World Series 2024: Full Schedule and Potential Pitching Matchups in the Bracket

The World Series has a long history of pitching duels between the game's top arms.

A majority of the pitchers left playing in the Major League Baseball postseason are not on the top-tier list of starters across the majors.

Only Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon can make a strong case to be placed on that list, and if the New York Yankees win the ALCS, they will start Games 1 and 2 of the Fall Classic.

The rosters of the New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers and Cleveland Guardians might not have the top hurlers in the game, but with the way some of them performed in the postseason, they have the potential to set up intriguing pitching battles in the World Series.

World Series Schedule

Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 18: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts after striking out during the eighth inning in game five of the National League Championship Series against the New York Mets at Citi Field on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024 in New York. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Game 1: Friday, October 25

Game 2: Saturday, October 26

Game 3: Monday, October 28

Game 4: Tuesday, October 29

Game 5: Wednesday, October 30 (if necessary)

Game 6: Friday, November 1 (if necessary)

Game 7: Saturday, November 2 (if necessary)

Gerrit Cole vs. Jack Flaherty

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KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - OCTOBER 10: Gerrit Cole #45 of the New York Yankees reacts during the seventh inning against the Kansas City Royals during Game Four of the Division Series at Kauffman Stadium on October 10, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)

Gerrit Cole is the most notable starting pitcher still pitching in the postseason.

The New York Yankees ace would be set to start World Series Game 1 if his team closes out the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday night.

Cole last pitched in ALCS Game 2. He would be in line to toe the rubber in Game 6 if the Guardians beat the Yankees on Saturday.

If we assume the Yankees close out in Cleveland, they will have the ideal alignment for their rotation, leading off with Cole.

If the Los Angeles Dodgers win the NLCS, Jack Flaherty is the most likely Game 1 starter since he just threw in Friday's Game 5 loss to the New York Mets.

Cole-versus-Flaherty is one of the few notable pitching matchups available for the World Series. It certainly would not be the most notable showdown of aces in Fall Classic history, but it is the best possible showdown of true aces.

Cole has been far more consistent in his three starts this postseason. He allowed just six earned runs across 16.1 innings. Flaherty gave up eight earned runs in three innings on Friday.

However, if the version of Flaherty that allowed two hits in seven shutout innings in NLCS Game 1 shows up in the World Series, we could witness a tremendous duel on the mound.

Carlos Rodon vs. Sean Manaea

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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 14: Sean Manaea #59 of the New York Mets pitches against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning during Game Two of the Championship Series at Dodger Stadium on October 14, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)

A potential Subway Series matchup could give us an intriguing battle of two lefties who took different paths to starring for their respective teams.

The Yankees signed Carlos Rodon to a mega-deal to be one of the anchors of the rotation for a long time alongside Cole.

Sean Manaea hopped around in the last few years and reworked his delivery to become the shut down southpaw in the Mets rotation.

Rodon showed off why he could be in the same conversation as Cole at the top of the Yankees rotation with nine strikeouts and a single earned run allowed over six innings in ALCS Game 1.

The left-handed hurler will be tasked with closing out the ALCS on Saturday, and if that happens, he could be set up to throw World Series Game 2.

Manaea conceded five earned runs across 17 postseason innings. He will get the ball on Sunday in NLCS Game 6 to keep the Mets season alive.

If the Mets come back to defeat the Dodgers, Manaea could be matched up with Rodon in Game 2 depending on how the rotations shake out.

Clarke Schmidt vs. Walker Buehler

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NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 16: Walker Buehler #21 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches during Game 3 of the NLCS presented by loanDepot between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Mets at Citi Field on Wednesday, October 16, 2024 in New York, New York. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Clarke Schmidt and Walker Buehler didn't have high expectations set for them going into the postseason.

Schmidt was chosen over Luis Gil in the Yankees postseason rotation to the surprise of some because of Gil's excellent rookie campaign.

Schmidt only allowed four earned runs in 9.1 innings in two postseason starts. He hasn't gone the distance of a traditional starter, but he gave the Yankees two solid appearances.

Buehler entered the playoffs as the Dodgers' No. 3 starter by default because of all the pitching injuries suffered by the NL West champion.

Buehler turned back a reliable starter over his two postseason appearances. He battled through five innings after some early struggles against the San Diego Padres and then held the New York Mets scoreless over four innings.

Schmidt and Buehler will not pitch as deep as the starters at the top of each rotation, but if they are matched up in World Series Game 3 or 4, we could see a low-scoring four or five innings while both of them are on the mound.