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The Los Angeles Dodgers have dominated the National League over the last decade and are the defending World Series champions. What would it mean if they went back-to-back in the Fall Classic and beat the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2025 World Series?
In the eyes of Colin Cowherd, such an outcome would merit “greatest of all-time” consideration.
“The Dodgers are historic. … they’re the only team in baseball history to have MVPs batting one-two-three in the everyday lineup: Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. I said if the Dodgers win this series, No. 1, they’re officially a dynasty, and No. 2, I’d argue they’re the greatest team, the most talented team ever,” Cowherd asserted on Friday’s edition of “The Herd.”
The Dodgers’ run has seen them host a Wild Card Series, and proceed to sweep the Cincinnati Reds in the Wild Card Series, beat the Philadelphia Phillies in four games in the NL Division Series and sweep the No. 1-seeded Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Championship Series. Their 93 wins were the lowest in a full season since 2018, but L.A. still won the NL West for the 12th time in 13 years, with it being nine times in 10 seasons under manager Dave Roberts (since 2016).
Couple their dominant run in with the fact that they had five players crack the NL roster for the 2025 MLB All-Star Game (Ohtani, Freeman, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, catcher Will Smith and left-hander Clayton Kershaw) and it’s not hard to see why Cowherd doubled down on his take.
“I think if the Dodgers win, having dominated and swept the Reds, dominated and swept the Brewers [and] soundly beaten the Phillies, if they do the same to a Blue Jays team that cruised through the [New York] Yankees [in the American League Division Series], there’s an argument [that they’re the] greatest team ever, top to bottom,” Cowherd said.
In the regular season, the Dodgers were second in runs (825), home runs (244) and slugging percentage (.441), fifth in on-base percentage (.327) and seventh in hits (1,384). Ohtani, the 2024 NL MVP, shined from start to finish, hitting 55 home runs, stealing 20 bases and posting a .622 slugging percentage in the regular season. This month, outfielder Teoscar Hernandez has anchored the offense, blasting four home runs and driving in a team-high 11 runs.
While Cowherd’s praise is understandable, one weakness for the Dodgers worth noting has been their bullpen, which tied for 20th with a collective 4.27 ERA in the regular season and currently owns a 4.88 ERA this postseason.
One bright spot from that aspect, though, has been right-hander Roki Sasaki, who was moved from the starting rotation to the bullpen late in the regular season. In eight playoff innings pitched, Sasaki has surrendered just one run with opponents hitting .115 against him.
Overall, their starting rotation has been solid, posting a combined 1.40 ERA and 0.75 WHIP while holding opponents to a .136 batting average in 10 playoff games. Yamamoto threw a complete game in Game 2 of the NLCS; Ohtani recorded an unreal 10 strikeouts while tossing six shutout innings and also hitting three home runs in the decisive Game 4 of the NLCS. Blake Snell, their Game 1 starter against Toronto, has recorded an 0.86 ERA and 0.52 WHIP in 21.0 innings pitched (three starts).
The Dodgers’ march towards a potentially historic championship will begin Friday night when Game 1 of the 2025 World Series begins at 8 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app.
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22 MINS AGO・first things first・25:36
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Game 1 of the World Series brought significant news even before it began, as the Blue Jays both activated star shortstop Bo Bichette, and put him in the lineup batting cleanup. Beyond that, he’s also playing at second base for the first time since 2019.
The Blue Jays’ starting nine for Game 1:
As MLB’s Sarah Langs pointed out, with Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette and Daulton Varsho all in the lineup, it’s the first time that three second-generation MLB players have ever started for one team: Vladimir Guerrero, Dante Bichette and Gary Varsho are their fathers, respectively.
As for the Dodgers, they will also be using a DH as their leadoff hitter:
The Blue Jays will send rookie Trey Yesavage to the mound on Game 1 to face the star-studded Dodgers lineup – Yesavage was drafted in 2024, 20th overall, and made just three regular season starts in MLB before the postseason began.
The Dodgers will counter with Blake Snell, a two-time Cy Young winner who has pitched like that when he’s been able to take the mound in an injury-shortened 2025 season.
Game 1 of the World Series will air exclusively on FOX at 8 p.m. ET, and through streaming on FOXSports.com, the FOX Sports App and FOX One.
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Some teams rule the regular season, storm through the playoffs, and then fall short in the World Series.
Others don’t even make that far. And the list of teams and stars who couldn’t quite reach the Fall Classic is as impressive as the squads that did win it all.
We’ve ranked the World Series champions since 2000, as well as the best runners-up since the start of the century. But let’s dive a bit deeper into the well and look at the 10 best teams of the past 25 years who didn’t reach the World Series.
