The Rogers Center crowd erupted with Springer’s hit, who has 23 home runs in the postseason, tying Kyle Schwarber as the third leading hitter of all time in the playoffs. Toronto, which trailed 3-1, sealed its pass with an impeccable relief from Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt and Jeff Hoffman, who struck out all three batters in the ninth inning.
“The work is not finished. We need four more,” he declared. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., elected MVP of the Championship Series, after achieving the feat that revives the dream of an entire country
A historic comeback and a date with the champion
Toronto became the fourth team in MLB history to win a best-of-seven series after losing the first two games at home, something only the Royals (1985), Mets (1986) and Yankees (1996) had accomplished.
The rival will be luxury: the Los Angeles Dodgers, current champions, who swept the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League. The 2025 World Series will begin on Friday in Toronto, which will have home advantage after closing the regular season with 94 wins, one more than Los Angeles.
The duel will pit two of the greatest talents in baseball today: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Shohei Ohtani, in a confrontation that promises history and spectacle.
The Blue Jays in the Series
World Series: a success story
This will be Toronto’s third participation in the World Series, after winning the title in its two previous appearances:
1992: They beat the Atlanta Braves.
1993: They beat the Philadelphia Phillies with Joe Carter’s iconic home run.
“He is an inspiration to 41 million people in Canada, from coast to coast,” said Edward Rogers, president of the club.
World Series since 1993: champions and runners-up
Year Champion Runner-up
1993 Toronto Blue Jays Philadelphia Phillies
1995 Atlanta Braves Cleveland Indians
1996 New York Yankees Atlanta Braves
1997 Florida Marlins Cleveland Indians
1998 New York Yankees San Diego Padres
1999 New York Yankees Atlanta Braves
2000 New York Yankees New York Mets
2001 Arizona Diamondbacks New York Yankees
2002 Anaheim Angels San Francisco Giants
2003 Florida Marlins New York Yankees
2004 Boston Red Sox St. Louis Cardinals
2005 Chicago White Sox Houston Astros
2006 St. Louis Cardinals Detroit Tigers
2007 Boston Red Sox Colorado Rockies
2008 Philadelphia Phillies Tampa Bay Rays
2009 New York Yankees Philadelphia Phillies
2010 San Francisco Giants Texas Rangers
2011 St. Louis Cardinals Texas Rangers
2012 San Francisco Giants Detroit Tigers
2013 Boston Red Sox St. Louis Cardinals
2014 San Francisco Giants Kansas City Royals
2015 Kansas City Royals New York Mets
2016 Chicago Cubs Cleveland Indians
2017 Houston Astros Los Angeles Dodgers
2018 Boston Red Sox Los Angeles Dodgers
2019 Washington Nationals Houston Astros
2020 Los Angeles Dodgers Tampa Bay Rays
2021 Atlanta Braves Houston Astros
2022 Houston Astros Philadelphia Phillies
2023 Texas Rangers Arizona Diamondbacks
2024 Los Angeles Dodgers New York Yankees
Do the Blue Jays have enough to dethrone the Dodgers?
Toronto arrives in a state of grace, but Los Angeles is still the rival to beat.
Toronto Strengths
Mood momentum and fired-up offense: Guerrero Jr., Springer and Varsho are on a roll.
Solid bullpen: Gausman, Bassitt and Hoffman responded with solvency in key moments.
Home field advantage: Opening and possibly closing the series at home is a crucial factor.
Challenges against the Dodgers
Irregular starting rotation: they need greater consistency from their starters.
Rival experience: The Dodgers will play their fifth World Series since 2017.
Betting favoritism: Los Angeles is a favorite (-215) over Toronto (+180).
The Dodgers, led by Ohtani and Mookie Betts, seek to become the first team to repeat the championship since the Yankees of the late 90s. But the Blue Jays have shown resilience, and their offense at home could balance the balance.
Forecast
Toronto arrives as the biggest surprise of the year, while Los Angeles bears the pressure of maintaining its modern dynasty.
If the Blue Jays starters can contain the power of Ohtani and Freddie Freeman, and Springer maintains his “October Magic,” the Series could extend to a heart-stopping seventh game.
Prediction: Dodgers 4 – Blue Jays 3
But if Game 7 against Seattle taught anything, it’s that Toronto can never be considered dead.
