B/R MLB Staff 2025 World Series Bracket Picks, Predictions for Dodgers vs. Blue Jays
The 2025 World Series is just about here, with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays set for Game 1 at the Rogers Centre on Friday. It could take as many as seven games to determine the winner.
For the time being, the Bleacher Report MLB staff has takes and predictions for what everyone is about to see. Tim Kelly, Kerry Miller, Joel Reuter and Zach Rymer got together to answer the following questions:
- Which team has the stronger home-field advantage?
- Who or what is the biggest X-factor for each team?
- Who will be the unexpected offensive star and unexpected pitching star?
- Who has the better offense?
- Who has the better pitching staff?
- Which team will win the World Series? In how many games?
- Which player will be the World Series LVP (Least Valuable Player)?
- Which player will win World Series MVP?
Without further delay, let's get into it.
Which Team Has the Stronger Home-Field Advantage?
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Tim Kelly
These are two strong fanbases, but the Blue Jays are hosting a World Series for the first time since 1993. And this time, they are the only team representing the entire country of Canada. So I'd lean the Rogers Centre.
Kerry Miller
In the Dodgers' postseason opener, the Reds took what had been a blowout and made things interesting in the eighth inning. And while all of us were glued to our televisions, we couldn't help but notice the sheer volume of empty seats behind the plate at Dodger Stadium, as making sure to beat the traffic was evidently more important than making sure to beat Cincinnati.
Meanwhile, the Rogers Centre seemed to be thumping all season, as the Blue Jays came one victory shy of the best home record in the majors. Advantage: Toronto.
Joel Reuter
The Blue Jays showed just how loud the Rogers Centre can get when George Springer hit his game-winning home run in Game 7 of the ALCS, and the fanbase is hungry for a title in Toronto's first trip to the Fall Classic since 1993 and first trip beyond the Wild Card Round since 2016. The Dodgers outdraw every other team in baseball, but Blue Jays fans bring a hockey level of intensity to playoff baseball.
Zach Rymer
Between the regular season and the postseason, the Blue Jays have gone 58-29 at the Rogers Centre, while the Dodgers have gone 57-30 at Dodger Stadium. So, there goes any notion this mystery could be solved objectively.
What I can tell you is that it came as a shock when I saw the Rogers Centre's capacity is about 10,000 fans short of that of Dodger Stadium. It sounds a lot louder than that. And after 32 years without a World Series appearance, Blue Jays fans have every reason to out-shout and out-boo their counterparts in Los Angeles.
Who or What Is the Biggest X-Factor for Each Team?
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Tim Kelly
Roki Sasaki has emerged as a legitimate closer. His ability to continue thriving in that role is the biggest X-factor for the Dodgers. For the Blue Jays, it's easily whether Bo Bichette can play, and how effective he'll be.
Kerry Miller
For the Dodgers, the X-factor is the bullpen, and whether the Blue Jays can force them to use it. Seven pitchers made at least eight starts during the regular season for them, and those seven have combined for 79.1 of the 92.0 innings pitched thus far. The more Blake Treinen we see, the better Toronto's chances.
And for the Blue Jays, the X-factor is Bichette, who hasn't played in nearly seven weeks, but who said he'll be ready for the World Series. If he's back and hitting like usual, getting him into the lineup instead of Isiah Kiner-Falefa is a game-changer.
Joel Reuter
The Dodgers have entrusted some high-leverage situations to Sasaki out of necessity this October. And while he has been up to the challenge to this point, the relief corps as a whole remains the biggest question mark on a loaded roster.
As for the Blue Jays, their starters have turned in just one quality start through 11 games while averaging roughly 4.2 innings per start, so getting one or more extended outings from Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber, Trey Yesavage and Max Scherzer could swing the series.
Zach Rymer
The Dodgers are only going to keep their playoff roll going if their starters continue to dominate as they have been to the tune of a 1.40 ERA. And after whupping a talented Mariners rotation for a 6.59 ERA in the ALCS, the Blue Jays are going to put the L.A. starters to the test.
That said, the Blue Jays need the bottom of their lineup to show up again if they want to match the Dodgers offensively. Their 7-8-9 spots somehow slugged .500 in the ALCS, with even Andrés Giménez pitching in two huge home runs after going deep only seven times in the regular season.
Who Will Be the Unexpected Offensive Star and Unexpected Pitching Star?
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Tim Kelly
The Dodgers have so much star power it's hard for anyone to come up out of nowhere. So, I'll go Blue Jays in this category.
Max Scherzer was an unexpected star in the ALCS, and the Blue Jays need one more legendary performance from the 41-year-old. Meanwhile, Addison Barger hit 21 home runs during the regular season and delivered another Game 6 ALCS blast. He'll need to have a big series for Toronto to pull off the upset.
