A massive interleague weekend clash is about to take place at Yankee Stadium. As the New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Dodgers prepare for what could be a World Series preview, it’s not just another regular-season series that begins on Friday night between two of baseball’s most storied franchises.

The Dodgers, who have a strong record of 39-25, want to show their worth against the red-hot Yankees, winners of eight straight and sitting first in the majors at 45-19. The stakes are high, the buzz is real and this has all the makings of a classic. But, hidden within this marquee are two teams with different styles and stories.

The Blue Crew—known for their potent offensive raking—has seen its bats go a little quiet lately. Meanwhile, the Bronx Bombers have been obliterating everything in sight behind Aaron Judge. Still, it’s an interesting pitching matchup with Yoshinobu Yamamoto going for L.A. and Cody Poteet starting for New York in Game 1 on Friday night. So as we await this weekend showdown, the question remains: Who will come out the victor when these two juggernauts meet?

New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Dodgers: Contrasting offensive narratives

The Dodgers, who are generally known as a run-scoring machine, have recently experienced a slight decline in their offensive productivity. From May 25th to June 5th, they scored an average of just 3.38 runs per game over the course of 13 games—which is much less than what they are capable of.

Although they managed to score a total of 11 runs in their last game, L.A.’s .719 OPS during the previous stretch indicates that they have not been the same dominant force at the plate as we’re used to seeing. Meanwhile, the Bombers have been on fire when it comes to scoring runs; since May 12th, they’ve been posting a run differential of +68.

Ending Thursday, they’ve won their eighth consecutive game—a season high—by defeating the Minnesota Twins 8-5. The offense has been ignited by Aaron “Arson” Judge and company; right now there might not be anyone scarier with a bat in his hands than No. 99 for New York.

New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Dodgers: Yoshinobu Yamamoto vs. Cody Poteet in a pitching matchup

The series opener will feature a great pitching duel between Cody Poteet of the New York Yankees and Yoshinobu Yamamoto of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Veteran hurler Yamamoto has been stellar this year, going 6-2 with a 3.32 ERA. His excellent control—1.9 BB/9 and a 1.123 WHIP—will be key against the slugging Yankees, who love to hit for extra bases.

Taking injured Clarke Schmidt’s place in the rotation, Poteet has been a revelation for the Yankees. The youngster is 2-0 with a 2.45 ERA, but his inexperience could play against him during this game if Bombers relievers are fatigued from previous outings and have to pitch long innings behind him.

Aaron Judge vs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s star power

Aaron Judge versus Yoshinobu Yamamoto is one of the most anticipated individual matchups in this series. Currently, Judge has been on a 32-game on-base streak while currently slashing .289/.423/.658 with an OPS of 1.080. He is the heart and soul for New York’s offense as his power at the plate is unmatched by anyone else in Major League Baseball right now, consistently driving them towards victories during this hot stretch.

For someone like Yamamoto who mainly relies on control and inducing ground balls, it’ll be interesting to see how well he fares against Judge’s raw power. This clash between the premier power hitter in the league and a seasoned veteran pitcher epitomizes what this entire series represents—established dominance vs budding talent.

New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Dodgers: Recent struggles vs. Hot streak

Despite being amazing in general, the Boys in Blue have appeared to be weak in their most previous games. Their offense is usually very good but it has not been firing on all cylinders and their pitchers have been less dominant than they normally are. Nonetheless, they can still put up a great fight as they are armed with their terrorsome trio of Mookie Betts-Freddie Freeman-Shohei Ohtani. This array of power hitters could change everything with one swing each which might just save the series for them.

Having won eight consecutive matches, the Yankees are a team full of confidence at the moment. They have scored a high number of runs lately while also having solid pitching throughout those games. Aaron Judge especially has played outstandingly well and could be considered for MVP this season considering his current performance where he leads in many offensive categories across MLB. Anthony Volpe is another player who has shown great potential over recent times; this young infielder contributing greatly towards success witnessed by Pinstripers during these past days. Although, the absence of Juan Soto due to a forearm injury seems like it could really hurt them.

New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Dodgers win prediction

It appears that the Yankees have the advantage in this series given the Bombers’ recent form, strong offense and playing at home. Although Dodgers’ pitchers led by Yamamoto are strong, they cannot overlook how well the Yankees’ batters have been performing lately. If Soto’s absence continues it may be a concern for them but they do have enough depth to cover for him. Hence, I believe that in this showdown of baseball giants, the New York Yankees will win.

Beyond the numbers and statistics, there are intangible factors that could play a role in the outcome of this series. The crowd at Yankee Stadium, the energy in the fanbases, and the pressure to perform on such a big stage can all affect how well both teams play.

Though they are known for being resilient and bouncing back from tough situations, the Dodgers will not go down without putting up a fight. On the other hand, the Yankees are determined to show their power and keep winning games. These intangibles which are often overlooked when looking at stats could very well decide who wins between them two.

When it comes down to it, the New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Dodgers series represents more than just another baseball game; it is a clash of cultures, and styles and most importantly it shows why America’s favorite pastime continues to captivate us year after year. There will be drama, excitement, and memories made during this series that won’t soon be forgotten. As we wait with bated breaths around the baseball world one thing is for sure; this weekend’s matchup will be nothing short of amazing—a true chapter in baseball history that people will talk about forever.