Dodgers vs. Blue Jays World Series Preview
Plenty of WS Davids have upset Goliaths Fall Classic history
2025 WORLD SERIES SCHEDULE … Projected Starters
Game 1 … Friday, Oct. 24 @ Toronto … 8:00 p.m.
LH Blake Snell vs. RH Trey Yesavage
Game 2 … Saturday, Oct. 25 @ Toronto … 8:00 p.m.
RH Yosh Yamamoto vs. RH Kevin Gausman
Game 3 … Monday, Oct. 27 @ Los Angeles … 8:00 p.m.
RH Shane Bieber vs. RH Shohei Ohtani
Game 4 … Tuesday, Oct. 28 @ Los Angeles … 8:00 p.m.
RH Max Scherzer vs. RH Tyler Glasnow
Game 5 … Wednesday, Oct. 29 @ Los Angeles … 8:00 p.m.
RH Yesavage vs. LH Snell
Game 6 … Friday, Oct. 31 @ Toronto … 8:00 p.m.
RH Yamamoto vs. RH Gausman
Game 7 … Saturday, Nov. 1 @ Toronto … 8:00 p.m.
RH Ohtani vs. RH Bieber
How Dodgers arrived at World Series: After the Dodgers opened the 2025 season at 8-0, the immediate belief was that this group of highly paid horsehide mercenaries was destined to break the all-time wins record of 116 by the 2001 Mariners. The Dodgers led MLB in team payroll at $320.8 million, including 12 players earning $13M or higher. But veterans earning that much money have a tendency to miss games over the course of 162. Such was the case with the Dodgers as they used 17 different starting pitchers and 40 hurlers overall. The four pitchers in the playoff rotation combined for just 73 starts this season. Only Yamamoto and Clayton Kershaw logged over 104.0 innings. At the end of the season, the Dodgers had eight pitchers on the 60-day IL.
Post Season: Even though they won 93 games, the Dodgers were forced to play the first round, hosting the Reds in the Wild Card series, winning two games to none. Then they handled the only two NL teams ahead of them in the standings, the Phillies (4-1) then the Brewers (4-0), compiling a 9-1 record in this playoff sprint. Teams that sweep the LCS vs. teams that go seven games in the LCS are 0-3 in the World Series.
How Jays arrived at World Series: The turning point for the Jays came when they announced the 14-year extension for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in April. It was a signal to players inside the clubhouse, to fans in Blue Jays Nation and to the rest of baseball that the Jays were not just hoping to compete in 2025 but expecting to compete for the next decade-and-a-half. But it wasn’t Vlad that carried them in the regular season, unlike his now-starring role in the playoffs. Vlad posted the 162-game numbers of a budding superstar, still 26-years-old, playing with verve and enthusiasm, but struggling at times to carry that burden of expectations.
In stepped George Springer to lead them, then Bo Bichette, Ernie Clement, the newly anointed No. 1 starting catcher Alejandro Kirk and others. There were special moments like Springer’s Canada Day slam, Bo’s pinch hit homer to win a game in Arlington, Mason Fluharty’s bases-loaded strikeout of Ohtani followed by a Betts groundout for his first career save, Kirk’s two-homer game in the finale of the Red Sox series on the final weekend, and many more. It was a total team effort.
At one point in August and September, the fans hand-wringing and angst was over the Jays’ relievers and whether this was a bullpen that could stand up on the big stage in the harsh glare of the post-season spotlight. Then it became the starting rotation that was the concern. But two key bullpen acquisitions at the deadline, RH Louis Varland and RH Seranthony Dominguez finally found their comfort. Pitching and Defence is still the Jays key, but the offence puts the ball in play and has been relentless.
Post Season: The Jays have reached the World Series for the first time since 1993, beating the Phillies in six games, with the last pitch, of course, being the walkoff blast by Joe Carter. The Jays in this ALCS lost the first two games at home vs. the Mariners, took two of three in Seattle and then came home and swept Games 6-7, capped with the three-run homer by George Springer that finished a 4-3 comeback series win.
In the ALDS, the emergence of Trey Yesavage was the highlight vs. the Yankees, with 5.1 no-hit innings and 11 strikeouts in his first October assignment. The Jays pounded the top 3 starters in the Yankee rotation, including LH Max Fried and LH Carlos Rodon and made RH Cam Schlittler at least look mortal. The ALDS offence was all about Vlad stepping up to take charge, going toe-to-toe with Aaron Judge, but with a better Jays performance by a supporting staff led by IF Ernie Clement, CF Daulton Varsho, C Alejandro Kirk and more.
Tale of the Tape — Jays-Dodgers:
Catcher: Alejandro Kirk vs. Will Smith … Advantage: Even
Smith 110G; 4.5 WAR; .901 OPS. Kirk 130G; 2.3 WAR; 769 OPS. Both men are all-stars in their league. Smith is primed and ready for the sprint. With Kirk, the time off between ALCS Game 7 and the World Series has to allow him to return to the dangerous line-drive hitter who controls the strike zone with two strikes and sprays key hits to all fields. The Jays catcher entered the season amidst doubts about his ability to handle the workload of a No. 1 starter. He had never made more than 89 starts behind the dish, but this year made 111. He proved skeptics wrong.
First-base: Vlad Guerrero Jr. vs. Freddie Freeman … Advantage: Jays
Freeman 147G; 3.9 WAR; .868 OPS. Guerrero 156G; 4.5 WAR; .848 OPS. Freeman has the post-season experience but Guerrero’s success and momentum this October needs to continue to carry his team for nine more days. Vlad is the leader of the Jays, the player that teammates pause to watch take batting practice and feed off his in-game energy on both sides of the ball.
