If the Los Angeles Dodgers are to turn out to be the primary back-to-back World Sequence champions for the reason that 1998-2000 New York Yankees, they should undergo the Toronto Blue Jays. The Blue Jays punched their ticket to the Fall Basic with a Sport 7 win over the Seattle Mariners on Monday evening as George Springer hit a game-winning house run. That is Toronto’s first World Sequence look since 1993, once they received their second consecutive title.

The Dodgers completely dismantled the Milwaukee Brewers, homeowners of MLB’s finest report throughout the common season, within the NLCS to return to the World Sequence. They’re the primary defending champion to succeed in the World Sequence the following season for the reason that 2008-09 Philadelphia Phillies, and, in quite a lot of methods, this yr’s Dodgers are higher than final yr’s.

On the mound, Tyler Glasnow is L.A.’s worst starter, and he is fairly darn good. Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and the singular Shohei Ohtani have all pitched like aces the previous few weeks they usually’re all wholesome. Ohtani additionally offers impression on the plate, as evidenced by his historic three-home run efficiency within the pennant-clinching NLCS Sport 4 win.

As for the Blue Jays, they’ve ridden a high-powered offense to seven wins in 11 postseason video games. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been one of the best hitter on the planet this month and is doing nearly every part he can to carry a championship to Toronto. Others like George Springer, Ernie Clement, and Andrés Giménez have come up huge at instances this postseason as effectively.

Toronto’s pitching employees is neither as deep nor as star-studded as L.A.’s, however it’s formidable. Rookie righty Trey Yesavage has proven himself to be unfazed by postseason stress and veteran starters Shane Bieber, Kevin Gausman, and Max Scherzer have confirmed their postseason chops. The bullpen will be shaky, although the identical is true of the Dodgers.

The Blue Jays (94-68) would be the house workforce over the Dodgers (93-69) within the World Sequence as a result of that they had the higher regular-season report. Right here now’s the schedule for the 2025 World Sequence. All video games will be streamed on fubo (attempt without cost).

2025 World Sequence schedule

2025 World Sequence odds

Odds by way of Caesars Sportsbook

• Dodgers: -230
• Blue Jays: +190

Sport 1 storylines

Dodgers: The Dodgers try to turn out to be Main League Baseball’s first repeat World Sequence champions for the reason that New York Yankees received three consecutive titles from 1998-2000. Moreover, the Dodgers are, by far, the extra skilled membership on this setting. Los Angeles could have now appeared in 5 of the final 9 World Sequence, together with three of the previous six.

Blue Jays: The Blue Jays are of their first World Sequence since 1993, once they received their second title in a row. Toronto grew to become simply the third membership within the final 20 years to beat a 2-0 deficit in a best-of-seven collection, with the others being the Arizona Diamondbacks (in 2023) and the Dodgers (in 2020).

Sport 1 prediction

I picked Los Angeles to win the entire thing heading into the postseason, and I’ve to face by that now. The Dodgers have been the higher workforce throughout the common season, when it comes to run differential, even when that they had the more severe report. Most significantly, the Dodgers now have a wholesome rotation. I feel that’ll show to be the distinction, beginning with a good victory right here in Sport 1. I am going to say 3-2 Dodgers. — R.J. Anderson