Browsing: Blue

In baseball, no one player can win or lose a championship: This isnâ€t the NBA. Every roster spot is its own cog, every matchup is just one man against another man — you canâ€t hit a six-run homer. Neither Ted Williams nor Barry Bonds, we remind you, won a World Series.

But one player still can make a huge difference in a series, which we have seen throughout this postseason. The same will be true in the World Series, which starts Friday night in Toronto, with the Blue Jays hosting the defending champion Dodgers.

Hereâ€s a look at four players on each team who could prove the most important in this Series, and weâ€ve broken them down into four categories:

Dodgers: DH/SP Shohei Ohtani
Is it possible to say anything about Ohtani that hasnâ€t been said? I donâ€t know, but you can be certain that over the next fortnight, every baseball writer and commentator on the planet is going to try to find out. Itâ€s actually sort of amusing that heading into Ohtaniâ€s otherworldly performance in the NLCS Game 4 clincher, one of the primary Dodgers narratives of the offseason was that he had been slumping at the plate. (He really did look more out of sorts than he had all year.)

Itâ€s fair to say Ohtani has busted out of that slump. When we write these little sections about each player, we focus on the difference they can make in a best-of-seven series: A guy hits a big homer at the right time, he steals a base in a key moment, he tosses five innings in a deciding game. Each of these factors would earn their own section. Well, Shohei does all of these things himself. Weâ€re only giving him this one section, same as everyone else, just to be fair. But heâ€s really two stars (at least) in one, and that remains an advantage Los Angeles has over everyone else.

Blue Jays: 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
It was a nice touch that both LCS MVP Awards went to the winning teamâ€s biggest star: Ohtani in the NL and Guerrero in the AL. Just add one more line to their eventual Hall of Fame résumés. When Guerrero signed his extension in April, it set the Blue Jays on their current path, and one of the best moments after Toronto won ALCS Game 7 on Monday came when Tom Verducci asked Guerrero if this was what he imagined when he signed, and he simply nodded and said, “Yes.â€

He is on an all-time postseason tear right now, hitting .442 and leading everyone with six homers, particularly impressive because he had been 3-for-22 (.136) in his three postseason series heading into the year. He is the face of this team and, really, the face of baseball in Canada. If the Blue Jays win this Fall Classic, there will be more statues of him erected than you can count.

Category 2: The Starting Pitchers

Dodgers: LHP Blake Snell
Snell, when healthy, has always been a great pitcher. You donâ€t win two Cy Young Awards without being something special. But is it possible he has never been better than he is right now? Snell has had a history of walking guys — one of the most impressive aspects of his genius has always been that he was so good at pitching around the walks — but now heâ€s not even doing that. He didnâ€t walk a single batter in his eight-inning masterpiece in Game 1 of the NLCS against the Brewers.

Snell has also given up just two runs and six hits in 21 postseason innings, and he has struck out 28 batters. Basically, heâ€s pitching like Mariano Rivera, except as a starter. Snell will start Game 1 and figures to start Game 5 of this Series, and if it goes seven, you can expect him to see work in that final game as well. If he doesnâ€t let up, the Blue Jays essentially have to win four of the five games he doesnâ€t pitch. Good luck.

Blue Jays: RHP Trey Yesavage
Six games. Six games! Yesavage has pitched in exactly six MLB games in his career, and three of them have come in the past 2 1/2 weeks. One of the quiet trends of this postseason has been young pitchers with big arms being entrusted with some of the most stressful postseason moments, and no one has been a better indicator of this than Yesavage, who has worn five uniforms this year alone: Dunedin, Vancouver, New Hampshire, Buffalo and now Toronto … in the World Series.

At first, it looked like the Blue Jays’ No. 1 prospect might be a multi-innings bullpen arm this postseason, but Yesavage has been thrust into the starting rotation, with mostly smashing results. But this is the World Series. And he is just 22 years old. And it is the Dodgers on the other side. Eventually heâ€s going to realize the situation he finds himself in, right?

Category 3: The Relievers

Dodgers: RHP Roki Sasaki
Sasaki has had six overwhelmingly dominant appearances this postseason, in just about the most pressure-packed situations possible. In those six appearances, he has thrown 7 1/3 innings, given up two hits, struck out six and walked none. His splitter seems to be a magic pitch that, when itâ€s on, is essentially unhittable. And then there was that one appearance. That was Game 1 of the NLCS, after Snellâ€s brilliance in Milwaukee, where Sasaki, suddenly, was extremely vulnerable, walking two hitters, giving up a ringing double and a run, and eventually having to be pulled for Blake Treinen.

Sasaki recovered to have two appearances after that in which he had no problem at all, back to his previous untouchable self. The Blue Jays need to hope they get one (or two!) of those traces of fallibility from Sasaki, because the combination of Los Angeles†starters and Sasaki has proven too much to overcome. If Sasaki wobbles, though, the Dodgers†bullpen outside of him has been their weak spot. If the Jays can get to that mushy middle, they have a chance.

Blue Jays: RHP Louis Varland
One is somewhat tempted to go with Mason Fluharty, Eric Lauer or Brendon Little here, since they are the only left-handers on this pitching staff — the rotation is entirely right-handed — and Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy all swing left-handed. But the most important reliever for Toronto this postseason has been Varland, a Trade Deadline acquisition from the Twins that the Blue Jays have been using relentlessly. He pitched in 23 games after the trade, almost half of the teamâ€s total, and he has only gotten one game of rest this October. (Of the Jays†11 postseason games, Varland has pitched in 10 of them.)

You can see why manager John Schneider keeps turning to him: He has been excellent, though Cal Raleigh did get him for a homer in ALCS Game 7. The Jays are very much looking for every arm they can find, but Varland has steadied them throughout this postseason. They would not currently be in the World Series without him, and they undoubtedly will try to ride him all the way to the finish line.

Category 4: The Wild Cards

Dodgers: LF Kiké Hernández
No matter how good the Dodgers are, no matter how their season is going, no matter how their roster is constructed, they always end up finding a place for Hernández — and they always end up relying on him. Hernández had the worst season of his career at the plate in 2025, hitting just .203 in 93 games, but like his team as a whole, heâ€s been at his best in October. The 12-year veteran has come up with all sorts of clutch hits for the Dodgers, particularly in the NLCS, and heâ€s just someone every Dodger fan feels comfortable with at the plate when the lights are brightest.

The Dodgers†bench is weaker than it has been in years past, and while Kiké might be pulled for a defensive replacement late, he will take some vitally important at-bats in this Fall Classic. Hereâ€s a key metric: How often is he on base when Ohtani comes to the plate?

