World Series has global implications

By David Mullen

The 2025 World Series begins at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada on Friday, Oct. 24, as the Blue Jays, powered by a first baseman who was born in Montreal, raised in the Dominican Republic and is the son of a Hall of Famer, hosts the Los Angeles Dodgers, led by a baseball unicorn from Mizusawa, Japan and a manager born in Okinawa.

For once, the World Series has taken on global proportions. 

It is the first time since 1993 that the Fall Classic will be played outside of the U.S. Thirty-two years ago, the Blue Jays won the World Series on a Joe Carter Game 6 walk-off home run, which beat the Philadelphia Phillies. Toronto superstar Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., son of Hall of Famer and former Texas Ranger Vladimir Guerrero, wasn’t born until 1999.

The defending World Series Champion Dodgers can become the first back-to-back champions since the New York Yankees in 1999 and 2000. Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts, who was born in Japan while his Marine father was stationed there, is seeking his fourth World Series ring.

When Shohei Ohtani left Japan for MLB, he signed a six-year contract in 2018 with the Los Angeles Angels. The Angels have never captivated Southern California baseball fans like the Dodgers, but signing the highly regarded Ohtani made the Angels relevant. Ohtani, while delivering on his promise of an explosive bat and 100 mph fastballs, never brought the Angels a championship, let alone a division title.

When Ohtani became a free agent after the 2023 season, he was seriously wooed by the Blue Jays. While the Winter Meeting dealings were underway in Nashville, the Toronto brass was at their Florida baseball complex in Dunedin making a big play for Ohtani. Enticements included a locker with Ohtani Blue Jays jerseys and his dog, Decoy, running up to him at the facility sporting a Canadian maple leaf sweater.   

Alas, Otahni got away, like a stubborn flounder hooked off the Gulf Coast of Florida. The Dodgers reeled in Ohtani with a 10-year, $700 million contract ladened with deferred payments, a clause Toronto reportedly did not offer. Signing Ohtani might have prevented Toronto from giving Guerrero, Jr. a $500 million extension, but it might have gotten the Blue Jays to the World Series one season sooner. 

In the deciding Game 4 win in the National League Championship against the Milwaukee Brewers that sent the Dodgers to their franchise’s 23rd World Series, Ohtani had the greatest game in baseball history.

He was the starting pitcher, pitched 6 innings (100 pitches), struck out 10 batters and got the win while going 3-3 with 3 home runs at the plate. Even Babe Ruth never had a game of such magnitude. Ohtani is the Ruth of the cell phone generation. 

In looking back at the 2025 season, the two best teams won their league championships. The Dodgers battled in the highly competitive NL West, where the San Diego Padres were the pursuers and the San Francisco Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks ran out of gas. Toronto fought off the privileged Yankees and pesky Red Sox in the AL East and beat the Seattle Mariners in an entertaining seven-game championship series.  

While Ohtani and Guerrero, Jr. will get the early headlines, it is typically a little-known player that becomes a World Series hero. Think Bill Mazeroski, Gene Tenace, Scott Brosius, Bucky Dent and David Freese from Series’ past. 

The top of the Dodgers lineup — Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman — are former league MVPs. Catcher Will Smith, coming back from a late season injury, is a force at and behind the plate. But it is the unsung players like Tommy Edman, Max Muncy and Kike Hernandez who could emerge as stars.

At press time, it appears that the Blue Jays will get starting SS Bo Bichette back into the lineup. Bichette will probably DH, moving Game 7 AL Championship Series hero George Springer to the outfield. Little known players Ernie Clement, Daulton Varsho and former Ranger Isiah Kiner-Falefa may get reduced roles but will still have a chance to shine.

The Dodgers’ starting rotation has been impressive in the playoffs, averaging more than six innings with a 1.40 ERA and 81 strikeouts. Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who tossed a complete game in the NLCS, will start Games 1 and 2 in Toronto. There is always Ohtani waiting in the wings for a start at Dodgers Stadium. 

Toronto will juggle Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber and rookie Trey Yesavage to create a starting rotation. The bullpen has been unreliable, but Blue Jays manager John Schneider may have found a closer in journeyman Jeff Hoffman. 

Managers typically overmanage pitchers in the playoffs. I’d expect both teams to use all available pitchers, which would include a final appearance by the Dodgers and Highland Park’s Clayton Kershaw, who retires after an 18-year Hall of Fame career.    

The Los Angeles Dodgers will win the 2025 World Series in six games, although the World Series may have been won in 2024. LA got Ohtani. Toronto got an empty locker.