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 year’s matchup was the most common one in World Series history, this year’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?
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 Toronto’s title team in 1993. He played the final 30 games of his record-setting career with the Dodgers in 2003.
McGriff was Henderson’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 team’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 Ohtani’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 we’ve ever seen. If Ohtani’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 hasn’t really mattered who is on the mound when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is in the batter’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.