Blue Jays: SS Bo Bichette
Yep, heâ€s back. Not officially — we havenâ€t seen these teams†rosters yet — but it certainly seems that way. You didnâ€t think Bichette — who is actually the 19th-best Blue Jay all-time by WAR, and, of course, is due to reach free agency this offseason — was going to miss this, did you? Bichette has missed six weeks with his left knee injury, but he made it clear postgame on Monday: “Iâ€ll be ready.â€

The Blue Jays could obviously use his bat; it has been a lovely bounce-back season for him after a dreadful, injury-plagued 2024. But can he play shortstop? It seems a lot to ask after missing six weeks, particularly with how Andrés Giménez has been playing. But if Toronto has to put Bichette at DH, that means George Springer has to play the field, which is not the optimal use of the veteran, to say the least. But if you can get Bichetteâ€s bat in the lineup, you have to do it. Heâ€s a Jay who has been waiting a long time for this moment.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers entered the 2025 MLB regular season as the largest title favorites in over two decades, and they’ll head into the 2025 World Series as the overwhelming favorites to win their second straight championship.

Los Angeles opened as the -210 favorite to win the World Series over the Toronto Blue Jays, who opened at +175, according to ESPN BET odds. The series spread opened at Dodgers -1.5 (-115) to the Jays’ +1.5 (-105).

The Blue Jays beat the Seattle Mariners in Game 7 of their American League Championship Series on Monday, sending Toronto to its first World Series since 1993.

If the Dodgers were to capture another Commissioner’s Trophy, they’ll do so as wire-to-wire favorites for the second consecutive season, becoming the first team to accomplish that feat since the New York Yankees in 1999 and 2000, according to data from SportsOddsHistory.com.

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Despite their short odds all season — even as they struggled at times, ultimately obtaining the National League’s third seed — the Dodgers were well supported by the betting public. ESPN BET reports nearly a third of all of its World Series tickets, including settled bets, backing LA; among playoff teams, the Dodgers have garnered 44.4% of the handle since the beginning of the postseason.

BetMGM also had significant liability on a Los Angeles title, with senior trader Halvor Egeland saying before the championship series that the Dodgers winning it all “would make many bettors happy” and “the sportsbook will be cheering for whichever team comes out of the American League with the Blue Jays being the best outcome.”

Toronto was initially viewed as a relative World Series long shot across the sportsbook marketplace, entering the season with consensus +6000 odds. It attracted a bit of attention from bettors after a late-season surge that ended with the Blue Jays as the AL’s top seed, but they still ended up with only 7.7% of the wagers overall at ESPN BET.

Game 1 of the World Series is Friday at Rogers Centre. The home Blue Jays opened at +125 on the money line, with the Dodgers taking road favorite status at -150.

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Ohtani and the Blue Jays will be forever tied after what happened in December 2023. Some of the heartache and hostility has faded, but Ohtani has stuck to the Blue Jays. This organization nearly landed the biggest star in baseball history, only to come up painfully short to the Dodgers. During Ohtaniâ€s first trip back to Toronto in 2024, John Schneider was asked about what had just happened that winter between his team and Ohtani. He smiled, took a moment to think and let a detail sneak out.

“If anything, just tell him we want our Blue Jays hat back that he took with him after our meeting,†Schneider said.

Ohtani took more than a hat from that meeting. This is where the heartbreak lives. The Blue Jays didnâ€t just float an offer to Ohtani; they put on a full-court press, involving every corner of the organization as they went stride-for-stride financially with the Dodgers, who eventually signed Ohtani to a 10-year, $700 million deal.

The drama had built leading into the 2023 Winter Meetings at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, but they finally boiled over on Dec. 4. General manager Ross Atkins was supposed to meet with the media that day in a suite, but moments prior, that session pivoted to a Zoom call. Atkins sat on that call, wearing a black jacket and white shirt in front of a blank white wall, refusing to admit where he was or what he was doing. It was unforgettable theatre, but it was necessary.

Atkins, Schneider, president Mark Shapiro and chairman Edward Rogers were all at the Blue Jays†complex in Dunedin, Fla., courting Ohtani.

The complex was empty that day. This had to happen with complete secrecy. Younger players were told that there was a Rogers ownership meeting that day while some big leaguers, understanding what was happening, zipped their mouths shut and nodded along. Schneider and the Blue Jays†executives stood in a room overlooking the empty parking lot, watching for the black SUV to pull in.

“It was like the president was coming. Seriously,†Schneider said in 2024.

Ohtani walked every inch of the complex that day. At one point, he froze in front of a TV when he saw two Blue Jays playing catch. Sensing his worry that these players were on the complex grounds, the Blue Jays quickly explained to Ohtani that they were across town at TD Ballpark, the clubâ€s spring home. The Blue Jays†entire world belonged to Ohtani then.

One of the last stops on the tour was the Spring Training clubhouse. Inside were lockers set up for Ohtani with jerseys, workout gear and all of his favorite accessories, right down to the finest details. Surely, someone in the organization was tasked with finding out whether Ohtani likes pulp in his orange juice or how he takes his coffee. It was all right in front of Ohtani.

Then, an image those involved will never forget. Ohtani packed up the lockers and took the bags with him. No one had expected this. As he walked back to their SUV, they saw one more thing. It was Ohtaniâ€s dog, Decoy, running behind him wearing the Canadian dog jacket the Blue Jays had bought for him.

This is how close it was. For all of the drama — from the flight Ohtani was never on to the eventual Instagram post from Ohtani that broke a nationâ€s heart — itâ€s important to remember just how close this was, just how real this was. The Blue Jays — with their aggressive, admirable pursuit — nearly landed Shohei Ohtani.

What would that world have looked like? Even less than two years removed, itâ€s always felt like a fork in the road for the Blue Jays, the life they could have had running next to the life they live. Would Vladimir Guerrero Jr. still have signed a $500 million extension? Would they have spent even bigger around Ohtani?

Those roads run closer to one another than we ever could have dreamed.

The Blue Jays have been reborn. Their 2024 season, fresh off the cruel winter spent pursuing Ohtani, felt so lifeless. This organization is alive again, though. Thereâ€s no replacing Ohtani, the most uniquely gifted baseball player to ever walk this earth, but this is not the NBA. This is not Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman versus Guerrero, George Springer and Bo Bichette. This World Series is a 26-man roster versus a 26-man roster, and as we see every October, stars will emerge who we never saw coming.

The Dodgers are a powerhouse. Even with the Blue Jays winning the American League as its No. 1 seed, this will be advertised as David versus Goliath, the upstart feel-good bunch of Canadians against the almighty Dodgers, who never run out of money or talent. It will be advertised as the Blue Jays versus Shohei Ohtani.