Kerry Miller
Give me Daulton Varsho for unexpected offensive star. He hit 20 home runs in just 271 plate appearances during the regular season and always has been a pretty streaky slugger, as evidenced by his five extra base hits in the first two games of this postseason, followed by one double in the next nine games.
And for unexpected pitching star, how about Trey Yesavage? Since making his MLB debut in mid-September, he and his splitter have quickly become a cult hero. Toronto hasn't announced plans for its rotation, but he'll probably pitch Game 2 and will determine whether his team has a real chance to win this series.
Joel Reuter
Addison Barger had a breakout season for the Blue Jays, posting a 105 OPS+ with 21 home runs and 74 RBI, but he hit just .217 through his first six games this postseason.
He started to heat up as the ALCS unfolded, going 5-for-12 with a double and a home run in the last four games, which could carry over to a big World Series performance.
On the mound, keep an eye on Emmet Sheehan, who quietly posted a 2.82 ERA in 73.1 innings after returning from Tommy John surgery and could make a multi-inning impact if one of the Dodgers starters gets into early trouble.
Zach Rymer
Both lineups are so deep that it's hard to make a pick for the unexpected offensive star. Yet it still feels like we have not fully woken up to the Ernie Clement experience. His .429 batting average in the playoffs reflects how he's been a line-drive machine.
Like Captain Ahab in Moby Dick, the Dodgers need to set aside a doubloon for anyone who can get Vladimir Guerrero Jr. out. I'm looking at Emmet Sheehan and his fastball-slider combination as the best candidates for the job.
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Who Has the Better Offense?
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Tim Kelly
The Blue Jays have outscored everyone this postseason thanks to the heroics of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. But even if Bo Bichette is back, I'm not going to go against the trio of Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, especially when Teoscar Hernández and Kiké Hernandez have established themselves as great October performers as well.
Kerry Miller
The Dodgers have more star power in their offense, to the point where the 7-hole has been occupied by Max Muncy and his three consecutive seasons of slugging at least .470, with annual October hero Kiké Hernández slotted right behind him.
But it's the Blue Jays who have had the better offense in October. They're batting .296 and slugging .523 as a team, while the Dodgers have been held to five runs or fewer in eight consecutive games. Doesn't mean either trend will continue, but Toronto enters Friday with the much hotter bats.
Joel Reuter
The Blue Jays have put double-digit runs on the board three times already this postseason, and Guerrero is swinging perhaps the hottest bat on the planet right now, but it's tough to pick against the Dodgers.
With a lineup that features Ohtani, Freeman and Betts, they are anchored by three future Hall of Famers. And guys such as Max Muncy, Teoscar Hernández, Will Smith and 2024 NLCS MVP Tommy Edman are also more than capable of making a major impact.
Zach Rymer
The Dodgers hit 53 more home runs than the Blue Jays this season, which is close to one Ohtani's worth (55) of dingers. And yet the Dodgers only outscored the Blue Jays by 27 runs, which speaks to how there is offensive value to be mined from having the league's lowest strikeout rate.
Meanwhile, the Blue Jays have a 143 wRC+ for the postseason. It's the fifth-best mark for a single postseason in history, and it isn't just depth fueling it. Guerrero and George Springer are locked all the way in, making it that much easier to believe this offense can't be stopped.
Who Has the Better Pitching Staff?
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Tim Kelly
This one is a no-brainer for the Dodgers. There were serious questions entering the postseason about their bullpen, but Roki Sasaki has been great. Dave Roberts also hasn't had to lean on the bullpen much because Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and Shohei Ohtani have all had dominant outings.
Kerry Miller
It's the Dodgers, and it's not even close. It's also the reason most are expecting Los Angeles to win in either four or five games. If you were to rank the best pitchers in this World Series, the top four are Snell, Yamamoto, Glasnow and Ohtani in some order.
And with all due respect to Kevin Gausman, I'd even accept arguments for Roki Sasaki at No. 5 on that list, given how seamlessly he has become an unhittable closer.
Toronto needs to find some way to put up crooked numbers against a staff that has allowed one run in each of its last five games.
Joel Reuter
Even with questions surrounding their bullpen, the Dodgers starting rotation is enough to make them the clear pick for best pitching staff.
With eight quality starts in 10 games and a 1.40 ERA in 64.1 innings, the starting staff of Yamamoto, Snell, Glasnow and Ohtani is capable of being the dominant storyline all World Series and silencing the Blue Jays offense from the get-go.
Zach Rymer
Let's not overthink this: It's the Dodgers. Even if their bullpen is very much suspect outside of Sasaki, the Blue Jays don't have much of an advantage there in their own right. And they don't have half the rotation the Dodgers do.
L.A. starters had a league-best 2.73 ERA after the trade deadline, and they've kicked it up another notch with a 1.40 ERA in October. That comes with a 33.5 strikeout rate, which resembles a threat even to a high-contact offense like Toronto's.
Which Team Will Win the World Series? In How Many Games?
