Oct 26, 2025
3 min read
Which team has the edge in all aspects of the Fall Classic?We interviewed sports representatives to find out.
Javanese World Cup is almost here, and Jay Yu Blue Blue Torona will bear in Los Angeles flat in the game 1 On night on Friday night.
Which team has the advantage for the series?What to expect from the Dodgers' pitching staff and the Toronto hitters trying to hit L.A.'s aces?And what X-factors will determine the final team in October?
MLB reporters Buster Olney and Jesse Rogers teamed up to ask 19 baseball executives, scouts, managers and coaches to explain what to expect in every aspect of this year's Fall Classic, starting with their predictions for the world champions.
Poll says ______ will win it all:
Los Angeles Dodgers: 18 answers
National League Scout: “The Dodgers will carry their starting pitching to their second title in five games.
Current manager: "Dodgers in five. The Dodgers' starting pitching is so good right now that it's going to be tough for everyone."
The patient manager: "David and David and David
Former manager: "No one beats that Dodgers rotation. People can talk all they want about the [financial] disparity, but the Dodgers have done a great job preparing those guys for this time of year, keeping them, giving them rest during the season."
Nl hal: - "I won't deny it or not, but Toronto won't run. It could go six games."
Former NL manager: "I just don't think the Dodgers will be beaten. The best attempt to beat them was a short streak."
The American League coach: "The Dodgers' pitching depth is quite impressive. What will help the Blue Jays is that they don't explode and have a chance to grind out their starters."
Current manager:“Because of their starting pitching and the fact that they're hot, I'd go with the Dodgers.They've put on enough steam to stay competitive late in the game.Hard to believe they can win four times in seven games.
Toronto Blue Jays: 1 day
Coach Al: "The Blues seem to have momentum, if that's the case. I'll take the Eagles in six games."
Current manager: "I think the babies have an edge as boxers because of their contribution; Lilac is real."
Alkout: "Toronto has a chance to stay here. Powed consistently all year. Then they didn't have the top of the big heaters when they needed it for Dose and Seattle."
Former manager: "It's not a slam dunk [for the Dodgers] because the Blue Jays have something going on with their offense. Too much contact in this age of baseball. If the Blue Jays can carry the L.A. starters, I think they'll beat the Dodgers."
AL scout: "If Toronto can increase LA's supply of starting pitching, they had a chance to score late in the game. I think they'll do enough of that to win a game or two. But I don't think they can win the series."
When dodgers are in the field
What to expect from L.A.'s pitching and defense.
NL exec: "This starting performance in the NLCS stands out even more because we're a bullpen in a day and age. It's interesting how L.A. relied on their pen last year, but this year it's their starting lineup. [Blake] Snell and the guys are too good right now. Maybe it's not as easy against Toronto, so the Dodgers will see more."
Al Scout: "I love the way [manager Dave] Roberts let his starters go. It paid off. And now they've all gotten the right amount of rest. I'm expecting exactly the same in the World Series. There's probably still some doubt in the bullpen, so why not let these guys go?"
Current manager: "Rocky [Sasaki] It's a big deal for the old guys. If he doesn't produce he's going to have problems."
NL scout: "[Mookie Betts'] improvement at shortstop makes the Dodgers pretty good defensively. They're not as good as the Blue Jays, but that won't stop them from winning the series."
AL Coach: "Andy Pages needs to show for the Dodgers defensively and offensively, and Will Smith's play will be key."
What does it mean from the toronto guns
NL Inc: "The bad thing is the leg. I mean people see it now, but they're getting banned, left and right."
NL Scout: "Their lineup is really deep. There was one game, we were up 5-0 in the second, and it's just one of those things, you never feel comfortable. It's a lineup of five or six guys up there that have power and then all the guys that are good at hitting. So it's a deep lineup with a lot of power."
Alp Cooks: "The 'line' will be a good time to work, the balls in the game.
AL ALT.NOT: "The only thing the Blue Jays can get in a season's worth of Dodger starters when it comes to the L.A. bullpen, which is a short-term deal."
AL coach: "I'm really interested in how the Dodgers handle Vladdy because he's hitting everything in the zone right now. He controls every quadrant. That's where the star power can work against [the Dodgers' starters]; they're stars and they're not going to back down. And Vladdy is so hot in certain situations that you might want to back off."
AL manager: "There's no way the Dodgers are going to let Vlad beat them. [Alejandro] Kirk and [Addison] Barger are going to have to play."
AL coach: "Barger needs big hitters for Toronto because the Dodgers will work around Vlad as much as possible and get runners on as well."
Former NL Manager:
If the Blue Jays are on Mt
What to expect from Toronto's pitching and defense
AL exec: "One thing that's interesting is none of their highly leveraged guys are left-handed, so I feel like the Dodgers have a lineup that can counter that a little bit better than the Jays."
Al Proy: "You can argue that the Blue Jays' bullpen has been better lately, and they've gotten more. But in a longer series, they've only gotten more in the pen, but who's going to take [Shohei] OGAN and [Freddie] for free?"
Former NL manager: "I don't see the Dodgers giving up a lot of action, so Toronto should give them a chance."
American League manager: If the Blue Jays have a lefty, they need to neutralize that line and other lefties."
AL manager: "[Jeff] Hoffman is a key player in my mind. The Jays will score, but Hoffman will have to close out close games."
Coach Hyun: “As always. I think playing defense in every game without two outs or extra outs will play a big role.”
The American League scout said, "I don't know how healthy the bike is, but the glove with the inglet is second-rate. Toronto's defense is really good, and that's even better."
Nl exec: "I think it's more like tough. I think they need to make sure they get bichette back. But get is really good atender over the place. Kirk is really good behind the plate.
What to expect from Los Angeles hitters
Former manager: "You can go to Shohei because he spreads the zone. But if you throw lefties in front of him and Mookie and Freddie, you're going to end up with Theo [Hernandez] hitting lefties or Will Smith crushing lefties."
NL scout: "It's like there are no easy at-bats at all. It's kind of like those old Yankees teams where they all drive pitches. They're not going to chase, and they have power. And so at some point you've got to get in the zone. And it's just really hard to get through a lot of innings - because they can only hit seven balls - and then they can only hit seven balls. Out of the park."
"MUKI" MUKI is the main player.
NL To do this:
The X factors define the series according to Sala
NL scout."What's special is that the other two teams have spent a lot of money on starting pitching."The starting pitching was the deciding factor in the playoffs."
Al Scout: "I brought up the previous blue jays and asked if he was going to be criticized. Roberts can have those kinds of decisions."
AL scout: "So there's the general theme of rest against rust. I think you're probably a little better on paper with rest. But does it really come down to the Dodgers staying current and the Blue Jays emptying their clip already?"
AL manager: "It's one thing to have a day off or two days off. The Dodgers are taking about a week off before it starts. The Jays can blow them out."
