You want superstars? You got them. You want a clash of styles? There are definitely those. The 2025 World Series is firing off Friday night at a sold-out Rogers Center in Toronto. For the first time in over 30 years, the Blue Jays are back and looking to shake up the MLB. Their reward is a date with the reigning champion Los Angeles Dodgers, who are trying to become the first team to go back-to-back since the 1998-2000 Yankees. It’s a tall order.
This really isn’t David vs. Goliath — It’s Goliath vs. Goliath. One side has one of the best baseball players in history, with Shohei Ohtani, and one of the most dominant starting rotations we’ve seen in recent postseasons. The other side features a smoking hot Vladimir Guerrero Jr. leading a team that’s rewriting offensive records.
However you break it down, only one team can walk away with the Commissioner's Trophy.
LA Dodgers: -220
Toronto Blue Jays: +225
Bookmakers are favoring the Dodgers just a bit — for now. That can change if the Jays can get past the Dodgers starters, but more on that in just a minute.
The defining clash of this World Series is the Blue Jays’ relentless, contact-heavy, suddenly powerful lineup vs. a Dodgers rotation that has chewed up every opponent it’s faced in both the regular and postseason.
Toronto comes in as the most dangerous offensive team of the 2025 postseason. They’re slashing .296/.355/.523 through 11 games of postseason play, which leads all playoff teams in AVG, HRs, and OPS. Their 20 home runs are tied for the most, and they’ve done it with fewer strikeouts than any team. The offense isn’t exactly top-heavy either because everyone from George Springer to Ernie Clement is contributing.
But make no mistake — Vlad Jr. is the heart of the storm. He’s been the best hitter in these playoffs by a substantial margin, slashing .442/.510/.930. He’s homered 6 times and struck out only 3 times all month. And no, that’s not a typo. In a postseason era defined by Ks and swing-and-miss stuff, Guerrero is practically allergic to chasing pitches. He gets on base one way or another.
Now he’ll face the toughest test yet with the boys in blue..
The Dodgers’ starting rotation has been nearly untouchable. Over their 64.1 innings this postseason, their 4-man group of Blake Snell, Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Tyler Glasnow has a combined ERA of just 1.40. Opponents are hitting .132 OBA against them, and just 2 dingers have been allowed in 10 games.
This staff doesn’t just throw hard, though they do, but they also throw smart. All 4 starters average 96+ mph on the fastball and can snap off nasty secondary pitches. Yamamoto has 6 pitches that are nearly impossible to contact. Ohtani throws 7 and is finally back in his true form. Glasnow is as filthy as ever, and Snell is proving last year’s Cy Young season was no fluke.
This isn’t the Mariners' pitching staff the Jays just handled. If Toronto’s bats stay hot against this group, they will have earned it the hard way, and this series will go all 7 games. It’s easier said than done.
You couldn’t ask for better headliners for the 2025 World Series.
Shohei Ohtani is coming off a performance that reminded the world why he’s the most gifted player on the planet, and possibly all of baseball history — a 3-knock game at the plate and 10 Ks on the mound in the same week. That’s not fair, but it’s real.
Meanwhile, Guerrero has rebranded his playoff narrative overnight. Coming into this October, his playoff numbers were undeniably brutal. Now, he’s on the verge of one of the greatest postseason runs in the history of baseball. The Dodgers will probably avoid pitching to him as much as possible, but that only works if Alejandro Kirk, Daulton Varsho, and the rest of the lineup can make LA pay for pitching around him. There’s nothing worse than walking a player only to have the next batter go yard and put up 2+ runs.
Ohtani’s offense cooled a bit late in the NLCS overall, but his pitching, which is backed by 12 days of rest, was sharper than ever. Historically, he’s struggled against Toronto’s expected Game 1 starter Kevin Gausman, but this version of Ohtani seems to thrive on big stages, and his last start simply underscores that. Whether he can carry his dual-threat dominance into the World Series could tilt the entire series.
The Dodgers have the best starting pitching in the postseason, and the depth is unreal. But the Jays’ lineup might be the perfect counter for this dominant squad.
