After a long, hard-fought series between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Seattle Mariners, the World Series matchup between the Blue Jays and the Dodgers is set.
With a 4-3 win against Seattle in Game 7 of the ALCS, the Blue Jays have claimed their final spot in the Fall Classic for the first time since 1993. They’ve done so thanks to a remarkable comeback that saw them become the first team since the 1996 Yankees to win a best-of-seven series after losing the first two games at home.
Game 7 alone featured another comeback by Toronto; they trailed 3-1 in the bottom of the seventh inning before a heroic three-run home run by George Springer gave the Blue Jays the 4-3 lead they would keep for the rest of the night. It was a heartbreaking loss for Seattle, who remain the only team to never have played in a World Series, but a moment of elation for the fans in Rogers Centre.
The Dodgers, meanwhile, had a much more painless path to the World Series. They swept the Cincinnati Reds in the Wild Card series, lost only one game against the Philadelphia Phillies, and finished their journey by sweeping the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS.
The Brewers were the best team in the MLB during the regular season but were simply overwhelmed by the Dodgers. Milwaukee only scored four runs across 36 innings of baseball. Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles’s two-way star, had one of the most dominant playoff performances in history during Game 4 as he hit 3 home runs and struck out 10 batters from the mound.
So, who has the upper hand going into the World Series? Literally speaking, the Blue Jays have home field advantage as they won just one more game than the Dodgers during the regular season. But the Dodgers have a much stronger starting rotation, complete with Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Ohtani. All four have been lights-out throughout the postseason, while the Blue Jays’ pitching staff has been more prone to slipups.
Offensively, the Blue Jays have been more consistent. The Dodgers’ may have more recognizable names, but Toronto has been producing up and down the lineup. Yes, their star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has undeniably been their best hitter, but utility-man Ernie Clement has hit .429 with an OPS over 1.000, and Nathan Lukes and Addison Barger have also shown up in the big moments. The Dodgers, meanwhile, have lacked any standout performers and are striking out much more frequently, but it remains difficult to bet against them on the biggest stage.
All this in mind, the World Series should be evenly matched. The Dodgers have a penchant for playoff success, while the Blue Jays haven’t had any for thirty-two years – but will that longing for a title help Toronto, or hurt them?
The World Series will kick off Friday, October 24th on FOX.
