The last teams standing in Major League Baseball are all set to play for a ring and a place in the history books. While the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers enter the World Series as the favorite, the Toronto Blue Jays do have a path to pull the upset.
Which team will ultimately celebrate with the Commissioner’s Trophy? That’s what we’ll try to figure out in USA TODAY Sports’ annual Simulated World Series. Using the Dynasty League Baseball online simulation, USA TODAY Sports and DLB designer Mike Cieslinski will pre-play each game to provide some insight into the key matchups and strategy fans can expect to see in the Fall Classic.
Since we’re playing these games beforehand, there are still a few unknowns as we set our rosters and lineups. So the results may not always be exact (though sometimes they’ve been incredibly close), the overall takeaways still stand.
Dodgers vs. Blue Jays Game 1 simulation
Perhaps the biggest surprise leading up to the start of the 2025 World Series was the Blue Jays’ decision to start rookie Trey Yesavage over ace Kevin Gausman in Game 1. Frankly, we didn’t see that coming.
The other big decision for Toronto was whether injured shortstop Bo Bichette would be able to play after missing the first two rounds of the playoffs with a sprained knee. We chose to have Bichette active, but only serve as the DH. Fortunately for the simulated Jays, Bichette came through in the clutch with a two-out, three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth to break the game open. (Toronto did, in fact, add Bichette to its World Series roster.)
BOX SCORE: Blue Jays 9, Dodgers 1
FULL PLAY-BY-PLAY: Bichette’s big blast fuels Jays rout
Andres Gimenez added a bases-clearing double in the seventh and Myles Straw hit a solo homer in the eighth to account for the rest of the scoring.
Meanwhile, Gausman was sharp on the mound, limiting the powerful Dodgers offense to one run and three hits in tossing a complete game.
Dodgers vs. Blue Jays Game 2 simulation
So about that rookie starting pitcher with only six major league starts under his belt taking the mound in the World Series … Trey Yesavage was not up to the challenge in the Sim Series.
Battling a severe case of the jitters, Yesavage walked four of the first five batters he faced to begin the game, and only recorded two outs before he had to be taken out. The damage: 5 runs, 2 hits, six walks in ⅔ of an inning. Ouch.
The Dodgers scored in each of the first four innings to build a 9-0 lead and cruised to a series-evening victory. Six Blue Jays pitchers ended up issuing a total of 14 walks in the game, making the outcome never in doubt.
BOX SCORE: Dodgers 12, Blue Jays 3
FULL PLAY-BY-PLAY: Dodgers tee off early on Blue Jays rookie
Freddie Freeman had the only extra-base hits of the game for L.A. – a solo homer in the third inning and an RBI double in the seventh. Meanwhile, Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto allowed three runs over seven innings and struck out 12 to get the win.
Two games. Two blowouts. And the two teams head to Dodger Stadium for Game 3 all tied up.
Dodgers vs. Blue Jays Game 1 projections, analysis
So what does our simulation tell us about what we can expect when the real Game 1 takes place?
First of all, Yesavage will be under an intense spotlight. Will he be able to handle the pressure the way he’s done so far in the playoffs? The first inning will tell us a lot about him. The Jays could regret not going with their ace, Gausman, as they look to set the tone for the series.
The Jays will certainly welcome Bo Bichette’s bat in the lineup. He hit a career-high .311 this season with 18 homers and 94 RBI. However, if Bichette is in the lineup as the designated hitter, that will mean George Springer has to play the outfield. In Dynasty League Baseball’s defensive ratings, Springer grades out as a D in terms of his range in the outfield. That could make a difference with so many big bats in the Dodgers lineup.
Dodger starter Blake Snell needs to be sharp. He allowed four hits, five walks and three earned runs in 5⅓ innings in Sim Series Game 1 before L.A. went to its bullpen. They’ll be missing an important reliever as left-hander Alex Vesia will miss at least the start of the series due to a personal family matter. (Vesia gave up Bichette’s big home run in our Game 1.)
Dodgers vs. Blue Jays Game 2 projections
Yamamoto vs. Gausman should be an excellent pitcher’s duel. Gausman went the distance in Sim Series Game 1, while Yamamoto tossed seven effective innings in his Game 2 start. Both have been outstanding so far in the playoffs.
Runs figure to be at a premium, although Bichette homered again in our Game 2, a solo shot off Yamamoto in the eighth inning. We’re seeing why his bat is so important if the Blue Jays are going to try and slug it out with the Dodgers. L.A. had the second-highest scoring offense in the majors this season, while Toronto ranked fifth.
Toronto’s bullpen will be an interesting case study. The Dodgers have three dangerous left-handed hitters at the top of their lineup in Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy. As the game progresses into the late innings, the Blue Jays will have lefty relievers Brendon Little, Mason Fluharty and Eric Lauer to counter them. We put all three on our Sim Series roster to give the Jays added flexibility if high-leverage innings arise earlier in the game.