Dodgers-Yankees series storylines to watch

This story was excerpted from Juan Toribio’s Dodgers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

NEW YORK — Even in early June, a Dodgers-Yankees weekend series at Yankee Stadium is as big of a three-game set as you’ll find at this point in the season.

It’s a battle of two of the most historic franchises in the game, a rivalry that dates back to when the Dodgers were in Brooklyn. The two organizations have battled for the World Series 11 times in the past, and both are usually in the thick of things for top free agents.

Here’s how to watch each game:
Friday: 7:05 p.m. ET (4:04 p.m. PT) on Apple TV+
Saturday: 7:35 p.m. ET (4:35 p.m. PT) on FOX
Sunday: 7:10 p.m. ET (4:10 p.m. PT) on ESPN

This season, both the Dodgers and Yankees are in “World Series or bust” mindsets. Both teams, on paper, have what it takes to make a deep run in October. At this point in the 162-game grind, they’re both among the best teams in the sport.

But in the meantime, they’ll settle for a litmus test in June. It’s the first time the Dodgers have played in the Bronx since 2016. Let’s take a look at three things to watch this weekend.

1. MVPs all over the place
The reason both of these teams have been so successful is because they have some serious star power. The Dodgers, of course, have Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman atop their lineup. Betts and Ohtani are the two early favorites to win the National League Most Valuable Player Award.

On the other side, the Yankees have Anthony Volpe, Juan Soto and Aaron Judge. Soto — whose status is now in doubt for the weekend with a left forearm injury — and Judge are the two favorites to win AL MVP. Right-hander Luis Gil has been the best pitcher in baseball this season and is making quite the case for an AL Cy Young bid.

It starts with the stars, but it definitely doesn’t end there. There will be no shortage of talent on the field, which promises to bring some really good baseball this weekend. A series in June won’t determine a season one way or another, but it’ll be the type of atmosphere both teams are hoping to play in come October. It’ll be interesting to see how players handle that.

2. We meet again
For a couple weeks this offseason, it looked like Yoshinobu Yamamoto was going to end up joining the Yankees’ rotation. The Yanks had been scouting Yamamoto for years and had the money and willingness to make him a $300 million man.

Instead, Yamamoto ended up with the Dodgers, signing a $325 million deal to become the highest-paid pitcher in Major League Baseball history. Yamamoto is scheduled to start against the Yankees on Friday.

Knowing Yankee Stadium and the fans in attendance, Yamamoto will probably not get a great reception. As Yamamoto continues to adapt to the big leagues, this should be a good test for the Japanese right-hander, who will pitch in hostile environments in the Postseason.

3. Will the defense hold up?
Again, one series in June won’t be the final marker. But it’ll be good to see the Dodgers’ defense tested in some meaningful games against one of the best teams in the Majors.

The Dodgers are coming off a disastrous defensive game in Pittsburgh, one that manager Dave Roberts called “by far” the worst defense played by his team this season. Against the best clubs in the league, it usually comes down to which one makes the fewest mistakes.

Betts and the rest of the infield will be tested this weekend. They need to show that they’ll be ready to rise up to the occasion.