“Never count us out. Weâ€re going to do everything in our power to try to not make baseball evil again,†Schneider said, laughing after the Game 7 ALCS win. “We know theyâ€re a great team. I know weâ€re a great team.â€

Ohtani got away once. For a time, it felt like that wound would always be there, whether those involved wanted to admit it or not. Baseball has given the Blue Jays another chance, though. For two years, this organization couldnâ€t escape the ties to Ohtani, couldnâ€t escape the label of always finishing second.

Once again, theyâ€ve found him. Once again, Ohtani is right in front of the Blue Jays.

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TORONTO — Steven Lorentz shocked his new wife pretty good when he leapt out of bed in the seventh inning with a clap and a holler to celebrate George Springerâ€s ALCS-winning home run.

“As soon as it left his bat, I knew it was gone,†the Toronto Blue Jays fan disguised as a Maple Leafs player said excitedly Tuesday morning. “She was kind of rolled over trying to sleep, and I think I woke her up.

“Iâ€ve definitely got a little bit more excitement for this Jays group this year than I have in previous years.â€

Lorentz is all of us in this hockey Mecca turned baseball town.

“I think a lot of people in Canada probably had a similar night last night, watching our Jays move on to the World Series. First time in, what, thirty-something years?†the Ontario native continues. So that’s great to see. “Weâ€re happy for them. But like Vladdy said, the jobâ€s not done for them. So, they still got some work to do.â€

For too many Octobers, the work of the Maple Leafs has dominated Page 1 of the Toronto newspapers†sports section.

The magic of the Jays†post-season run has flipped priorities like Bautista twig — in a way that benefits all involved.

The middling Leafs have five regular-season games scheduled to go head-to-head with the best-of-seven between the Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

You get one guess as to which will be the cheaper ticket.

“Itâ€s an easy team to cheer for,†Morgan Rielly marvels. “Weâ€ve been talking about them all morning.â€

The longest serving Maple Leaf grew up in Vancouver as the son of a Yankees fan; a young Rielly and his father would drive south to Seattle and root against the Mariners when the pinstripes were in town. But Rielly has been wearing Blue Jays caps for years.

Heâ€s all in, even if the sweetness of a Toronto championship series comes with a sting.

“Thereâ€s a small part of you that youâ€re envious of them. Youâ€re a bit jealous at what theyâ€re doing, just because of Toronto. You watch it firsthand. Youâ€re obviously happy for them. Itâ€s a great moment for the city. But we want to be able to do that and have a run like that. We felt that when the Raptors did it, too,†Rielly explains.

“So, you look at the passion that theyâ€re playing with, and thatâ€s contagious. And you want to be able to also bring that when your time comes.â€

To a man, the Leafs spoke glowingly about the baseball clubâ€s formula of simultaneously getting valuable contributions from their depth players as well as showtime moments from their high-paid superstars.

None more impressive than ALCS MVP Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who strode into Rogers Centre on the eve of Game 7 decked out in a No. 34 Leafs replica sweater.

“I think Vladdy broke the curse by wearing Auston Matthews†jersey here today,†Jays manager John Schneider said, following the 4-3 home win.

“Yeah, that’s pretty cool. Iâ€m sure Tone was pretty fired up about that,†enthuses Toronto native Chris Tanev, who played competitive ball through Grade 12.

“Itâ€s really impressive to see the city rallying behind them, and just an amazing comeback from down 2-0 to start the series, and down 3-2, and down in the game as well. So, itâ€s just a lot of relentless efforts.â€

Tanev is a master of smart positioning. He makes subtle, nifty outlet passes and is willing to take abuse to make the right play. So, it should be no surprise that he showers the Jays†role players with credit for contributing small details that lead to the big moment.

“The (Andrés) Giménez bunt probably no one talks about because Springer hit a home run. But no one bunts, really, anymore, and he laid a great bunt. Or (Addison) Barger walking to get on. Little things like that. Not trying to hit a home run and being happy to get on base, to let his teammates help him get home and make the game closer,†Tanev says.

“Itâ€s just like little things like that go into a hockey game, so you sort of watch and learn from that.â€

Craig Berube grew up a baseball-loving kid in Calahoo, Alta. Itâ€s the sport that most closely rivals hockey as his passion. The Leafs coach visited the clubhouse and met with Schneider in September. Heâ€s been studying the post-season at home, quietly rooting for the Jays.Â

“I watch their guy, Vladdy, closely. I watch how he interacts with all the guys and how much energy he brings all the time and happiness for his teammates when they do something well,†Berube says.

“Heâ€s always got a lot of energy and a lot of positive vibe around him, you know? Which a lot of them do. But heâ€s their main guy, and he brings that — and I think the whole team feeds off it.â€

Torontonian Max Domi says itâ€s not only Guerrero Jr.â€s performance at the plate that impresses; itâ€s also his presence in the post-game conversations.Â

“You see his interviews and how emotional he got — what this city means to him. It’s great to see him, and Iâ€m so happy for him and his entire team,†Domi explains.

“It’s inspiring, man. I think if youâ€re not a baseball fan, it doesn’t matter. Youâ€re watching that game, youâ€re watching that interview — everyoneâ€s got chills. If you don’t, then you’re missing a heartbeat, for sure.

“Taking that and seeing how the city responds to it, and listening to each guyâ€s interview is really cool for me as an athlete on a team, to really see how much they love each other, and thatâ€s what got them to where they are. Of course, theyâ€ve got the skill, they got the talent, theyâ€ve got everything. But they all seem to think that the most important thing is how tight they are.â€

The parallels here are blatantly obvious to the Toronto fan.

And the Maple Leafs, who play just a couple Barger relay throws east of the Dome, feel like the sports cityâ€s positive energy could be contagious.

“Itâ€s almost like a little bit of outside motivation, you can look at it, right?†Lorentz says. “Like, you see when that teamâ€s doing well, when our teamâ€s doing well, when it comes to playoff time, thereâ€s extra bodies in the seats. Thereâ€s extra bodies outside. Iâ€m sure the bars are all filled up with people who are rooting and cheering.

“I had some buddies out, and you could see the Instagrams and the Snapchats of people going nuts when Springer hit that home run. So, the Jays get that. We get that when weâ€re doing well, too.Â

“Itâ€s nice that we can kind of feed off that energy that the Jays are bringing, that buzz to the city.â€

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The Dodgers are back to defend their title and they’ll face off against a Blue Jays team making their first World Series appearance since 1993.