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Tim Kelly
The Dodgers have a scary mix of being the most talented team in baseball and having peaked at the exact right time. I'm betting that carries over despite a layoff and they complete a gentleman's sweep in five games.
Kerry Miller
After Game 7 of the ALCS, I dedicated an entire column to the notion that the Blue Jays are the ideal team to topple the vaunted Dodgers. And despite not even remotely believing it myself when I started writing it, I do think they could pull it off.
By Game 1 on Friday, Los Angeles will have gone six days since last playing and had already been pretty mediocre on offense, save for Shohei Ohtani's 3 HR, 10 K extravaganza.
If Toronto can jump on Blake Snell early in Game 1—a colossal if—it'll set the tone for a potential stunner. Give me the Blue Jays in seven, and a double order of chocolate-glazed Timbits.
Joel Reuter
If the Dodgers win Game 1 in Toronto after a six-day layoff, it's going to be a sweep.
The last team to pull that off was the 2012 San Francisco Giants over the Detroit Tigers, and there have only been four World Series sweeps in the last 25 years, but this L.A. team is on another level right now.
Zach Rymer
It doesn't take many leaps of the imagination to envision the Blue Jays winning this series. Their home-field advantage is legit, and the hype train for their offense seems unstoppable.
Yet I find myself thinking about whether I trust Toronto's bats against Los Angeles' arms more than I trust Los Angeles' bats against Toronto's arms. And I just don't, as the Blue Jays staff is just way too unpredictable after Kevin Gausman. I'll take the Dodgers in six.
Which Player Will Be the World Series LVP (Least Valuable Player)?
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Tim Kelly
Seranthony Domínguez and Jeff Hoffman are two of the nicest players I've covered, but neither has had a great season this year. I don't believe the Blue Jays have the bullpen to win this series, and I would guess one or both of them struggles.
Kerry Miller
If you take out Game 5 of last year's NLCS in which he hit a pair of home runs in a 12-6 loss to the Mets, Andy Pages is 4-for-50 with one RBI in 17 postseason games played. And this postseason, he is 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position, which is a spot you almost expect to find him in at least once per game with this lineup.
If that continues and he commits a key error in the field—hardly a stretch, considering he tied Oneil Cruz for most errors by an outfielder during the regular season before also committing one in the NLDS—he could become the scapegoat of a Dodgers loss.
Joel Reuter
The Dodgers are not going to give Vladimir Guerrero Jr. anything to hit if they're smart, and that means it will fall on Alejandro Kirk in the cleanup spot to pick up the run production slack. After a strong start to the postseason, he is 3-for-16 with six strikeouts and zero RBI in his last four games.
If that doesn't change, he will end up squandering more than a few scoring opportunities, which could be few and far between to begin with if the Dodgers starters keep dealing.
Zach Rymer
I'm with Tim in not liking this matchup for the Blue Jays bullpen, and for Hoffman in particular.
He did get better after August, but that was because he started using his slider nearly as often as his fastball. The Dodgers were one of the more dangerous teams against the slider this season, posting a run value of plus-19.
Unless he adjusts his pitch mix, Hoffman stands to get burned in what will surely be high-leverage spots.
Which Player Will Win World Series MVP?
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Tim Kelly
Some things in sports don't have to make sense. The last time Kiké Hernandez was a good regular-season player was probably 2021. Yet, every October, he looks like prime Derek Jeter. I'm done betting against him.
Kerry Miller
Three years ago, Jeremy Peña became the first player to be named the MVP of both the ALCS* and the World Series in the same year. But if the Blue Jays are going to win this, it's almost certainly going to be ALCS MVP Vladimir Guerrero Jr. leading the charge.
George Springer delivered the haymaker in Game 7, but Guerrero has a 1.440 OPS with six home runs in 11 games this postseason. Toronto has gone 6-1 when he drives in at least one run and 1-3 when he doesn't. He'll get a couple more dingers while staking his claim to the title of greatest Blue Jay of all time—before his 14-year, $500 million contract even begins.
*There have been eight instances of NLCS and WS MVP, but it curiously almost never happens for the AL.
Joel Reuter
Blake Snell has been fantastic all postseason with strong starts in the Wild Card Series (7.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 9 K), NLDS (6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 9 K) and NLCS (8.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 10 K), and he will take the ball in Game 1 on Friday night.
There is no reason to think he's going to slow down now, especially considering he worked just 61.1 innings during the regular season. And he is on a run similar to Stephen Strasburg in 2019 when he became the last pitcher to win World Series MVP honors.
Zach Rymer
Let's not overcomplicate this one, either: Shohei Ohtani is the obvious pick, so why waste it on anyone else?
When last anyone saw him, he was having the best playoff game in history in Game 4 of the NLCS: three home runs at the plate, and 10 strikeouts over six scoreless innings from the mound.
It redeemed what had been a quiet postseason, and you just know he wants to keep it going after he was too hurt to hit like himself in the World Series last year.
Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.
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