And then there were two. The 2025 World Series matchup is set, bringing together the defending champion Dodgers and a Blue Jays club making its first Fall Classic appearance since 1993.
It’s a showdown few could have seen coming at the start of the season. Although the powerhouse Dodgers were widely expected to be a World Series contender once again, the Blue Jays entered 2025 fresh off a last-place finish.
The two teams also had starkly different journeys through the LCS — while the Dodgers cruised past the Brewers in a four-game sweep, the Blue Jays rallied from 2-0 and 3-2 series deficits against the Mariners and also required some Game 7 magic to finally get past Seattle.
All of that has set up a matchup brimming with intrigue, where threads from recent history collide with the ultimate tension and drama of the World Series. As we eagerly await Game 1 on Friday, here are six compelling storylines that will shape this Fall Classic.
Dec. 8, 2023, was one of the most disappointing days in recent Blue Jays history. Rumors swirled that Shohei Ohtani was on his way to Toronto to sign with the Blue Jays. Fans were glued to online flight trackers in anticipation. But as it turns out, Ohtani was never coming. One day later, he announced on Instagram that he was signing with the Dodgers, joining Los Angeles on a landmark 10-year, $700 million deal.
2. Springer vs. the Dodgers
Although their titles in 2020 and ’24 have dulled the sting considerably, the Dodgers’ ’17 World Series loss to the Astros is still a sore subject in Los Angeles. Even years later, the sign-stealing scandal that engulfed Houston in the wake of that series has left lingering resentment among Dodgers fans towards those with a link to that team.
That includes George Springer, who was named MVP of the 2017 World Series after hitting five home runs against L.A., with two of them coming in Houston’s Game 7 clincher at Dodger Stadium. Now with the Blue Jays, Springer is set to face the Dodgers in the Fall Classic once again. He played a key role in Toronto’s ALCS win over the Mariners, belting a lead-flipping three-run homer in the seventh inning of Game 7. It was the 23rd playoff home run of his career, tying him for third all time.
The Blue Jays’ run to the Fall Classic looks even more impressive when you consider that their first two series wins came without one of their best players, Bo Bichette. The star shortstop has been sidelined since early September with a left knee sprain, but after Toronto’s dramatic ALCS Game 7 win, he said he’s ready to return for the World Series.
“I’ll be ready,” Bichette said in the clubhouse following the 4-3 win. “I don’t know how they’re using me, but I’ll be ready.”
A free agent at the end of the year, Bichette hit .311 with 18 home runs, 94 RBIs and an .840 OPS over 139 games in 2025, so his return has the potential to shift the balance of the series.
4. Blue Jays have history on their side
The eternal “rest vs. rust” debate is about to be reignited after the Dodgers made quick work of the Brewers in the NLCS. With six days off before Game 1 of the World Series, Los Angeles will enter the series with plenty of rest. In theory, that should give them an edge over a Blue Jays club that just played a grueling series against the Mariners, especially on the pitching side.
However, the history is worth noting. This is the fifth time since the LCS round became best-of-seven in 1985 that one LCS was a sweep and the other went seven games. In the previous four instances, the team that played the seven-game series went on to win the World Series as well.
5. Will Vlad Jr. finish epic playoff run with a title?
The Blue Jays have gotten production from all corners of their lineup during these playoffs, but Vladimir Guerrero Jr. remains their linchpin. The first baseman’s numbers this October are staggering: a .442 average, six homers, 12 RBIs and a 1.440 OPS over 51 plate appearances in 11 games.
Guerrero, who was named ALCS MVP, has a chance to cement this as one of the greatest runs in playoff history if he can cap it off with a championship. Just four players have finished a single postseason with at least 50 PAs and an OPS of 1.300 or higher, and only two of them — Paul Molitor (1.378 for 1993 Blue Jays) and Alex Rodriguez (1.308 for 2009 Yankees) — did so while winning a title.
6. Can the Blue Jays find the cracks against Dodgers’ pitching?
The Dodgers’ pitching staff has stifled the competition this October, holding the Reds, Phillies and Brewers to just 28 runs over 10 games en route to the World Series. Much of that stingy run prevention has come from the club’s starting rotation, consisting of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Ohtani. Meanwhile, Sasaki — typically a starter — has flourished as Los Angeles’ closer after moving to the bullpen when he returned from a right shoulder injury in September.
Those five pitchers have combined to record 80.4% of the Dodgers’ outs this postseason — including 87% in the NLCS — allowing Los Angeles to minimize how much it has had to lean on its suspect relief corps. How much the Dodgers need to turn to their other arms could go a long way in determining this series.
