Introduction:
Two franchises separated by history and style will collide for baseball’s ultimate prize when the Los Angeles Dodgers meet the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2025 World Series. For Toronto, it marks the end of a 32-year wait. For Los Angeles, it’s another chapter in an already dominant dynasty defined by power, pitching, and postseason success.
This matchup has everything baseball fans could hope for: star power on both sides, two teams peaking at the right time, global attention and a clash of contrasting styles.
The Dodgers enter as heavyweights, stacked with depth and experience. The Blue Jays stand as the upstart challenger, fueled by youth, swagger and the belief that their time has finally come.
Their paths to October glory couldn’t have been more different. Toronto clawed through a grueling seven-game series, surviving multiple elimination games and riding clutch performances from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and New Britain native George Springer. Their emotional, grind-it-out run through the American League bracket captured the sport’s attention.
Los Angeles, meanwhile, made it look routine. The Dodgers swept the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series and dropped only one game across three playoff rounds. With a dominant rotation anchored by Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani and Tyler Glasnow, Los Angeles combines elite pitching with relentless lineup depth, a formula built to smother any opponent.
DODGERS PREVIEW
Dodgers: Built for October, Designed to Repeat
The Dodgers enter the World Series as baseball’s model of consistency, making their fifth trip to the Fall Classic in the last decade. Talent isn’t new for Los Angeles, but the combination of depth, discipline and preparation makes this year’s roster arguably their most complete yet.
Los Angeles has dominated the National League postseason, dropping just one game while posting an intimidating team ERA of 2.45. The offense has been equally potent, averaging 4.6 runs per game with a team OPS of .770 and 13 home runs.
Ohtani has been the spark, batting .220 with five home runs, nine RBI and a .967 OPS across 10 games, a constant threat at the plate. Mookie Betts (.293) and Freddie Freeman (.231, 4 doubles) have provided steady veteran production, while Teoscar Hernández (.268, 4 HR, 11 RBI, .888 OPS) has arguably been L.A.’s most dangerous bat this October. Tommy Edman (.286, 2 HR, 6 RBI), Enrique Hernández (.306, 4 doubles, 4 RBI) and Will Smith (.286) have delivered key hits, supplying relentless offensive depth that wears down opposing pitchers.
The starting rotation has been the team’s backbone. Blake Snell has emerged as the ace, posting a microscopic 0.86 ERA with 28 strikeouts in 21 innings, a 0.52 WHIP and a .090 opponent batting average. Yoshinobu Yamamoto has matched that efficiency, recording a 1.83 ERA over 19.2 innings with 18 strikeouts. Glasnow has been equally dominant, posting a 0.68 ERA across 13.1 innings with 18 strikeouts, while Ohtani has contributed on the mound with a 2.25 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 12 innings.
Manager Dave Roberts also boasts a bullpen built to close games. Alex Vesia has a 3.86 ERA in seven outings, Blake Treinen has appeared in seven games with one save, and Roki Sasaki has emerged as one of the postseason’s most reliable relievers, providing length and stability with a 1.13 ERA over eight innings. When L.A. relievers execute, the Dodgers control games from start to finish.
Blue Jays Preview
The Blue Jays won the American League pennant on Oct. 20 and earned a trip to the World Series for the first time since 1993.
The win was backed by Springer’s three-run home run in the seventh inning that gave the Blue Jays a come-from-behind victory after trailing 3-1.
The entire series was a comeback for Toronto, which lost the first two games at home to their opponent, the Seattle Mariners.
The Blue Jays responded with strong offensive showings in Seattle, and Guerrero earned American League Championship Series MVP honors after batting .385 with three home runs in the series.
Toronto is now preparing to host the Dodgers on Friday, Oct. 24, as the Blue Jays hold home-field advantage.
Home-field advantage will be one of Toronto’s keys to the series. The Blue Jays need to build on their momentum coming off the ALCS win by taking at least one if not both games in Toronto before the series shifts to Dodger Stadium.
Guerrero was elite in the ALCS, and combined with Springer, the Blue Jays already have some strong hitters in their lineup. Guerrero has been excellent in the postseason, slashing .442/.510/.930 and he needs to stay hot.
The Dodgers have a strong pitching rotation, and the Blue Jays are going to need all the runs they can get. Shortstop Bo Bichette is expected to return to the Blue Jays lineup for the World Series, his first game back from a five-week-long absence.