While last yearâ€s matchup was the most common one in World Series history, this yearâ€s championship showdown is a first-time matchup. The Blue Jays haven’t made it to the World Series since winning titles in consecutive years in 1992 (vs. the Braves) and ’93 (vs. the Phillies). Here’s a preview of the upcoming Dodgers-Blue Jays World Series that will begin in Toronto on Friday.

Who has home-field advantage?

That honor belongs to the Blue Jays, who finished this season with the better record by one game — 94-68 to 93-69.

The first two games will begin at Rogers Centre on Oct. 24 and 25, respectively. The series then shifts to L.A. for Games 3 (Oct. 27), 4 (Oct. 28) and 5, if necessary (Oct. 29). Game 6 would be on Halloween back in Toronto and Game 7 would be on Nov. 1. Each game will be played at 8 p.m. ET.

What is each team’s World Series history?

Toronto has triumphed in both of its World Series appearances. The last swing by a Blue Jay in a World Series game resulted in one of the most famous moments in big league history. Joe Carterâ€s walk-off homer in Game 6 of the 1993 Series put the Blue Jays on top of the baseball world for the second straight season.

What is the head-to-head history between these two teams?

The Dodgers lead the all-time series, 19-11. They have won 14 of the previous 19 meetings, including two of three games this past August at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers took the first two games of that series as starters Blake Snell and Clayton Kershaw combined to allow only one earned run over 16 innings pitched. Ernie Clement hit a tiebreaking home run in the top of the ninth inning to help Toronto salvage the finale.

What notable connections do the Blue Jays and Dodgers share on their current rosters?

Teoscar Hernández and Max Scherzer have already had big moments for the Dodgers and Blue Jays, respectively, this postseason. They also spent time on the other side of this matchup. Hernández won two Silver Sluggers across six seasons with Toronto from 2017-22. Scherzer put up a 2.01 ERA over 85 innings (postseason included) after the Dodgers acquired him from the Nationals at the 2021 Trade Deadline.

A connection between these clubs also resides on each bench. Don Mattingly, the Blue Jays†bench coach, guided the Dodgers to three NL West titles while serving as their manager from 2011-15. Chris Woodward was drafted by the Blue Jays in 1994 and played seven of his 12 MLB seasons with Toronto. He is Los Angeles†first-base coach.

Who are the best players to play for both teams?

Scherzer is a likely Hall of Famer, and two players who suited up for the Dodgers and Blue Jays are already in Cooperstown: Rickey Henderson and Fred McGriff. Henderson was a member of Torontoâ€s title team in 1993. He played the final 30 games of his record-setting career with the Dodgers in 2003.

McGriff was Hendersonâ€s teammate in L.A. in 2003. He began his career with Toronto and hit 125 of his career 493 homers with the club from 1986-90.

Other noteworthy players to don each teamâ€s uniform include infielder Jeff Kent, pitcher David Price, outfielder Shawn Green, pitcher Dave Stewart, infielder Justin Turner, outfielder Raul Mondesi, outfielder Curtis Granderson, catcher Russell Martin, pitcher Hyun Jin Ryu and pitcher David Wells.

What are the keys to this matchup?

1. How will the Blue Jays contain Ohtaniâ€s two-way dominance?

Shohei Ohtani struggled at the plate for most of the NLDS and NLCS but he snapped out of it in a big way in Game 4 of the LCS, becoming the 12th player with three home runs in a postseason game. Ohtani started the bottom of the first inning with a bang, crushing a 446-foot leadoff home run. Ohtani was hardly done, as he one-upped himself with a 469-foot homer in the fourth inning that left Dodger Stadium and a third homer (427 feet) in the seventh inning.

Oh, and Ohtani was also the starting pitcher in the same game, striking out 10 batters across six scoreless innings. It was, no hyperbole, one of the best (maybe the best) individual games weâ€ve ever seen. If Ohtaniâ€s crushing baseballs again at the plate and dominating on the mound like he has been for months, the Dodgers are going to be awfully tough to beat in the Fall Classic.

2. Can the Dodgers cool off Vlad Jr.?

The Dodgers†pitching this postseason has been spectacular — more on that in a minute. But it hasnâ€t really mattered who is on the mound when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is in the batterâ€s box; he has been on everything thrown his way. In 11 games, Guerrero is slashing .442/.510/.930 with six home runs and 12 RBIs this postseason and earned ALCS MVP honors.

The face of the Blue Jays†franchise is in the middle of a truly special playoff performance. Limiting the damage that Vlad Jr. does at the plate will be priority No. 1 for Los Angeles†mound men.

3. Can Toronto put runs up against the Dodgers’ rotation?

The Dodgers’ rotation has been dynamic since their Wild Card Series matchup against the Reds. In 10 starts, Dodgers starters have a 1.40 ERA and 81 strikeouts in 64 1/3 innings, averaging over six innings per start with more than a strikeout per inning. There has been consistent production from their starters and also some of the best postseason starts in recent memory.

In Game 1 of the NLCS against the Brewers, Blake Snell faced the minimum in eight scoreless innings, allowing a lone hit, striking out 10 batters and walking none. The next night, Yoshinobu Yamamoto tossed a complete game while allowing just one run to give the Dodgers a commanding 2-0 lead in the series. And in Game 4, Ohtani struck out 10 batters in six scoreless innings.

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And so he couldn’t help but admire as, just a few blocks west of his own arena, the Toronto Blue Jays authored a late-inning comeback to reach the World Series, sending Rogers Centre into pandemonium.

“We want to be able to do that and have a run like that. You look at the passion theyâ€re playing with and thatâ€s contagious,” Rielly said on Tuesday morning.

Rielly, 31, has been on the opposite end of those dramatic post-season games.

The longest-serving Maple Leaf, he’s been a part of every playoff defeat in the Auston Matthews era — none of which have come later than the second round.

Last season, Toronto came within one win of the conference final, only to fall short to the eventual champion Florida Panthers.

The defenceman said his team has been talking about the Blue Jays’ triumph all morning.

“You’re almost jealous at what they’re doing because they’re in Toronto and you watch it firsthand, youâ€re happy for them. It’s a great moment for the city. We want to be able to do that and have a run like that. We felt that when the Raptors did it (in 2019), too,” he said, per Terry Koshan of Postmedia.

Rielly’s Maple Leafs have often been criticized for lacking resilience throughout their post-season losses — a trait of which this Blue Jays team cannot be accused.

Ahead of Monday’s game, Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. entered the stadium wearing a Matthews jersey — a bad omen in the eyes of many Toronto sports fans.

Perhaps now, however, the curse is reversed.

“It’s an easy team to cheer for, the style they play, the depth. … It’s been a lot of fun to watch, and our guys have been supporting them,” Rielly said.

