As electric as the defending-champion Los Angeles Dodgers have looked this postseason, they’re still the road team against the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2025 World Series – and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has respect for their upcoming opponent.
“They’re really athletic. [George] Springer, who’s a big-game player, he’s on a heater right now, had a great last couple months. Vladimir [Guerrero Jr.] scraps the heck out of me. They’re just a gritty tough. They’re very similar to our club,” Roberts said about the Blue Jays on Thursday’s edition of “The Herd.”
“And they’re tough. I think [General manager] Ross Atkins and [president] Mark Shapiro have done a great job with this club. [Trey] Yesavage, we don’t know him, so there’s some unfamiliarity there, but it’s going to be a great series.”
Toronto defeated the New York Yankees in four games in the American League Division Series and then defeated the Seattle Mariners in seven games in the AL Championship Series.
The Blue Jays have been tearing the cover off the ball this postseason, having hit 20 home runs over 11 games and leading MLB in all three slash line categories (.296/.355/.523). Guerrero has totaled six home runs and 12 RBIs, while sporting a .442/.510/.930 slash line; infielder Ernie Clement is hitting .429; the previously mentioned Springer hit a go-ahead, three-run home run in the seventh inning of Game 7 of the ALCS, putting the Blue Jays up for good; star shortstop and two-time All-Star Bo Bichette could potentially return for the World Series.
In the regular season, Toronto was first in MLB in hits (1,461) and on-base percentage (.333), fourth in runs (798) and tied for seventh in slugging percentage (.427). This unit will go up against a Los Angeles starting rotation, which is headlined by Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani, that owns a combined 1.40 ERA through 10 postseason games.
Meanwhile, Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman has shined in his four playoff appearances and three starts, recording a 2.00 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in 18 innings pitched; Yesavage, who’s starting Game 1 for Toronto, has had his moments, particularly posting 11 strikeouts and throwing 5.1 no-hit innings in Game 2 of the ALDS.
That said, Toronto’s bullpen owns a collective 5.52 ERA this postseason. Granted, the Dodgers’ bullpen sports a collective 4.88 ERA this month. As for Los Angeles, it swept the Cincinnati Reds in the Wild Card Series, beat the Philadelphia Phillies in four games in the NLDS and swept the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS.
Game 1 of the 2025 World Series is Friday night at 8 p.m. ET and can be viewed on FOX and the FOX Sports app.
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