between them.

Which Player Will Win World Series MVP?

Tim Kelly: Juan Soto

It's hard to shake the confidence that Soto had in his battle with Hunter Gaddis, one of the best relievers in baseball this season. In an incredible closing argument before free agency, Soto will win World Series MVP and add a second ring to an absurd resume for someone who will only turn 26 this week.

Kerry Miller: Shohei Ohtani

If the Dodgers win this Judge-Ohtani showdown, it will probably be Ohtani winning MVP, particularly if he hits a walk-off homer in Game 7.

Mr. 50/50 hasn't stolen a base yet this postseason, but it's hard to argue with what has thus far been a .934 OPS in his first taste of October. (And he will steal at least one base in the World Series, perhaps several.)

Joel Reuter: Mookie Betts

Betts had a case for NLCS MVP honors, going 9-for-26 with four doubles, two home runs, nine RBI and two steals in the six-game series. He also homered twice in the NLDS and has always been capable of carrying a lineup when he gets hot. The Yankees are going to be careful not to let Ohtani beat them. That could put Betts in a position to be the hero.

Zach Rymer: Shohei Ohtani

Ohtani has put up a .934 OPS in these playoffs, yet it still feels like he's fallen short of expectations. I refuse to see this as any fault of my own, as expectations should be sky-high whenever a guy goes off for 54 homers, 59 steals and 411 total bases in a season.

Yet Ohtani did come through with a 1.158 OPS in the NLCS, thereby only further feeding into the feeling that an ability to thrive in big moments is coded into his DNA. I will frankly be shocked if he's anything less than a menace to the Yankees in the World Series.