Toronto hits fastballs 97+ mph at a .292 clip, they strike out less than anyone, and they’ve raised their power profile in October. Their ISO is up from a league-average of .162 in the regular season to .227 in the playoffs. That’s the best time to heat up if a team is going to heat up.
There’s no easy way to quiet this lineup despite what the Dodgers have in the tank. That’s what makes every inning critical. If LA starters can’t go deep, and we’re talking 6+ innings, the game shifts to the bullpens — where both teams have some issues and things can get interesting.
Toronto’s bullpen has a sloppy 5.52 ERA this postseason, their walk rate is sky-high, and they’ve given up too many long balls. Still, they’ve survived some tight spots, and they know how to get out of jams. Louis Varland has been the most trusted option and might see high-leverage spots against lefty sluggers like Freeman and Muncy. Jeff Hoffman is undoubtedly the closer, but beyond those two, it’s a patchwork group with inconsistent results.
On the Dodgers' side, Roki Sasaki has been lights out in the 9th as he’s recorded the final out in 5 of their 9 wins in the playoffs. But bridging the gap from the starter to Sasaki has been where things get really shaky. LA’s bullpen ERA is 4.88 this postseason, and for a unit that doesn’t strike many guys out with 7.48 K/9, the matchup against Toronto’s contact-heavy lineup could be a real problem once the games get to the 7th or 8th innings.
This series just might come down to who blows fewer late-game leads. Don’t be surprised if bullpen usage becomes the biggest storyline by Game 3, as relievers are gassed and bats are heating up.
If there’s a single question that will decide this series, it’s whether the Blue Jays stay close in the first 5 innings of each game.
If LA’s starters get early leads and hand the ball to Sasaki with a little bit of a cushion, the Dodgers are winning this series. But if Toronto can either get to 1 of the 4 aces early, or at the very least keep the game within a couple of runs, they’ve got the firepower to make noise in the late innings.
So far, Toronto has found ways to win games in every shape. They’ve blown out some solid teams, they’ve clawed back from big deficits, they’ve strung together rallies and knocked big bombs, and there’s a versatility here that could cause real problems for LA.
The Dodgers, on the other hand, haven’t had to play from behind often, and that might be a problem in itself. If they suddenly have to chase games or get into a bullpen battle, they may find themselves in unfamiliar territory, at least from a postseason perspective.
George Springer is no stranger to October drama. He’s already hit a walk-off this month and has 4 HRs this postseason. His career playoff numbers are excellent as he has 23 homers, and he’s handled both velocity and offspeed stuff well. If Vlad Jr. gets pitched around, it’ll be Springer who needs to do damage and carry the team, which he absolutely can.
For LA, the X-factor is Roki Sasaki. The Japanese sensation has taken over late-inning duties and hasn’t blinked — yet. If he keeps this momentum up, the Dodgers might only need 6 good innings from their starters to win games, however, if the Jays figure him out, it could be a turning point that the Dodgers will have to deal with.
On paper, the Dodgers have a few more advantages. They have the better starting rotation, they’re the more playoff-tested team, and their star power is unmatched. On top of that, they’re 9-1 in the postseason so far, so they’re riding high coming into the 2025 World Series.
But Toronto isn’t just a nice story, though it’s fun to watch. Their offense has been historically efficient this postseason, and they’re making contact, hitting for power, and doing it against high-end arms. If their bullpen can just hold on, they have enough to shock the defending champs and take the trophy.
Still, it’s hard to pick against 4 dominant starters and a rested team firing on all cylinders.
2025 World Series Prediction: Dodgers in 6
Los Angeles is just looking too good.
That said, if Guerrero Jr. keeps hitting like this — and the Jays keep avoiding strikeouts like they have — this could turn fast, and we could see the Jays take it in 7. Either way you cut it, it’s going to be a heavyweight battle. The best team in the league vs. the hottest team in the league. We’re watching a modern dynasty vs. a franchise trying to write its next historic chapter.
This is what October is built for.