The 2025 World Series is back in Canada for Game 6 on Friday night with the Toronto Blue Jays one win away from dethroning the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Will the Blue Jays finish the deal at Rogers Centre or will the Dodgers find a way to rebound? And who is the World Series MVP through five games?
Our MLB experts break down what Toronto and L.A. must do in the final game(s) of this Fall Classic.
How surprised are you that this series is heading back to Toronto with the Blue Jays up 3-2?
David Schoenfield: Hey, I picked the Blue Jays in seven, and one of the main reasons I went with them has come into play: concern about the Dodgers’ bats. They’re hitting just .201 in the World Series and .236 overall in the postseason (and .214 since the start of the NLDS, while averaging just 3.5 runs per game).
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It feels like unless Shohei Ohtani is hitting the ball over the fence, they’re going to have problems scoring runs. Mookie Betts’ struggles are especially problematic: He’s 3-for-23 in the World Series without an extra-base hit or RBI. He has six hard-hit balls (95-plus mph), but only one ball in play at 100 mph, and he’s 1-for-6 in those six plate appearances.
Jorge Castillo: I wouldn’t have been surprised if presented with this scenario before the series started since I picked the Blue Jays to win in seven games. But I thought Toronto was in trouble after not only losing Game 3 in that fashion but losing George Springer to injury. The Blue Jays bouncing back from those two setbacks — beating Shohei Ohtani in Game 4 before Trey Yesavage made more history in Game 5 — was beyond impressive.
Who is the MVP of this series through the first five games?
Jesse Rogers: With all due respect to what young Yesavage did in Game 5, the Blue Jays would have no chance in this series without the contributions of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. He’s been the most constant — as well as dominant — hitter on any team this postseason, this series included. That’s saying something considering some of Ohtani’s heroics, but that’s how good Guerrero has been. He’s hitting .364 with two important home runs in Games 4 and 5. He might be your MVP no matter what happens in Games 6 and 7.
Alden Gonzalez: I agree with Jesse on Vlad. But Addison Barger actually has a higher OPS than Vlad in this series, at 1.147. And Alejandro Kirk is right behind Barger at 1.125. And so, even though it’s obviously not possible, I’d like to give the MVP to this entire Blue Jays offense — for doing what the Milwaukee Brewers couldn’t against a dominant rotation, and for showing the Dodgers what is possible against the high-end pitching teams face this time of year.
The Blue Jays have been without Springer over these last couple of games and are playing a very limited Bo Bichette, and yet they’ve outscored the Dodgers by 11 runs in this series and by a whopping 36 runs in the entire postseason. In all three of their wins, they’ve perfectly followed the blueprint to beat this Dodgers pitching staff — make the starting pitcher work, then tee off on the middle relievers.
What do you expect for Yamamoto vs. Gausman 2.0 in Game 6 after their Game 2 pitching duel?
Bradford Doolittle: Yoshinobu Yamamoto is on a roll. The Dodgers’ offense is very much not. That suggests a low-scoring duel and a game decided by one or two runs. The chances of Yamamoto throwing another nine are slim from a pure probability standpoint, and frankly the Dodgers shouldn’t need him to do it with just two more games to cover and the availability of starters like Ohtani and Blake Snell in the bullpen for an all-hands-on-deck Game 7.
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After the 15 whiffs in Game 5, the Dodgers will be antsy for contact and it’ll be telling how aggressive they are against Gausman early on. It’s a tough balance. Kevin Gausman will walk guys, but you can’t be too passive with him because he’ll bury you once he gets the edge in a count. It’ll be a great cat-and-mouse game on both sides.
Castillo: Another duel. Yamamoto has been the best pitcher in this postseason and nothing suggests he’s about to get roughed up. A third straight complete game is asking for a lot, but he should give the Dodgers at least a quality start. On the other side, Gausman has been very good in the playoffs and matched Yamamoto in Game 2 until the seventh inning. The struggling Dodgers offense might not need much to support Yamamoto, but Gausman won’t make it easy.
The Blue Jays will be World Series champions if …
Rogers: They simply keep the pressure on at the plate. Despite some stellar moments on the mound for the Dodgers, Toronto’s pesky lineup has caused just enough havoc to earn a series lead. If they don’t get much off Dodgers starters the next game or perhaps two, their ability to add on late against L.A.’s pen is always a threat. Toronto has proven it has the lengthier and better lineup so far. It’s their key to winning this weekend.
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Schoenfield: Vlad Jr. keeps hitting bombs. The Jays can win without him — they won Game 7 of the ALCS even though he went 1-for-4 without a run or RBI — but he is, as Reggie Jackson might say, the straw that stirs the drink.
As alluded to above, even if they lose Game 6, at least knocking out Yamamoto and forcing Dave Roberts to use Roki Sasaki will be another key. It feels like if it goes to a Game 7, Roberts’ circle of trust might be limited to starter Tyler Glasnow, Sasaki, Ohtani and maybe Snell. Glasnow has topped out at six innings in his three playoff starts, so if the Blue Jays can at least force Sasaki into Game 6, maybe that limits Roberts’ relief options in Game 7 — or forces him to use someone else from an unreliable bullpen.
The Dodgers can force a Game 7 (and win it) if …
Doolittle: For me, Game 6 is the Blue Jays’ best chance to close out the series. I just like the Dodgers’ pitching outlook for a Game 7 much more, from the starter to the options in expanded bullpens. They have to get to Gausman early on the scoreboard, ideally by stringing some disciplined at-bats together that revs up his pitch count.
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I feel like Yamamoto, complete game or not, will pull his weight. But one or two or more of the Dodgers’ struggling stars have to remind us of why L.A.’s offense was such a beast during the regular season, because you can’t count on the Blue Jays’ offense being completely shut down. They are just too consistent.
Gonzalez: Their offense gets back to manufacturing runs. The Dodgers are slashing just .214/.306/.360 since the wild-card round. In that stretch, they’ve scored three or more runs in just three of their 123 half-innings. Two players in particular need to step up: Mookie Betts, who hits between Ohtani and Freddie Freeman but is just 3-for-23 in the World Series; and Alex Call, who will probably replace the struggling Andy Pages in the No. 9 spot once again and who needs to reach base so that the top of the lineup can see more RBI opportunities.
