In this years' World Series with the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers it looks to be a great World Series. Los Angeles was completely dominant against the Milwaukee Brewers in a four game sweep and Toronto is likewise coming off an elated feeling winning perhaps the biggest game in Toronto Blue Jays history when George Springer gave payback to the city of Seattle when he launched his shot (after being cheered upon for getting drilled in the knee in game 5, which was actually worse than getting booed as it signified the loss of him for Toronto in the ALCS Series).
The Dodgers as an organization have traditionally been a great pitching team in Major League history. The 2025 Los Angeles Dodgers are stockpiled with a great starting pitching staff - showcasing Shohei Ohtani, Yashamoto Yamamoto, Blake Snell, and Tyler Glasnow as their four man rotation. These four formidable starters are going up against the greatest offensive team in the Majors this year. The Toronto Blue Jays have one Bo Bichette who is healthy enough to at least bat in the World Series (coming off the disabled list - and considered by many in Baseball to be the best offensive weapon that the Jays have) and one Vlad Guerrero Jr. who was truly dominant in the playoffs to date with 6 home-runs to this point of the 2025 post-season. George Springer is also a dominant bat and has pedigree to winning a World Series as he did twice earlier in his career with the Houston Astros and he's been dominant in pretty much every post-season he has played in topping out with 6 home-runs in 2017 winning the World Series with the Astros as World Series MVP in their first organizations' World Series win, and accumulating 23 home-runs in post-season play to date - ranking him third of all-time - to date, next to Manny Ramirez (29 dingers) and Jose Altuve (27 dingers). In the here and now Ernie Clement, Andres Gimenez, Alejandro Kirk, Nathan Lukes, and Addison Barger are producing both offensively and defensively alongside our superstars. I'm also impressed with the play of Isiah Kiner Falefa (who has been a dynamo with the bat through the ALCS - just after Bo got injured and playing standout defense). Of course the Dodgers haven't been beat much in the post-season to date losing only one game to the Phillies (the best team by record in the National League) in the NLDS and not one game to the Brewers in their NLCS match-up (nor a loss against the Cincinnati Reds in the Wild Card Series). Baseball is a team sport and I find it disheartening to put my name to an individual past a point, giving the Jays a good shot in reaching their goal of winning their third World Series Championship.
The Blue Jays may not have as deep a four man rotation as Los Angeles, but that is to be decided by one Trey Yesavage, as should Yesavage have the composure as Dickie 'Kid' Kerr with the 1919 Chicago White Sox, then the Jays starting staff will be on par - as standouts Kevin Gausman, Max Scherzer, and Shane Bieber have been established to date as being standouts throughout their careers and in previous post-seasons. In fact, aside from Kevin Gausman, I would say that Max Scherzer is actually our number two in ability to pitch in a game 7 match-up if it came down to it. Yesavage has been dominant all year long in his ascent to the Majors, and Bieber is a former Cy Young winner who has never had a problem in doling out bases on balls over the course of his career in regular, or post season starts. In fact it is Bieber who has the best strikeouts to walks ratio of all the Jays starters, followed by Gausman, then Scherzer, and then Yesavage. In fact, when looking at Max Scherzer's career he was actually a little more effective than Shane Bieber earlier in his career, and on-par with Bieber over the last three years. Scherzer was truly dominant in his 2019 post season with the Washington Nationals starting in three games that World Series and was a part of a Texas Rangers team that won their first World Series ever (again starting in three games in that Series), and although statistically he under-performed in that 2023 World Series he sure as hell didn't cost his team its' team chemistry as they won.
The bullpens for this years' World Series are an intriguing argument likewise. The Dodgers boast FIVE left-handers in the pen with Toronto being the best team at hitting lefties, however the Dodgers right-handed relievers haven't produced nearly as effectively as the Blue Jays righties. The Blue Jays mind you have Eric Lauer, Mason Fluharty, and either Ryan Borucki or Brendan Little as our third lefty option and are a little less proficient from the left side than the Dodgers. The Jays are stronger in the pen from the right side with Hoffman showcasing his true talents over the past 2 and a half months, Seranthony Dominguez and Louis Varland both hitting 100+ miles an hour on their fastballs, and Braydon Fisher (who will probably finish third or fourth in the A.L Rookie of the year voting for going 7-0 with an E.R.A of 2.70 in the regular season) boasting 4 strong righties out of the pen going into this years' World Series.
