Login
How the 2000 Yankees Created the Blueprint for the Dodgers
The 2026 Dodgers are shooting to become the first MLB franchise to three-peat since the Yankees of the late ’90s/early 2000s.
New York won the World Series in 1998, 1999, and 2000, and that era is revered by Yankees fans and baseball historians alike.
The mid-2020s Dodgers are on a similar path, as they are currently viewed as an unstoppable machine. LA has won two straight titles, and are the betting favorites at Fanatics Sportsbook to win it again.
There are plenty of similarities between these two iconic franchises and these unforgettable eras, but there are also many differences. Below, we will highlight both.
How the 2026 Dodgers are Similar to the 2020 Yankees
Star Wars
The Yankees had, and the Dodgers currently have some of the biggest names in baseball. Those New York teams employed legendary players like Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Darryl Strawberry, Roger Clemens, David Cone, and Doc Gooden.
In recent years, the Dodgers have had some of the biggest names in the sport, with Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Clayton Kershaw on the marquee.
Fire-starters
Those Yankees teams and the Dodgers of the last two years had elite starting pitching. Yoshinobu Yamamoto finished third in NL Cy Young award voting last year as he sported a 2.49 ERA and struck out 201 batters and was phenomenal in the postseason as well, posting a 1.45 ERA in 37.1 innings pitched. Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow, and Blake Snell also came through with big postseason outings.
The Yankees had phenomenal starting pitching in their glory years, with Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez, David Cone, David Wells, and Doc Gooden each coming up with elite performances.
Sustained Success
The Yankees’ three-peat was far, far more than just a three-year blip. New York made the playoffs in 1995, won the World Series in 1996, and made the playoffs again in 1997. After the three-peat, they continued to be in the World Series mix throughout the 2000s. The Yanks made the playoffs from 2001 to 2007, and then won the World Series in 2009.
The Dodgers’ back-to-back titles in 2024 and 2025 came as no surprise. LA has remarkably made the playoffs every season since 2013, and won the World Series in the COVID-shortened 2020 season.
Know Your Role
The Dodgers and Yankees have had plenty of A-listers, but neither franchise would have had nearly as much success if it weren’t for key role players. Those great Yankees teams had “glue guys” like Scott Brosius, Paul O’Neill, Tino Martinez, Ricky Ledee, Jim Leyritz, and set-up men Mike Stanton and Jeff Nelson. Brosius even won MVP of the 1998 World Series, as he hit .471 with two home runs and 6 RBI in the series sweep over the Padres.
The Dodgers have had major contributions from the likes of Kike Hernandez, Tommy Edman, Miguel Rojas in recent years. The biggest came in the ninth inning of Game 7 of the 2025 World Series against the Blue Jays. Rojas hit a game-tying solo home run, and LA would go on to win the title in extra innings.
Mega Bucks
Playing as the flagship franchises in these two massive media markets, the Yankees and Dodgers are expected to spend big each year. According to SteveTheUmp.com, the Yankees had the second-highest team payroll in MLB in 1998 ($65.6 million), the highest payroll in MLB in 1999 ($88.1 million), and again the highest in MLB in 2000 ($92.5 million).
According to USA Today, the Dodgers had the third-highest payroll (behind the Mets and Yankees) on Opening Day 2024 at $249,823,654. They had the second-highest (behind the Mets) in 2025 at $321.2 million.
LA had the second-highest payroll (behind the Mets) on Opening Day this season with a $316.5 million price tag, according to the Associated Press.
How the 2026 Dodgers Differ From the 2020 Yankees
Core Four
While the Yankees did have plenty of hired guns, the foundation of their dynasty was built on homegrown talent like Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, and Andy Pettitte. This group was dubbed the “Core Four.” Bernie Williams, who played his entire 16-year career with the Yankees, was also a homegrown talent.
Most of the Dodgers’ top players—most notably Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts—were acquired via free agency or trade.
The Boss vs. The Consortium
Yankees owner George Steinbrenner was larger than life. There was no doubt about where the buck stopped in the Yankees organization when “The Boss” was in charge.
Steinbrenner was known for quickly disposing of managers if they had a subpar season. Joe Torre won the World Series in his first year with the Yankees (1996), buying him some immediate leeway with Steinbrenner.
The consortium that runs the Dodgers, Guggenheim Baseball Management, has been a lot more patient with Dave Roberts, who has been manager since 2016. Early in his Dodgers tenure, Roberts faced plenty of criticism for the team’s lack of success in the postseason. Can’t imagine “The Boss” would have been as kind to Roberts.
Different Forms of Dominance
The Yankees went an incredible 114-48 in 1998. In 1999, New York went 98-64, and in 2000 the pinstripes went 87-74. Joe Torre’s club swept the Padres in the 1998 World Series, swept the Braves in the 1999 World Series, and then needed just five games to dispose of the Mets in the 2000 World Series.
The Dodgers went 98-64 in 2024 and 93-69 in 2023. Dave Roberts’ bunch beat the Yankees in the 2024 World Series, 4-1.
Last year was the outlier, as the Dodgers needed a full seven games (and extra innings in Game 7 against Toronto) to win their second consecutive crown.
Closing Time
Mariano Rivera, widely regarded as the greatest closer of all-time, was the difference maker for those great Yankees teams. “Mo” posted a win and two saves in the 1999 World Series against the Braves, earning the World Series MVP award. In the 2000 postseason, Rivera broke Whitey Ford’s record for most consecutive postseason scoreless innings at 33 ⅓.
On the other hand, the Dodgers have relied on something of a closer-by-committee approach these past couple of years, with Tanner Scott, Roki Sasaki, and Evan Phillips getting the most work late in games. They signed All-Star closer Edwin Diaz last winter, but the former Met was largely ineffective before landing on the IL with elbow problems.
Bombs Away
The Yankees are dubbed the Bronx Bombers, but in their most recent dynasty years they weren’t typically among the league leaders in homers. During the height of the steroid era, the Yankees were 7th in MLB team homers in 1998 (207), 13th in dingers in 1999 (193), and 10th in homers in 2000 (205). Tino Martinez led New York in homers in 1998 with 38, but that landed him tied for 38th in MLB. Tino hit 28 in 1999 (tied for 47th in MLB). Bernie Williams led the Yankees in homers in 2000 with 30 (tied for 43rd in MLB).
The modern day Dodgers are more reliant on the long ball. As a team, the Dodgers were third in MLB in home runs in 2024 with 233. They hit 244 homers last year (second in MLB).
Shohei Ohtani is the Dodgers’ biggest bopper as he hit 54 homers in 2024 (second in MLB), and 55 in 2025 (third).
Complex Bets is the premier destination for the intersection of sports, culture, and fandom, featuring original programming for the modern bettor and trader. Join our community of over 1 million fans by following @complexbets on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and X, and subscribe on YouTube for exclusive storytelling across sports and prediction markets.
Related Stories
Related News
Top 10 Most Clutch Shots in NBA Playoff History
