On Friday, the search for the 2025 World Sequence title begins in Toronto and there might be loads of fascinating angles when the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays sq. off.
Listed here are 5 fascinating storylines to comply with with the 2025 World Sequence:
1. Will the Dodgers “wreck baseball” with a win?
The Dodgers have heard all the discuss them shopping for a championship. Supervisor Dave Roberts leaned into the villain role after his staff swept the Milwaukee Brewers out of the NLCS, telling all who would pay attention, “Let’s get 4 extra wins and actually wreck baseball.”
Los Angeles is 9-1 this postseason and has appeared each bit the a part of the reigning MLB champions. A World Sequence win would make the Dodgers the primary repeat champs because the 1998-2000 New York Yankees and cement the franchise’s place because the staff of the last decade with a trio of World Sequence wins since 2020 dawned.
2. Can George Springer torment one more previous foe?
Springer got here by means of with the biggest moment of ALCS Game 7 towards the Seattle Mariners, a staff he tormented for years when he was with the Houston Astros. The boos from the Mariners crowd all through the ALCS have been a relentless reminder of Springer’s success towards their franchise by means of the years.
Dodgers followers perceive the wrath, with Springer incomes World Sequence MVP in 2017 because the Astros downed Los Angeles in seven video games. Springer hit 5 homers to earn that honor, one thing Dodgers followers gained’t overlook. Count on to listen to loads of boos each time Springer steps to the plate in Los Angeles.
3. What comes subsequent for Shohei Ohtani?
The final time we noticed Ohtani, he was making all types of historical past, befuddling the Brewers on the mound with 6.0 scoreless innings and 10 strikeouts whereas additionally hitting three dwelling runs.
So what can Ohtani do for an encore within the Fall Basic? Nicely, he can begin with enhancing upon his 2024 World Sequence efficiency when he went simply 2-for-19 (.105 batting common) towards the Yankees.
Ohtani has been up and down on the plate this postseason, going 1-for-18 (.056) within the NLDS towards the Philadelphia Phillies earlier than rebounding with a 5-for-14 (.357) efficiency towards Milwaukee. What sort of numbers will we see from the three-time MVP and what moments will he create?
4. A battle of aggressive groups
Irrespective of the way you spin it, this collection will spotlight a pair of baseball groups that aren’t afraid to spend and make daring choices on the MLB commerce deadline. The Dodgers’ $268M lively payroll is simply over $108M greater than the Blue Jays ($160.4M), however each groups have invested of their stars. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s 14-year, $500M contract kicks in subsequent yr whereas Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700M deal when he joined the Dodgers earlier than the 2024 season.
Keep in mind when the Blue Jays have been in the midst of the Ohtani free company chase throughout that offseason solely ultimately to lose out to the Dodgers? It makes for an enchanting “what if” state of affairs.
5. Worldwide showdown
The Blue Jays characterize a whole nation, bringing Canadian pleasure and a novel cross-border factor to the Fall Basic. That is Toronto’s first World Sequence look since its back-to-back titles in 1992-93, creating large nationwide curiosity north of the border whereas the Dodgers carry Hollywood glamour and considered one of baseball’s greatest fanbases.
This yr will actually be a World Sequence.