The Maple Leafs are back in action in Toronto on Tuesday as the New Jersey Devils come to town.

Meanwhile, the Blue Jays will play Game 1 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday at Rogers Centre (8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, Sportsnet, Sportsnet+).

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Turns out, the plane so many people were tracking was not occupied by Ohtani but rather Robert Herjavec, a businessman known for his role on the reality show “Shark Tank.â€

Well, now Ohtani really is Toronto-bound – along with the rest of his defending champion Dodgers – for the 2025 World Series that begins Friday night at Rogers Centre. The Blue Jays didnâ€t land Ohtani, but, behind the profound postseason put together by their signature star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the George Springer swing that swung Game 7, they landed enough punches in an incredible ALCS against the Mariners to advance to the Fall Classic for the first time in a generation.

“I know they have great players,†Guerrero said of the mighty Dodgers. “So do we. But on the field it’s when everything matters.â€

While the Blue Jays havenâ€t been to this stage since going back-to-back in 1992 and ‘93, the Dodgers are trying to become the first team to go back-to-back since the 1998-2000 Yankees.

That makes this a fascinating study in contrasts between a Dodgers team that was World Series-or-bust from the beginning of this season and a Blue Jays team that rose from the ashes of last place last year to finally advance within October.

Rogers Centre will still be buzzing from that long-awaited Toronto triumph in Game 7, while the Dodgers will still be telling the tale of what they witnessed when Ohtani hit three homers and pitched six shutout innings with 10 strikeouts in the historic finishing touch to their nice-and-tidy sweep of the Brewers in the NLCS.

But come Friday night, it will be time to craft new stories, as the Blue Jays try to end the run of dominant starting pitching that has defined the Dodgers†postseason and L.A. tries to tame the terrific power-and-patience-aided Toronto offense.

Game 1 is a big one. The winner of Game 1 in the World Series has gone on to win it all in 76 of the prior 120 series (63%) and, more pointedly, 24 of the 30 Fall Classics (80%) in the Wild Card Era (since 1995).

When is the game and how can I watch it?
Game 1 is on Friday at Rogers Centre, with first pitch scheduled for 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on FOX.

All series are available in the US on MLB.TV with authentication to a participating Pay TV provider. Games also are available live internationally, although not in Canada. Sportsnet is MLB’s exclusive English language broadcaster in Canada for every Postseason game, while TVA Sports will be covering the entire AL Postseason and the World Series in French and Broadcaster RDS will cover the entire NL Postseason in French.

Snell is coming off a gem of a start against the Brewers in NLCS Game 1, eight scoreless innings in which he struck out 10, walked none, allowed just one hit and faced the minimum. Overall this postseason, he is 3-0 with a 0.86 ERA (two earned runs in 21 innings) and 28 strikeouts against five walks.

Blue Jays: After the Blue Jays finally catch their breath Tuesday and Wednesday, theyâ€ll have some options for Game 1. Kevin Gausman has pitched Game 1 of both the ALDS against the Yankees and ALCS against the Mariners, but he came out of the bullpen in Game 7 on short rest after his Game 5 start. The Blue Jays could always consider that a high-intensity bullpen day, but thereâ€s also an argument to be made for starting rookie sensation Trey Yesavage in Game 1 with Gausman in Game 2.

Regardless of their order, Max Scherzer could be in line for a potential Game 3 with Shane Bieber in Game 4. The Blue Jays have also kept Chris Bassitt relatively stretched out despite his bullpen role, so there will be options.

What might the starting lineups look like?

Dodgers: Ohtani and Mookie Betts will be the top two and, beyond them, there could be some light shuffling in the order, depending on matchups. After tweaking the lineup quite a bit during the NLDS, the Dodgers used the same nine starters in all four NLCS games. By the end of that series, manager Dave Roberts had moved Will Smith up to the three-hole and Teoscar Hernández down to the sixth spot.

Blue Jays: If Bo Bichette returns for the World Series, and he says he will, then everything changes. Letâ€s work with the probability that Bichette needs to DH, which would slide Springer out to a corner outfield spot. Letâ€s also work with the likelihood of Snell starting Game 1, so the Blue Jays would be lining up for a lefty.

Blue Jays: Jeff Hoffman looks like a closer capable of shutting down games in the World Series, which wasnâ€t always the case in the regular season. He came up huge in Games 6 and 7 of the ALCS, and John Schneider is comfortable pushing him two innings in the right spot. Louis Varland has pitched in 10 of the Blue Jays†11 postseason games, so itâ€s just a matter of which inning youâ€ll see him in, while Seranthony Domínguez is the other setup man. One variable is Brendon Little, who had an ugly outing in the Game 5 ALCS loss, but the Blue Jays will need a lefty eventually. One of Braydon Fisher or Yariel Rodríguez could be asked to step into bigger spots, too, while Bassitt and Eric Lauer are the likely long relievers.

Any injuries of note?
Dodgers: Smith, who is dealing with a hairline fracture in his right hand, returned to the starting lineup during the NLDS and hasnâ€t missed a start since. Edman continues to manage his right ankle, which landed him on the injured list twice this year. Reliever Tanner Scott, who struggled in leverage in the regular season, believes he has recovered enough from a lower body abscess procedure to be an option for the World Series roster.

Blue Jays: Bichetteâ€s left knee injury remains the big story leading into this series. While Bichette has said heâ€s ready, the Blue Jays will still need to see him bounce back well from running the bases Wednesday and Thursday.

Anthony Santander was removed from the Blue Jays†ALCS roster in the middle of the series with a back injury, which makes him ineligible for the World Series. Springer is the only other injury of note after he took a 96-mph heater off his right kneecap in Game 5 of the ALCS, but judging by the heroic, three-run homer he hit in Game 7, he is just fine.

Who is hot and who is not?

On the other hand, Pages is just 3-for-35 this postseason. While he hasn’t done much at the plate, he will continue to start games because the Dodgers don’t have any other viable everyday options in center field, with Edman still managing his ankle.

Blue Jays: Is anyone hotter than Guerrero right now? The ALCS MVP is batting .442 with six home runs and a 1.440 OPS in the postseason, including six walks and just three strikeouts. The Dodgers will need to shape their entire pitching game plan around him. Springer is on a roll, too, while Clement may be the most underrated hitter coming into this series, batting .429. The Blue Jays would love to get a little more out of Kirk offensively, but at this point, thatâ€s being picky. This entire lineup has been rolling since the ALDS and John Schneiderâ€s only challenge is writing the names down in the right order. Every iteration has worked so far.

Anything else fans might want to know?

• This is the Blue Jays†first trip to the World Series since 1993, the scene of Joe Carterâ€s famous walk-off home run in Game 6 against the Phillies.