CHECK OUT: WORLD SERIES WINNERS SINCE ’00, RANKED
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1. Seattle Mariners (2001)
Regular Season: 116–46 (1st in AL West)
ALDS: Defeated Cleveland, 3–2
ALCS: Lost to Yankees, 1–4
The ‘01 Mariners are one of the great teams all-time, never mind just this century. They never did finish the job, though, and are mostly remembered for that instead of just how incredible they were. They tied an MLB record with 116 wins, amassed 67 wins above replacement — significantly more than any World Series winner of the century — and outscored opponents by 300 runs at a time when pitchers couldn’t keep the ball in the park: just one other AL team even had a run differential over +100. Ichiro Suzuki, AL Rookie of the Year and the AL’s Most Valuable Player, is the obvious standout, but don’t forget John Olerud, Edgar Martinez, Mike Cameron and Bret Boone.
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2. Los Angeles Dodgers (2022)
Regular Season: 111–51 (1st in NL West)
NLDS: Lost to Padres, 1–3
This is the only team that could rival the 2001 Mariners in terms of the best regular season club of the century so far — the ‘22 Dodgers outscored opponents by 334 runs and won 111 games, the second-most in National League history and tied for the fourth-most all-time. Freddie Freeman led the NL in OBP at .407 while Mookie Betts finished fifth in the NL MVP race while taking home a Silver Slugger and Gold Glove, powering one of the league’s best lineups. The pitching staff was one of the best of the entire century, though, led by a rotation with three All-Stars and the NL’s leader in ERA. Despite all of this, they lost in the NLDS to the Padres in four games.
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3. Cleveland (2017)
Regular Season: 102–60 (1st in AL Central)
ALDS: Lost to Yankees, 2–3
This team is even better than the one that lost in the 2016 World Series to the Cubs, which makes their early exit all the more heartbreaking. Despite winning 102 games behind an above-average lineup and a pitching staff fronted by AL Cy Young winner Corey Kluber — he led the majors in ERA (2.25) and K/BB (7.36) while leading the AL in walk rate (1.6) — Cleveland couldn’t get out of the first full round of the postseason. Their rotation was terrifying in the regular season, and their bullpen arguably even better, but they dropped three in a row to the Yankees after going up 2-0 in the ALDS.
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4. Houston Astros (2018)
Regular Season: 103–59 (1st in AL West)
ALDS: Defeated Cleveland, 3–0
ALCS: Lost to Red Sox, 1–4
The 2018 Red Sox were truly tested on their way to a World Series championship, as they took on not just the Dodgers — who ranked fourth on the World Series runner-up list above — but also the Astros, who placed fourth on this one and were arguably superior to the ‘17 champions. These Astros won 103 games while posting a better run differential and wins above replacement total than the Sox, who had also defeated the 100-win Yankees in the ALDS. The Astros and Red Sox might have been a lot closer than their records indicated in the regular season, but in the ALCS, Boston looked like the superior team by far, and took them down in five.
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5. Los Angeles Dodgers (2021)
Regular Season: 106–56 (2nd in NL West)
Wild Card Series: Defeated Cardinals, 3–1
NLDS: Defeated Giants, 3–2
NLCS: Lost to Braves, 2–4
As was said before, there have been a ton of amazing Dodgers teams in the last decade of this century. If you want to know what the 2020 champions might have looked like in a full season, you could do a lot worse than checking in on the 2019 and 2021 clubs, both of which made this list of teams that failed to make it to the World Series despite their greatness. Despite outscoring opponents by 269 runs and putting up as many wins above replacement as any World Series winner from the century, the ‘21 Dodgers lost in the NLCS to the eventual-champion Braves.
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6. Oakland Athletics (2001)
Regular Season: 102–60 (2nd in AL West)
ALDS: Lost to Yankees, 2–3
The Mariners winning 116 games probably would have buried the memory of the 2001 A’s and their 102 wins deep, if not for a little thing called “Moneyball”. Regardless of the club’s importance to MLB front offices, what we care about here is just how great of a baseball team they were — and they were one of the best, even if, as general manager Billy Beane famously put it, “My s— doesn’t work in the playoffs.” He wasn’t wrong, though — what happens in the postseason itself often does come down to luck, if the clubs on this list and their win totals and dominating figures didn’t already serve as a reminder. The 2001 A’s lacked luck, and lost in the ALDS to the Yankees.
