In the off chance you weren’t aware, the World Series officially begins tonight when the Toronto Blue Jays host the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of the best of seven series. Blake Snell will take the mound
for the Dodgers against Trey Yesavage for the Blue Jays at 8pm tonight.
The Dodgers are looking to be the first repeat champions since the New York Yankees won three World Series in a row from 1998-2000. The Blue Jays are looking to win their first title since 1993, and we will spare you any more details about that series.
Toronto had to do more work than Los Angeles to get here, as it took until a dramatic late home run from George Springer in Game 7 of the ALCS to punch their ticket to the Fall Classic. L.A. meanwhile has been sitting around waiting for an opponent after quickly dispatching the Milwaukee Brewers in a four-game sweep of the NLCS capped off by a historic performance from Shohei Ohtani that featured three home runs hit, six shutout innings pitched, and ten strikeouts collected.
The Dodgers and Ohtani are widely seen as the favorite, but the Blue Jays are riding on some star power of their own. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has played like a man possessed this October, as the star first baseman is hitting .442 with 6 home runs through Toronto’s eleven games played so far. Will it be enough to get past the Dodgers starting pitching, as they’ve pitched to a 1.40 ERA in 64.1 IP this postseason.
If you’re looking for some Phillies connections, former Phils Jeff Hoffman and Seranthony Dominguez are both members of the Toronto bullpen. Former infielder and local product Buddy Kennedy is shaping up to be a winner either way, as he played for both the Blue Jays and the Dodgers this season and therefore would be eligible to receive a World Series ring no matter the victor.
If you’re looking for more on the matchup, make sure to check out our own Smarty Jones’ disinterested Phillies’ fan preview. But for now, what are your predictions for the World Series? Who will win? How many games will it go? Who will take home MVP honors?