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Oct 20, 2025, 11:00 PM ET

TORONTO — George Springer put his club ahead with a three-run homer in the seventh inning and the Toronto Blue Jays advanced to the World Series for the first time since 1993 by beating the Seattle Mariners 4-3 in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series on Monday night.

It was the first go-ahead homer in Game 7 history when a team trailed by multiple runs in the seventh inning or later. And the Blue Jays’ bullpen took over from there, registering the final six outs, including the last three from closer Jeff Hoffman.

“Just pound the zone, and don’t get to [Cal] Raleigh. That was honestly my goal,” Hoffman said on Fox after the game. “Get strike one, put them away, do it quickly, and let the guys behind me work.”

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The Blue Jays will host Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 on Friday night when the World Series comes to Canada for the third time. The defending champion Dodgers swept Milwaukee in the NLCS.

“The at-bats before me. If it’s not for those guys, that at-bat doesn’t happen,” Springer said on Fox, referring to his two teammates who were on base in time for his homer. “I’m just so happy for our team, out fans, our city, our country. I’m so happy right now.”

Raleigh and Julio Rodriguez each hit a solo home run for the Mariners in the team’s first Game 7, but Seattle failed to reach its first World Series, leaving the heartbroken Mariners as the only major league team without a pennant. Raleigh, who led the majors with 60 homers in the regular season, made it 3-1 with a leadoff homer against Louis Varland in the fifth inning.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Oct 20, 2025, 11:04 PM ET

The 2025 World Series is set, and it will be a matchup between the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers.

After the defending champion Dodgers swept the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series, the Blue Jays outlasted the Seattle Mariners in a thrilling American League series.

What carried Toronto and Los Angeles this far — and will it continue to work in the Fall Classic? Which stars will shine brightest? And who else must step up? Our MLB experts are here with your first look at this year’s World Series showdown.

Note: Matchup odds come from Doolittle’s formula using power ratings as the basis for 10,000 simulations to determine the most likely outcomes. Team temperatures are based on Bill James’ formula for determining how “hot” or “cold” a team is at any given point; average is 72°.

Toronto Blue Jays vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

For the first time in more than three decades, the Toronto Blue Jays are back in the World Series where they will find the well-rested, defending champion Dodgers waiting for them. It’s the third Fall Classic for the Toronto franchise but the first since the Jays won back-to-back titles in 1992 and ’93.

The Expos never won a pennant, so the two Toronto pennants account for all World Series appearances by Canada-based clubs. Game 1 at the Rogers Centre will mark the seventh World Series game played outside of the U.S. border. And, spoiler alert, Canada will be rocking.

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There’s a fairly limited history between the teams in terms of regular-season interleague play. The Dodgers hold the all-time edge, 19-11, and the franchises did not meet until June 18, 2002. The Blue Jays won that initial encounter behind a Roy Halladay complete game that featured an interesting pair of leadoff hitters. Hitting first for Toronto in that game, at least at the outset, was Chris Woodward, the Dodgers’ current first-base coach. Leading off for the Dodgers was Dave Roberts, who went 0-for-4 against Halladay.

Before the season, my simulations gave this matchup a 2.28% chance of happening, ranking 13th of 165 matchups that popped up in at least one sim. But because the Jays weren’t forecast as a favorite, and the AL figured to be tightly packed (as turned out to be the case), there were eight other teams that faced the Dodgers more often in the 10,000 simulated seasons, including the Mariners, whom the Jays just vanquished in the ALDS.

It’s a novel Fall Classic matchup featuring teams with old-school traits. For the Dodgers, it has been a joyous leaning on a dominant starting rotation. For Toronto, it’s a throwback offense that features standout batting or, more precisely, all the traits that lead to what passes for a high average in 2025 baseball. All of this makes this first Dodgers-Jays showdown a fascinating clash of teams with contrasting styles of play. The games begin in Toronto on Friday. — Doolittle

Toronto Blue Jays

Odds of winning:40.4%

Team temperature:93°

What is the No. 1 factor that has carried the Blue Jays to the World Series for the first time in three decades?

Jorge Castillo: This one is easy. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been the best player in this postseason — and, yes, that includes Shohei Ohtani. Six months after signing the third-largest contract in Major League Baseball history, Guerrero has played the part of superstar in October. He’s slashing an absurd .442/.510/.930. He has three strikeouts all month. His six home runs tied the Blue Jays franchise record for postseason home runs in a career. He has also showcased good defense at first base and smarts on the basepaths.

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For a guy who entered October with a downright ugly October history — he slashed .136/.240/.182 without a home run in his first six career playoff games — Guerrero has put his stamp on this postseason to carry Toronto to its first World Series in 32 years. Four wins over the Dodgers, with Guerrero as the centerpiece of the upset, would make this one of the greatest October runs ever.

David Schoenfield: Yes, Jorge is correct: If Guerrero has a big World Series, it will go down as one of the greatest postseason performances of all time. Let’s also give a shoutout to rookie pitcher Trey Yesavage – and to the Blue Jays for having the belief in him to make him their No. 2 starter behind Kevin Gausman at the start of the postseason, even though Yesavage had made just three starts in the regular season.

He pitched 5â…“ hitless innings with 11 strikeouts against the Yankees in the ALDS, pure domination. He got three huge double plays to beat the Mariners in ALCS Game 6. Obviously, the stuff speaks for itself, but the Jays asked a lot from a young pitcher, and he has delivered.

Will it/won’t it continue against the Dodgers?

Castillo: Yes, but in limited doses because the Dodgers will probably pitch around Guerrero whenever possible. Nothing suggests Guerrero will slow down when given pitches to hit.

The Dodgers’ starting rotation has been utterly dominant, but Guerrero has hit elite pitching this month. He has hit all kinds of pitching. The pressure will be on the guys hitting behind him — Alejandro Kirk, Daulton Varsho and Ernie Clement — to make the Dodgers pay when they refuse to engage Guerrero.

Schoenfield:It will be a little more difficult. Though the Dodgers, like the Mariners, strike out a lot, they also chase out of the zone far less often than Seattle (third-lowest chase rate in the regular season compared with 17th for the Mariners). The scouting reports on Yesavage were thin at the start of the playoffs, but now have three additional games to consider his tendencies. He was a little lucky to escape those two bases-loaded jams against the Mariners and given that his control can waver — he had three walks in each of his two ALCS starts — he will have to be a little more crisp against the Dodgers.

Vlad Jr. has been scorching hot all month. What should we expect from him in the World Series?