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7. San Francisco Giants (2021)
Regular Season: 107–55 (1st in NL West)
NLDS: Lost to Dodgers, 2–3
Maybe it’s fitting that the Giants won with what even their fans deemed “even-year magic” in the previous decade, and then lost when they put together an actual juggernaut. The ‘21 Giants won the NL West with 107 victories, wresting it from the Dodgers, and did so with a +210 run differential and about half-a-win above replacement fewer than the Dodgers did. They were a legit threat, and also one that went home early after losing to the wild-card-winning Dodgers in the NLDS.
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8. 2002 New York Yankees
Regular Season: 103–58 (1st in AL East)
ALDS: Lost to Angels, 1–3
Besides the 2009 World Series-winning club, the 2002 Yankees are the best that this organization has managed to be in the regular season this century. Their greatness is often forgotten about, however, up against the drama of the 2001 and 2003 World Series defeats and 2000’s championship that came despite an 87-win season — forgotten about, in no small part, because they lost to the eventual-champion Angels in the ALDS. The ‘02 club won 103 games, however, and were more impressive than most of the actual World Series champions of the century… at least, in the regular season.
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9. 2023 Atlanta Braves
Regular Season: 104–58 (1st in NL East)
NLDS: Lost to Phillies, 1–3
The 2021 Braves won the World Series, and the 2023 Braves could have been right there with them. Whereas the ‘21 squad had to play without Ronald Acuna Jr. for half the season and the postseason — and obviously did so successfully — the ‘23 edition had a full year of NL MVP Acuna, in which he led MLB in steals (73), hits (217) and on-base percentage (.416), while becoming the first-ever 70/40 club member owing to his 41 dingers. They had the best offense in the league by adjusted OPS and led in runs scored, too, all supporting an above-average pitching staff. They also lost in the NLDS in four games to the Phillies; that’s just how it goes sometimes in the postseason.
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10. 2019 Los Angeles Dodgers
Regular Season Record: 106–56 (1st in NL West)
NLDS: Lost to Nationals, 2–3
These aforementioned Dodgers weren’t quite as good as their 2021 future selves, but considering they won 106 games, outscored opponents by 273 runs and produced over 50 wins above replacement, the difference is pretty minimal. It turns out that a ton of amazing baseball teams fail to cross the finish line each year, and no organization this century knows that better than the Dodgers. They didn’t sign Shohei Ohtani to a record contract for no reason at all, you know? Losing in the NLDS to the Nationals in 2019 and the Padres in 2021 will convince an organization to do something that drastic.
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Pat Murphy says he couldn’t have imagined going directly from coaching in the college ranks to managing in the major leagues.
But the Milwaukee Brewers skipper – who previously worked as a head coach at Arizona State and Notre Dame – is confident Tony Vitello can make a successful transition from coaching the University of Tennessee to managing the San Francisco Giants.
“I’m excited for this guy,” Murphy said. “I hear great things. I’ve met him before, but I’m not close associates with him. I’ve heard great things about him. They have a great team and a great organization, so I think it’s going to work, and I don’t think that can happen a lot. I know I wouldn’t have been ready.”
Murphy’s success has lent credence to the notion that a college coach could thrive as a major-league manager.
After coaching over two decades at Notre Dame and Arizona State, Murphy has led the Brewers to consecutive NL Central titles since taking over as the manager. He was named the NL Manager of the Year in 2024.
But his situation was very different from the circumstances surrounding Vitello’s hire.
Vitello, who led Tennessee to a 2024 College World Series title, has no pro experience. He is going directly from college to the majors.
Murphy ended his college coaching career in 2009 when he left Arizona State amid an NCAA investigation. He started working in the San Diego Padres’ organization the following year, had a stint as their interim manager in 2015, and then spent eight seasons as Milwaukee’s bench coach.
“What I know for sure is that I couldn’t have made the jump successfully,” Murphy said. “Because it’s two different games. I say it’s like harness racing and thoroughbred racing. What facilitates that thing is if you have a president or other group of people around you that are going to help you facilitate that and the differences.”
Murphy believes the 47-year-old Vitello has that in Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey.
“It’s one of those things that if you have everything in place helping you through it, I think the best parts of him can come out, the needed parts, building the connections, the impact on players, the parts that he’s not used to,” Murphy said. “There will be people around him to fill him in. Buster Posey is not dumb. He knows what he’s doing. He knew the scrutiny, and he knew the importance of this hire. And I think it’ll go well for them.”
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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It’s here.
The 2025 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays commences on Friday night, and FOX is the exclusive home of the Fall Classic.
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Both teams announced their respective 26-man rosters for the World Series on Friday morning:
Catchers
Infielders
Outfielders
Infield/Outfield
Designated Hitter/Pitcher
Pitchers
Catchers
Infielders
Outfielders
Pitchers
Game 1 Starters: Blake Snell (Dodgers) vs. Trey Yesavage (Blue Jays)
For a detailed look at the stars, role players and wild cards on the World Series rosters, check out FOX Sports’ tiered rankings of these players.