The Los Angeles Dodgers offence going into this World Series is a mish-mash of future Hall of Famers with perhaps the greatest ballplayer of all-time in one Shohei Ohtani, a former World Series MVP in Freddie Freeman, a former American League MVP in Mookie Betts, and one Teoscar Hernandez who has traditionally produced in post-seasons in the past and present - hammering out many home-runs over the past five years in post season play. The reality is that this is a Series that could go seven games based on the criteria's that both teams meet. Strong performances to date from both organizations that I believe will favour Toronto for the simple reason that not everything can be accounted for - as the Los Angeles Market cannot maintain the Toronto Market and the Toronto Market cannot maintain the Los Angeles Market. the reality is that Toronto is Canada's team and many Canadians will tune in on the level of being loyal to their team's cause based on the heretic epithet of one states' views versus another states views in America. In Canada, Federal levels are addressed with accountability in ways the U.S.A doesn't put to rest. As we're being led to that road it is clear that Canada must be heard in these World Series events which were put to rest in 1992 and 1993 with the Blue Jays winning the World Series both years. My prediction for this years' World Series is that the Toronto Blue Jays will win in 6 games over the Dodgers - with Vlad Guerrero Jr. hitting at least two Home-Runs in the 6th Game for the Championship as this writer believes that he is the real deal and in my mind that is the determining factor in him taking home the 2025 World Series MVP. When looking at each team's defense I would say that the Jays are a little better than the Dodgers and that will be seen in this World Series by the play of Vlad Guerrero Jr. (the 2025 1st Baseman Gold Glove winner), Daulton Varsho in Centerfield (the 2024 Gold Glove winner), Andres Gimenez at Shortstop or second base (a former Gold Glove winner at second base) - alongside other second base and third base defensive standouts Ernie Clement, Addison Barger, and Isiah Kiner Falefa.
When looking at intangibles like the depth of the bench I give the nod to my hometown Toronto Blue Jays. Defense and bench to me are as important as each teams' sluggers, as many times its' players like Dusty Rhodes and Nippy Jones that win you World Series in the end. In 1954 Dusty Rhodes, a journeyman ballplayer with the New York Giants was 4-6 with 2 Home-Runs and seven RBI's to help win the World Series for the New York Giants. By the way, he wasn't the World Series MVP that year as the Majors didn't have a World Series MVP Award to that date. Had Major League Baseball instituted a World Series MVP for 1954 Dusty Rhodes would surely have won. In 1957 there was an incident in a World Series game between the New York Yankees and the victorious Milwaukee Braves that will forever be etched in my head. Nippy Jones, a journeyman outfielder with the Braves was up to bat when the ball was pitched and grazed off his shoe. The Umpire rules that it was just a ball and that it didn't hit Jones. Funny thing is that when the ball was in the Catchers mitt, Jones pointed out to the Umpire to check the ball as he wore Black shoes that day. The Umpire looked at the ball in the Catcher's hand and saw Black shoe polish on the ball and awarded him 1st base. The Braves came back from a deficit in the game, won the game and the World Series to boot. The intangibles of defense is paramount to any team in MLB history that ever won the World Series, and a strong account of the iconic Willie Mays basket catch in the 1954 World Series (an image I put on the front cover of my Baseball book 'Eyes Within the Diamond') is an indicator of who wins the game. Had it not been for 'the catch' Vic Wertz could have essentially had the game winning hit in that game which would have influenced the series to the Cleveland Indians favour. Had it not been for Brooks Robinson in the 1970 World Series the Baltimore Orioles would have lost to the Cincinnati Reds as he was by far the best player in that World Series both offensively AND defensively and couldn't have been replaced by the O's had he not been healthy and been able to play in that World Series.
On the bench for the Toronto Blue Jays;
1. Tyler Heineman (bats both) - had a career year as our back-up Catcher
2. Isiah Kiner Falefa - is a strong two way player at 2nd and 3rd base
3. Davis Schneider - a good right-handed bat to come off the bench or start in left-field if need be.
4. Joey Loperfido (bats left) - a lefty bat that could bring home dividends if used in this World Series
On the bench for the Los Angeles Dodgers;
1. Ben Rortvedt (bats left) - a rookie Catcher with minimal expectations going into the playoffs who's had success as a batter in pinch hit roles this post-season
2. Hyeseong Kim (bats left)- an excellent backup or replacement at 2nd or third base
3. Michael Conforto (bats left) - backup outfielder who had a tough year, but could be a tough left-handed bat off the bench
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