Castillo:See above. More of the same, unless the Dodgers refuse to pitch to him. We saw the Yankees and Mariners occasionally dabble with not attacking Guerrero, but they did not avoid him, for the most part. The series could hinge on how that dynamic plays out.

Schoenfield:He’s so locked in that you would expect it to continue. On the other hand, this Dodgers rotation has much better swing-and-miss stuff than Seattle’s rotation, which was missing Bryan Woo and featured a subpar Logan Gilbert.

Guerrero hit just 23 home runs in the regular season. Getting the ball in the air, like he has been doing in the playoffs, isn’t something he did consistently during the regular season, when he had several homerless dry spells.

Which other player is most crucial to the Blue Jays’ chances of winning a title?

Castillo:The bullpen is the Blue Jays’ weakest link, which makes Louis Varland significant in this series. Varland is John Schneider’s most trusted reliever. The right-hander has pitched in 10 of the Blue Jays’ 11 playoff games, often in the biggest spots in the middle innings. He has recorded more than three outs three times.

The Blue Jays could carry up to four left-handed relievers in their bullpen — Mason Fluharty, Brendon Little, Eric Lauer and Justin Bruihl — to counter Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy, but those lefties have struggled in the postseason.

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Varland, whose splits during the regular season weren’t all that drastic (a .662 OPS against vs. RHH and a .716 .OPS against vs. LHH) will surely be in a huge spot against one of the Dodgers’ left-handed sluggers. Jeff Hoffman might be Toronto’s closer, but Varland, acquired at the trade deadline from the Twins, is the team’s best reliever, and the Blue Jays need him to secure huge outs.

Schoenfield:George Springer. The Blue Jays haven’t averaged 6.5 runs per game in the postseason just because of Vlad. They got production from the entire lineup — the bottom third was especially vital in the ALCS — and Springer delivered the series-winning home run against the Mariners. He’s hitting .239/.321/.609 in the postseason with four home runs and has, of course, been a postseason standout throughout his career, including winning World Series MVP honors in 2017.

Springer had a terrific regular season as well with no obvious holes in his game. He ranked 24th in the majors with an .885 OPS against pitches of 96-plus mph and 20th in the majors against offspeed pitches (sliders, curves, splitters, changeups). His at-bats leading off games will be key to getting the Blue Jays going.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Odds of winning:59.6%

Team temperature:122°

What is the No. 1 factor that has carried the Dodgers back to the World Series?

Jeff Passan: Their extraordinary starting pitching. In Los Angeles’ 10 games this postseason, its four starters — Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and Shohei Ohtani — have systematically dissected Cincinnati, Philadelphia and Milwaukee’s offenses. In 64â…“ innings, they have a 1.40 ERA. It’s not by accident. Batters are hitting .132/.207/.201 against them. They have struck out four times as many as they’ve walked and allowed just two home runs.

Now, it’s the Mariners’ turn. Their offense has had moments. They’re capable. But they haven’t seen a rotation like the Dodgers’ yet.

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Alden Gonzalez: It is their four starting pitchers, as Jeff noted. But the evolution of a fifth one, Roki Sasaki, has been just as critical. The Dodgers were searching for answers late in games when October arrived, and had it not been for Sasaki recapturing the velocity on his fastball and quickly adapting to a high-leverage bullpen role, they likely would not be here. The Dodgers have won nine of their 10 postseason games, and Sasaki has recorded the final out in five of them. In another, the Game 4 clincher in the NLDS, he pitched three perfect innings.

Will it/won’t it continue against the Blue Jays?

Gonzalez:The long layoff could be a boon for Sasaki, who had been in uncharted territory from a workload standpoint. Having essentially six days off means he will face few, if any, restrictions in the World Series. And if his arm is fresh and his command is right, opposing hitters usually don’t have much of a chance against his fastball-splitter combination.

One potential advantage for the Blue Jays, though, is that the book is essentially out on Sasaki by now, and they’ll have a much better feel for how to attack him than the Reds and Phillies, who both had little to work with because Sasaki’s stuff was so much better than what he displayed earlier this season. If the Blue Jays can get to him, the Dodgers will be left with few other options late in games.

Passan: Toronto has scored the most runs, hit the most home runs and struck out at the lowest rate of any team this postseason. If any playoff offense can get to the Dodgers, it’s the Blue Jays’ offense. This series will be the unstoppable force vs. the immovable object.

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Dodgers pitchers average 96.8 mph on their fastballs. Toronto batters are hitting .292 off 97-mph-plus heaters, and they’ve struck out in just six of the 50 plate appearances that ended with those pitches. Expect even more two-strike spin from the team that averages just 35% fastballs on potential putaway pitches.

All of the Dodgers’ starters have at least four pitches — Yamamoto throws six and Ohtani seven — a buffet unfortunate to hitters. If Toronto can’t get to them, we’re looking at one of the greatest postseasons ever, like the 1983 Orioles but sustained over an even longer stretch.

It has been a mixed postseason for Shohei Ohtani. What should we expect from him in the World Series?

Gonzalez:When Ohtani gets going offensively — and if his performance in the pennant clincher wasn’t evidence of him getting back on track, I don’t know what is — he tends to carry it for a while. His career numbers against Blue Jays starters Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber and Max Scherzer are not great (6-for-31 with 14 strikeouts and zero walks), and a long layoff normally is not a good for hitters.

Any concern about how the time off between the end of the NLCS and the start of the World Series might negatively impact Ohtani’s offense should easily be made up by how it could positively impact his pitching. Ohtani’s six scoreless innings in NLCS Game 4 came on 12 days’ rest; his five no-hit innings against the Phillies on Sept. 16 came on 11 days’ rest.

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Passan: It’s fair to say that he won’t match Game 4 of the NLCS, one of the greatest individual performances in baseball history. But Ohtani will get at least one start in the World Series, allowing him to at least recreate some portion of his masterpiece.

And at this point, anyone who doubts Ohtani’s ability to do anything hasn’t been paying attention. The reason there was such surprise at his struggles is because they’re such an unfamiliar sight. And the unfamiliarity comes from the rarity. If any of what he found at the plate in Game 4 carries over, expect fireworks.

Which other player is most crucial to the Dodgers’ chances of going back to back?

Gonzalez:Starting pitching will continue to lead the way for the Dodgers, who combined to slash just .223/.313/.364 at the plate over the past two rounds. They know they have to do better if they’re going to repeat as champions. And Freddie Freeman, in particular, will be key.

The Blue Jays’ rotation is all right-handed, which means Freeman will hit in the No. 3 spot of the Dodgers’ lineup, behind Ohtani and Mookie Betts. When the Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees in last year’s World Series, it was Freeman who won MVP. But he’s slashing just .231/.333/.410 in these playoffs, and though he hit better against the Brewers, the Dodgers would love to see more power out of him on the biggest stage. He should be presented with plenty of RBI opportunities.

