NEW YORK, NY — Last time the Blue Jays won the World Series was in 1993 with Joe Carter hitting a game-winning home run at the Sky Dome up in Toronto, Canada. Last year, it was the Dodgers over the Yankees in the Bronx.
The Dodgers on Friday evening seek to become back-to-back World Series champions for the first time since the Yankees (1998-99) who went on and won a third straight in 2000. This time, the stage is set with the Dodgers and Blue Jays, a culmination and pinnacle for every player that takes the field during the long 162 game regular season schedule and postseason.
The Dodgers and Blue Jays open up the 2025 World Series Friday night with Game 1 in Toronto – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
Yet the times have changed in the 32 years since that Carter home run. So many different complications of baseball rules, dimensions of outfields, baseballs they pitch and hit, uniforms, and that word, analytics.
Hey, who said baseball, America’s pastime, was supposed to be perfect?
Regardless this is the World Series, late October baseball and two teams vying for a trophy that is symbolic of excellence. Also add the revenue of a World Series and divided shares. The revenue sharing of two teams in the spotlight, the Dodgers have become that version of those Yankees dynasty World Series championship teams under the late owner George Steinbrenner and manager Joe Torre.
As Game 1 arrives Friday night, Shohei Ohtani is coming off one of the most memorable postseason performances of all time in Game 4 of the NLCS – Image Credit: Amber Douglas Rodriguez/Latino Sports
Much has changed since then. Managers and players come and go. It’s now the Rogers Centre in Toronto.
The Dodgers who struggled and too many projected to be here on one side, and the Blue Jays, a last place finish last year and overtaking the Yankees via a tie breaker for the AL East division crown on the other.
The Brewers and their best record in baseball are gone, the Phillies came up short again, the Padres also. The Mets with Juan Soto never had an opportunity after a swoon in June and team payroll of $350 million. Soto was supposed to bring the Mets to their first World Series since 2015.
The Mets landed Juan Soto in the offseason, signing him to a historic deal, but failed to make the postseason in 2025 – Image Credit: Simon Lindenblatt/Latino Sports
As the old saying says, this is baseball. A best of seven series for the Fall Classic as MLB and fans would love a decisive Game 7. This has the potential to go the entire route and the Blue Jays with virtue of a better in season record have home field advantage. At home, they play well with a record of 54-17 opposed to 40-41 on the road. The Dodgers with all their illustrious history winners of the NL West, 52-29 at home, 41-40 away from Chavez Ravine.
Could this be a win for Toronto with a hold field advantage? Possibly that home cooking will work. Then again the Blue Jays overcame a 0-2 deficit in the ALCS, had no chance against the Mariners and took the series to a Game 7 win at home.
There is the spotlight on the Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani who deserve to be here, two who are considered superstars of baseball, their stats and athleticism tell the story. It will be magnificent baseball with Ohtani bound to pitch and DH, Guerrero leading postseason players in most of the major offensive categories including six home runs.
“Pitching and defense will win,” said a NL scout who has seen his share of Dodgers and Blue Jays postseason games up front. “The Dodgers have that with momentum. My only concern is will the momentum carry with the long hiatus the Dodgers had,” citing their four-game NLCS sweep over the Brewers.
Pitching may make or break this best of seven Fall Classic between the Dodgers and Blue Jays – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
But the Dodgers do pitch well. Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Tyler Glasnow with a 1.40 ERA in the postseason, all rebounding after sustaining injuries and overcoming. The lone question for the Dodgers is a shaky bullpen, but these starters will pitch deep and a potent offense has capability of scoring runs.
Contrast the Blue Jays and there is more than Guerrero Jr.
Bo Bichette returns to the roster though we seen their infield defense get even better with Andrés Giménez stepping up this postseason. Guerrero Jr. and George Springer will be in the lineup every game for manager John Schneider. Springer with a dramatic Game 7 ALCS home run is a threat, third among best home run hitters in postseason history.
“The Jays have role players, many,” said the scout. Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Nathan Lukes come into the picture. In addition to Ernie Clement, the Blue Jays have what is needed to be here, except many perceived the home run hitting Yankees and Dodgers were going to replay the World Series of 2024.
Said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, “The ability to manage moments, your heartbeat, is advantageous, especially in a seven-game series. So I think that we’re equipped to play well, and we’re facing a very good ball club. But, yeah, I like the experience, but I also like the enthusiasm that those guys have. And we have some of those guys too.”
Dave Roberts has full confidence in his team as LA looks to win back-to-back World Series championships – Image Credit: Francisco Rodriguez/Latino Sports
It was last year when the Dodgers got that Game 5 World Series win in the Bronx as they took advantage of the mistakes. This time, the Blue Jays can also capitalize on the errors, pitch, and come up with the timely hit.
Don’t forget this is the pinnacle, down 2-0 in the World Series, and neither team will succumb to this World Series ending in a sweep. This indeed has a potential of going seven games.
All of Canada and the Dominican Republic will be rooting on Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in this World Series as the 26-year-old face of the franchise was born in Montreal, Canada and grew up in the D.R. – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
I like the Dodgers in seven, they have the edge in pitching if it carries over to the World Series. Regardless, this series has the potential to be great, with lots of storylines. And a matter of who has the trophy? Who carries the torch and is named MVP?
Enjoy, it’s the World Series. It’s baseball in late October and a long Winter again counting the days until another Opening Day in late March of 2026.
Rich Mancuso is a senior writer and columnist at LatinoSports.com – X: @Ring786, Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso
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