Yankees prove they learned ALCS lesson with World Series Game 1 lineup

We're just a few hours away from the official start of the 2024 World Series between the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers. The rosters arrived a few hours ago, and now the lineups are here.

Once the Yankees opted for their alterations in ALCS Game 3, they never looked back, and it appears manager Aaron Boone is sticking with that approach.

For as much as fans love Austin Wells and are optimistic about his future contributions, he just couldn't remain in the cleanup spot with the way he was slumping. He found himself on the bench when Guardians lefty Matthew Boyd was on the mound, but was back in the lineup the next two nights of the ALCS.

On Friday, he'll be starting again, but he'll be batting eighth. Giancarlo Stanton will now live in the cleanup spot followed by Jazz Chisholm, Anthony Rizzo and Anthony Volpe. Boone stacking righties and lefties?! What's going on here?

What's going on is that the right moves are being made. Outside of Chisholm in the No. 5 hole, this fully checks out as the lineup you'd want to see for the start of the Fall Classic.

Yankees vs Dodgers 2024 World Series Game 1 lineups released

Gleyber Torres, Juan Soto and Aaron Judge continue to make up the top three of the order, as expected. But it soon became clear Boone didn't need to break up Judge and Stanton with a lefty slugger. Stanton won ALCS MVP no matter who was hitting in front or behind him.

And with the Dodgers lacking lefties in their rotation (and with only one fully healthy one in their bullpen), there's less of a need to play the matchups. Keep spotlighting your best hitters, take pressure off your younger ones (Wells, Volpe), and let the results come.

The Dodgers dropped their Game 1 lineup too, so here's who Game 1 starter Gerrit Cole will be facing in LA.

Both teams will obviously need to neutralize the oppositions top of the order, but the Dodgers possess the edge (on paper) with lineup length. Tommy Edman, their No. 9 hitter, won NLCS MVP while Gavin Lux hit .278 starting all five games in the NLDS.

Yankees bat first in Games 1 and 2. Make the Dodgers pay early and let Cole and Carlos Rodón do their thing. It could legitimately be that simple.