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The Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers kick off the 2025 World Series today! Check out everything you need to know about how to watch the Dodgers vs Blue Jays in the World Series:
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Big Papi, Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter previewed the Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Toronto Blue Jays in the 2025 World Series.
*if needed
The Blue Jays have played the Dodgers a total of 3 times this season. The Dodgers win the season series 3-0. Check out the results from each game below:
According to DraftKings, the Dodgers are favored to win the series. Check out the detailed odds below:
Deesha Thosar: The Dodgers in five. It’s been a fantastic run for the Blue Jays, who were not at all the favorites to win the American League pennant. But Ohtani and the Dodgers are a buzzsaw.
Rowan Kavner: Yep, Dodgers in five. The right-handed heavy Blue Jays pitching staff is going to have a tough time against this star-studded L.A. lineup, especially after Ohtani had his get-right game. The only way Toronto wins this series is if it knocks a starter out early and takes advantage against a vulnerable Dodgers bullpen, but I don’t see that happening more than once or twice against this juggernaut rotation. Now healthy, that group has been virtually unhittable for months.
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What’s better than watching baseball? Watching baseball and winning money!
You can partake in the best of both worlds while watching the MLB World Series this weekend with our free-to-play FOX Super 6 game.
How do you play? Enter the MLB Playoff Super 6 contest by predicting the correct answers to six questions before the games start for your chance at weekly cash prizes.
All you have to do is finish in the top six to win a prize.
It really is that simple, and again, it’s free.
And if you need a little help before heading to the app to make your picks, we have you covered this week.
Read below for our thoughts on the playoffs, which can be seen on FOX and the FOX Sports app.
Let’s dive into the questions and predictions below.
1. Which player will have the MOST HITS in the World Series?
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Shohei Ohtani, George Springer, Mookie Betts
No player has more hits in the postseason than Guerrero Jr. with 19. Betts has 12 which is the highest of any Dodger during the playoffs, so choosing him would be a good option as well. Still, when combining regular and postseason statistics, Vlad has 191 hits— tied for the second most of any player in baseball, trailing only Aaron Judge (192).
Prediction: Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
2. Will Shohei Ohtani have more STRIKEOUTS AS A PITCHER or HITS AS A BATTER in the World Series?
More Strikeouts as a Pitcher OR More Hits as a Batter
Ohtani has just nine hits in the postseason compared to a whopping 19 strikeouts in just two pitching starts. Five of those nine hits have been home runs, but it’s still hard to go against his dominance as a pitcher. In Game 4 against the Brewers, he recorded 10 strikeouts, six shutout innings on the mound and also homered three times.
Prediction: More Strikeouts as a Pitcher
3. Which trio of players includes the 2025 World Series MVP?
Ohtani, Edman, W. Smith
Guerrero, Springer, Varsho
Freeman, T. Hernández, Betts
None of the above
For his entire career, Ohtani has done things that no one in MLB history has due to his two-way dominance. If the Dodgers win, it will because of his prowess on the mound coupled with his ability as a power-hitter. He’s hit five home runs in the playoffs along with a 2.25 ERA, and in the regular season— he hit 55 long-shots with a 2.87 ERA as a pitcher.
Prediction: Ohtani, Edman, W. Smith
4. How many COMBINED STRIKEOUTS will Blake Snell and Kevin Gausman have in the World Series?
0-15, 0-20, 0-25, 0-30+
15-20, 15-25, 15-30+
20-25, 25-30+
These two pitchers have combined for 40 strikeouts in six pitching starts in the postseason, but both will face teams with extremely hot bats. As a team, Toronto is batting a whopping .296 with 115 hits in the playoffs while Los Angeles is at .256 with 88. Expect a middle-of-the-road performance from both a pitching and batting perspective in this series.
Prediction: 15-20
5. Rank the players by who will SCORE THE MOST RUNS in the World Series (highest to lowest):
George Springer
Teoscar Hernández
Alejandro Kirk
Freddie Freeman
Of this group, no player has more runs scored in the postseason than George Springer with 11. And when looking at the regular season, his 106 was tied for the ninth-most of all players, and again more than anyone else in this group.
Prediction: George Springer
6. Who will win GAME 4 of the World Series?
Blue Jays OR Dodgers
Toronto went down 0-2 against the Mariners and climbed their way back to win the series in seven games. Whether that happens again or not, the Blue Jays have to win either Game 3 or 4 in Los Angeles.
Prediction: Blue Jays
Tiebreaker: What will be the final score?
Prediction: 6-4
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