Second Base: IKF/Bo Bichette/Ernie Clement vs. Tommy Edman … Advantage: Jays
Edman 97G; 1.1 WAR; .655 OPS. Clement 157G; 4.3 WAR; .711 OPS. Clement will be playing every day and his defence at either second or third, plus his important bat to ball skills have become keys to the relentless feel atthe bottom of the order. Clement has been a versatile, everyday infield piece, since the injury to Bichette with Gimenez then sliding over to shortstop. Bichette is the WS wildcard in health and role.
Third-Base: Addison Barger/Clement vs. Max Muncy … Advantage: Dodgers
Muncy 100G; 3.6 WAR; .846 OPS. Barger 135G; 1.2 WAR; .756 OPS. Muncy has more walks than Ks and his experience in the post-season gives Dodgers an edge. Barger has thunder in his bat and can provide quick-strike lightning at times. He never gets cheated. Clement will often finish games at third base in which the Jays hold the lead.
Shortstop: Andres Gimenez vs. Mookie Betts … Advantage: Dodgers
Betts 150G; 4.8 WAR; .732 OPS. Gimenez 101G; 1.1 WAR; .598 OPS. Betts has parlayed his tremendous athletic skills to turn himself into an above average defender at his fourth different position. Plus, on another front, he has bowled 300 games many times. Obviously, the Jays would rather have Bo Bichette at shortstop right now for his offence and presence in the heart of the lineup, but Gimenez provides superb defence and has been delivering with the occasional important hit in the post-season. Minus Bo’s bat at short, this is a clear Dodger win.
Centre Field: Daulton Varsho vs. Andy Pages … Advantage: Jays
Pages 156G; WAR 3.8; .774 OPS. Varsho 71G; 2.8 WAR; .833 OPS. Varsho’s presence in centre field has been vastly underrated by U.S. national media. He has come up with big hits and homers in the team’s run to the World Series. Pages is an underrated part of Dodgers success.
Left Field: Nathan Lukes/Davis Schneider/ Myles Straw vs. Kike Hernandez … Advantage: Even
Kike 92G; 0.1 WAR; .621 OPS. Lukes 135G; 1.9 WAR; .730 OPS. With Snell making two starts for the Dodgers and with at least three lefthanded relievers, Schneider will see a lot more action. With Lukes and Schneider hitting behind Springer and ahead of Vlad, this is a key question. Kike’s aura of being a post-season star is tenuous. His talent does not support the supposition, but is enough to make this an “even” proposition. Myles Straw sees a lot of late inning defence, with the Jays in the lead.
Right Field: Barger/George Springer/Lukes vs. Teoscar Hernandez … Advantage: Dodgers
Teoscar 134G; 1.5 WAR; .748 OPS. Even though Lukes has a higher regular-season WAR than Teo, the former Jays slugger can change a game with one powerful swing. Teoscar, with 26 walks and 134 Ks, has a lot of swing-and-miss in his bat which will be evident starting with Trey Yesavage in Game 1. The dark horse talent that might narrow the gap is Lukes, who batting second vs. righthanders has been relentless with runners in scoring position and defensively.
DH: Springer/Bichette vs. Shohei Ohtani … Advantage: Dodgers
Ohtani 158G; 6.6 WAR; 1.014 OPS. Springer 140G; 4.8 WAR; .959 OPS. Ohtani is the only DH that would best Springer in a head-to-head comparison. The million-dollar question surrounds the status of Bo. Is he able to play a regular role over seven games.
Rotation Yesavage, Gausman, Bieber, Scherzer vs. Snell, Yamamoto, Ohtani, Glasnow … Advantage: Dodgers
There’s a lot of star power here, on both sides, but the Dodgers have a clear advantage.
Closer: RH Jeff Hoffman vs. RH Roki Sasaki … Advantage: Even
Expect each closer to blow at least one save opportunity in what should be a Fall Classic with late-inning twists, turns and intrigue. Sasaki was a failed rookie starter at the beginning of the season, so it’s hard to see the talented Japanese youngster not being affected by the glare of the World Series spotlight. Hoffman does not give Blue Jays Nation great confidence but has been effective enough to record 33 saves. The head-to-head shows Sasaki with 0.3 WAR and Hoffman 0.1 WAR. Mehhh! With Hoffman, it’s easy to point out that if you take away a half-dozen failed performances that he has solid closer numbers, but that’s the difference between a marathon and a sprint. When you stumble at the 13-mile mark of a marathon, you can overcome, but one glitch in a sprint and there’s no chance for gold. Hoffman must avoid that one stumble and put aside the shadow of his 15 homers allowed in the ninth or later.
Remainder of Bullpen minus closer … Advantage: Even
The Dodgers have a trio of southpaws in the pen that will challenge John Schneider’s bench manipulation. The Jays added much-needed velocity out of the pen at the deadline and Dominguez is capable of closing if his command is there. Little’s command is a huge concern, but LH Mason Fluharty has the fresh memory of striking out Ohtani at Dodger Stadium with the bases loaded on the way to his first save. Louis Varland with his 100+ mph, has been an everyday option, with mixed results. Jays bullpen will be more of a key in this 7-game series that for the Dodgers.
Prediction: Logic tells me it’s Dodgers in six, but my heart says the Jays continue their undefeated World Series streak and once again win in six.