Bichette adds his regular-season batting average of .311 and could cause some extra trouble for the Dodgers. However, the shortstop the Blue Jays have been using in his absence, Andrés Giménez, has had a solid postseason, posting a .764 OPS and hitting two home runs.
It will be interesting to see how manager John Schneider chooses to use Bichette in the World Series games. Schneider may opt to keep Giménez on the field to ensure Bichette’s injury does not flare up and result in costly fielding errors, using Bichette instead as a DH or pinch hitter in key moments.
One major question mark for Toronto is its bullpen. The Blue Jays’ bullpen posted a 4.11 ERA in the regular season, ranking 16th in the league. They also struggled against Seattle in the ALCS, posting a 6.00 ERA for the series.
To face LA’s elite lineup, the bullpen needs to clean up those mistakes and protect late-inning leads. Toronto must rely on depth from its starters to keep the bullpen out of the equation for as long as possible.
Shane Bieber has been a great pitcher that Toronto hopes to get depth out of. He went 2-0 in the ALCS with a 2.45 ERA. Kevin Gausman has also been important in game depth for the Blue Jays, striking out 10 in a six-inning performance in Game 2 and going seven innings in Game 5.
The Blue Jays need their starters to go deep and keep games close against the Dodgers, whose lineup can score in bunches.
The Blue Jays lineup won’t be able to win a slugfest with the Dodgers’ hitters. There’s no doubt Toronto enters the series as the underdog, but this could be an advantage.
The Blue Jays have had fewer days off than the Dodgers, and in baseball, that rhythm can sometimes help teams stay sharp. They can ride the momentum from their pennant win and play freely, with nothing to lose and everything to prove.
Striking early will be pivotal. The Jays’ lineup can get electric in a hurry––as shown by their 10-run single inning in Game 4––and Igniting that kind of offense will give them their best chance to win. They’ll need it, because the Dodgers lineup won’t have any trouble answering back.
Key Matchups
The defining battle of this series will be Los Angeles’ elite starting pitching against Toronto’s explosive offense. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been otherworldly this October, hitting an absurd .442/.510/.930 with six home runs and 12 RBI in 11 games. However, facing Snell, Yamamoto and Glasnow in succession presents a different challenge, as the Dodgers’ mix of velocity, breaking stuff, and command will test his timing and approach.
On the other hand, Toronto’s pitching depth will be tested against a Dodgers lineup that rarely slumps. Kevin Gausman (2.00 ERA), Shane Bieber (4.38 ERA) and Trey Yesavage (4.20 ERA) will need to be at their absolute best to quiet a Dodgers lineup featuring multiple threats throughout the order. The bullpen battle could also prove decisive, with Los Angeles boasting more reliable depth and proven late-game options.
Zarnoch’s Prediction: Los Angeles will win the World Series in six games. Toronto may push back in two close games, fueled by home-field energy and timely hitting, but the Dodgers’ four victories will be statement wins defined by dominant starting pitching, power from the middle of the order and a bullpen that shuts the door late.
In the end, Los Angeles’ balance, depth and postseason experience should prove too much for a Toronto team still learning how to close on baseball’s biggest stage.
Gavin’s Prediction: Dodgers in 6, MVP: Mookie Betts. This series is going to have a few more games than most think. The Dodgers have a great lineup, but the Blue Jays can hang around in games and have elite hitters themselves capable of breaking out at any moment.
How the Dodgers Win
For Los Angeles, the path to another title is clear: play to their identity. Dominate the strike zone, control the pace of games and let their lineup depth wear down Toronto over a long and grueling series.
Neutralizing Guerrero early will be key. If the Dodgers can limit his damage, the Blue Jays’ lineup becomes far more manageable. Expect manager Dave Roberts to mix matchups, using left-handers out of the bullpen strategically to slow Guerrero’s impact later in games, or the third and fourth time through the order.
The Dodgers also need to take at least one of the first two games in Toronto. Doing so would shift momentum and allow them to close the series at Dodger Stadium, where they have been nearly unbeatable.
When Los Angeles controls the count and limits free passes, few teams can keep up. The Dodgers have proven they can outpitch, outhit and outlast any opponent. Against Toronto, that combination could again prove victorious.