Passan:No pitcher has been better than Blake Snell this season, and with him lined up to get the ball in Game 1 — same as he did in the wild-card series and NLCS — Snell will get to set the tone of the series and then be in line to pitch a potential clincher. In 21 innings, Snell has allowed 11 baserunners and struck out 28. He hasn’t yielded a home run.

He has been the personification of whom the Dodgers hoped they were getting when they signed him last winter to a five-year, $182.5 million contract. If he replicates his performances over the first three rounds of the postseason, the Dodgers won’t need much offensive support to back him up, and Snell will get to celebrate his first championship.

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Despite losing the first two games of the ALCS and trailing the Seattle Mariners 3-1 late into the do-or-die Game 7 on Monday night, George Springer, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Toronto Blue Jays completed the multi-layered comeback to punch their first ticket to the World Series in more than three decades.

Waiting for them when play resumes on Friday will be the red-hot and well-rested Los Angeles Dodgers, with -215 odds of repeating as World Series champions, per DraftKings.

But before you go writing off Toronto as the final sacrificial lamb before another Dodgers victory parade, allow us to explain why the Blue Jays could be a nightmare draw for LA.

Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images

Let’s start out with a fun fact that would have worked for us regardless of whether Seattle or Toronto had won Game 7:

This will be the fifth World Series since the ALCS/NLCS expanded to a best-of-seven format in 1985 in which one LCS went the distance while the other ended in a sweep.

Each of the previous four times that happened? The team that swept turned around and lost the World Series—and in a hurry.

• 1988: Oakland A’s swept ALCS; Los Angeles Dodgers won NLCS in seven games; Dodgers beat A’s in five games.
• 2006: Detroit Tigers swept ALCS; St. Louis Cardinals won NLCS in seven games; Cardinals beat Tigers in five games.
• 2007: Colorado Rockies swept NLCS; Boston Red Sox won ALCS in seven games; Red Sox swept Rockies.
• 2012: Detroit Tigers swept ALCS; San Francisco Giants won NLCS in seven games; Giants swept Tigers.

In all four cases, ye olde “Rust vs. Rest” debate absolutely decimated the offense in question. Each team had at least six days (nine, in Colorado’s case) between winning LCS Game 4 and Game 1 of the World Series. Those four teams scored a combined total of 38 runs in those 18 World Series games (2.1 per contest).

Seven-day gap or not, it’s hard to imagine the Dodgers’ bats going that cold, right? They ranked second in the majors with 825 runs scored during the regular season!

Well, the 2007 Rockies scored 860 runs, the 2006 Tigers went for 822 and the 1988 Athletics almost led the majors with 800 runs. None of them could overcome the rust.

Toronto’s Offense is Relentless

Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images

One of the biggest reasons the Dodgers were such a clear World Series favorite before this season ever began is how airtight the lineup is. Pretty much any contender can get big hits from the top five spots in their order, but there’s just no relief when you’ve got the likes of Andy Pages and Kiké Hernández bringing up the rear.

Nevertheless, there’s a case to be made that Toronto’s offense is even more relentless than what Los Angeles brings to the table.

At any rate, it definitely has been thus far in October.

Ernie Clement has been sensational in the 6-hole, going 18-for-42 with just two strikeouts. Addison Barger has plenty of pop behind him with two postseason dingers after 21 in the regular season. Even Andrés Giménez batting ninth was massive in getting Toronto back into the ALCS with a combined six RBI in Games 3 and 4.

As an entire team, they’re batting .296 through 11 postseason games. And if you can believe this in today’s era of whiff rates, the Blue Jays have more runs scored (71) than the number of times they’ve struck out (64).

[If you’re wondering, Dodgers batters have more than twice as many strikeouts (93) as runs scored (46).]

Stephen Brashear/Getty Images

You might think that Toronto’s whiff aversion would mean their batters face fewer pitches and that opposing starters are more likely to last deep into games against them.

However, with the exception of Clement still trying to meet a pitch that he hasn’t liked, Blue Jays batters actually do a solid job of working the count and managed to chase each of the last six Mariners starters they faced in four innings or fewer.

And that right there is the biggest key to toppling the mighty Dodgers.

They’ve played 10 postseason games thus far, logging a quality start in eight of them. The two exceptions were when Tyler Glasnow got pulled at 5.2 IP and their lone loss of October, in which Yoshinobu Yamamoto only lasted four innings.

Regardless of whether they’re racking up strikeouts, if you let Blake Snell, Shohei Ohtani and Co. cook into the seventh or eighth inning of starts, you’re just digging your own grave.

Work the count, though, while putting up the occasional crooked number along the way. Force Dave Roberts to turn to the likes of Blake Treinen, Anthony Banda, Alex Vesia—and maybe even October Clayton Kershaw—to get through those middle innings and, well, say hello to the Achilles heel of this so-called juggernaut that we’ve been talking about for months.

Now, it does bear mentioning that the bullpen is also, hands down, the biggest weakness for the Blue Jays. Jeff Hoffman striking out the side in order in Game 7 of the ALCS to bring his postseason ERA down to just 1.23 feels like some combination of voodoo magic and fools’ gold after the regular season he had. And he’s just about the only member of Toronto’s bullpen that hasn’t taken at least one on the chin this postseason.

When it’s two unstoppable offenses against two very movable bullpens, though, things could go either way. Maybe Hoffman stays hot for another week?

Mark Blinch/Getty Images

In the build-up to this World Series, a lot of people are going to talk like it’s the 115-win Dodgers preparing to destroy some 82-win Blue Jays team that accidentally snuck into the playoff bracket.

Let’s not forget, though, that while Los Angeles is the clear betting favorite, Toronto won one more game during the regular season and will have home-field advantage in this series.

And in case you weren’t already well aware of how raucous things can get at the Rogers Centre, the near earthquake they caused when George Springer hit that home run on Monday night was a vivid example of the hornet’s nest into which the Dodgers will be walking.

Yes, Toronto lost Games 1 and 2 of the ALCS at home, but bookended it with 23 runs in the first two games of the ALDS against the Yankees and an incredible showing in Games 6 and 7 against Seattle. It was also at home that they ended the regular season with a very loud, 13-run onslaught to jump-start a run that they hope will end as ceremoniously as it did back in 1992 and 1993.

They’re underdogs, but they’re the furthest thing from undeserving. And with the way Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been tearing the cover off the ball in recent weeks, it may well be the $500M man getting his first World Series ring, instead of the $700M man (Ohtani) securing his second in a row.

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