Welcome to the Inman World Series of Luxury bracket, where your votes determine which Fall Classic star’s home does luxury best. Every day for one week, we’ll pit Dodgers and Yankees players’ homes against each other in a head-to-head battle, with the final winner hitting it out of the park to determine the best luxury home of all. From family-friendly neighborhood homes to waterfront mansions, Manhattan penthouses to Connecticut estates, vote for your favorites.
Tuesday night’s Game 4 of the World Series was a big one.
With the Dodgers up in the series by three games, it was the Yankees’ final chance to stay alive — and the team did not squander it.
Although the Dodgers got a head start to the game by scoring two runs in the first inning, thanks to yet another two-run homer by first baseman Freddie Freeman, it did not take long for the Yankees’ bats to get hot. In the third inning, shortstop Anthony Volpe hit a grand slam that set the Bronx team’s offense on fire, ultimately propelling them to an 11-4 win against the Dodgers.
Tonight’s Game 5 will determine whether the Dodgers will take it all or if the Yankees will live to see another game.
On the luxury real estate side of the players’ lives, results of the World Series of Luxury elite eight bracket saw Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani’s Hawaii new build win against Mookie Betts’ secluded home renovation in Encino. Meanwhile, Inman readers preferred Joe Kelly’s tricked-out backyard to Freddie Freeman’s oak-rich new build.
For the Yankees, Aaron Judge’s Chelsea penthouse surpassed Carlos Rodón’s waterfront St. Petersburg, Florida, home in a neck-and-neck race, as Marcus Stroman’s Malibu, California, oasis tantalized readers more than Gerrit Cole’s Greenwich, Connecticut, mansion.
Just four luxury properties remain. Your votes will decide which lavish homes advance to the final.
Bracket 1: Ohtani’s Hawaii new build vs. Kelly’s wet ‘n’ wild backyard
Shohei Ohtani’s Hawaii new build
Ohtani has made quite the impression on the field thus far this season as a designated hitter (though he has yet to make his much-anticipated Dodgers pitching debut), and the baseball rock star is poised to make another big splash in Hawaii’s luxury real estate market as well, as construction of his new home on the Big Island progresses.
Ohtani has acquired a lot in the gated Hapuna Estates within Mauna Kea Resort to construct a 5,000-square-foot home with ocean views that will also overlook the eighth hole of a golf course. The Japanese-born player was named the first resident of the development, and as such, received his choice of all 66 available lots. The first homes of the project are scheduled to be delivered in late 2025.
Joe Kelly’s wet ‘n’ wild backyard
Dodgers relief pitcher Joe Kelly’s spunky patio and pool area behind his house in Rancho Cucamonga seems to match the off-beat player’s personality. A few years ago, luxury pool and outdoor living designers at the Orange County-based Calimingo Pools completed a renovation of Kelly’s yard and showcased the stunning results on YouTube.
The expansive outdoor space features a fireplace and large seating area, two TVs, a bar and grilling area, and a separate fire pit. The pool, which also includes a separate hot tub, is surrounded by decorative boulders and lighting, down which water trickles peacefully.
Bracket 2: Judge’s Chelsea penthouse vs. Stroman’s Malibu oasis
Aaron Judge’s Chelsea penthouse
Last spring, Yankees captain and outfielder Aaron Judge and his wife, Samantha Bracksieck, bought a brand-new penthouse at The Cortland in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood. The 25-story building reportedly includes three floors of penthouses, one of which Judge and Bracksieck acquired.
The space spans about 7,000 square feet and features floor-to-ceiling windows, marble fireplaces, and Hudson River views. It is not clear how much Judge paid for the unit, but the price tag was likely pretty hefty. A lucky buyer could become the baseball great’s neighbor by purchasing penthouse No. 25 in the building, which is currently asking $39.5 million, and is the building’s “pinnacle unit,” Related Companies Executive Vice President Andrew Orchulli told The New York Post.
Marcus Stroman’s Malibu oasis
After a hard season of sweating it out on the pitcher’s mound, what better way to wind down than relaxing at a $8 million mansion above Malibu’s Carbon Beach? Yankee Marcus Stroman gets to do just that at his Mediterranean-style home that sits on about 1.5 acres.
The 5,100-square-foot house also features a one-bedroom, one-bathroom guest house and a swimming pool. For those days when Stroman doesn’t feel like hitting the pool, there’s always the beach, since the property also comes with deeded rights to La Costa Beach and Tennis Club. The five-bedroom home also features a wine cellar.
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Contact Lillian Dickerson via email