If you’d told a casual fan back in April that the 2025 World Series would end with a guy like Yoshinobu Yamamoto inducing a double play in the 11th inning of Game 7, they probably would’ve just nodded and said, "Yeah, sounds about right for the Dodgers." But if you told them the team on the other side of the diamond was the Toronto Blue Jays? Honestly, you might have gotten some side-eye.
The 2025 Fall Classic was a weird, beautiful, and absolutely exhausting seven-game marathon. It wasn't just a matchup; it was a clash between a West Coast juggernaut trying to build a dynasty and a Canadian squad that hadn't breathed World Series air since the early '90s.
By the time the dust settled on November 2, 2025, at Rogers Centre, the Los Angeles Dodgers had secured their second consecutive title. They’re the first team to go back-to-back in 25 years. That’s a long time.
The Teams: Whos in the World Series 2025?
It really came down to the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays.
L.A. entered the postseason as the defending champs, but they weren't actually the top seed in the National League. That honor went to the Milwaukee Brewers, who the Dodgers eventually steamrolled in a 4-0 sweep during the NLCS. On the other side, the Blue Jays were the American League's number one seed, finishing the regular season with a 94-68 record. They had to fight through a brutal seven-game ALCS against the Seattle Mariners just to get here.
People kept talking about the "Ohtani Effect," and for good reason. Shohei Ohtani was coming off an NLCS MVP performance where he basically played like a video game character, striking out 10 batters as a pitcher while hitting three home runs in a single game.
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Toronto brought the heat, too. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was hitting everything in sight. He entered the World Series with six postseason home runs and a slash line that looked fake: .442/.510/.930.
How the Series Played Out
Game 1 in Toronto was a total blowout. The Blue Jays crushed the Dodgers 11-4, fueled by a historic pinch-hit grand slam from Addison Barger. You don't see that every day. In fact, it was the first pinch-hit grand slam in World Series history.
But then things got "Dodger-y."
- Game 2: Yamamoto showed why he’s worth every penny, leading L.A. to a 5-1 win to tie it up.
- Game 3: This was the "Never-Ending Game." It lasted 18 innings. 18. The Dodgers won 6-5 at Dodger Stadium after nearly seven hours of baseball.
- Game 4 & 5: The Blue Jays roared back. They took both games in Los Angeles, including a 6-1 victory in Game 5 where they handed Ohtani a rare postseason loss on the mound.
- Game 6: Back in Toronto, the Dodgers faced elimination. Yamamoto stepped up again, pitching a gem to force a Game 7.
That Ridiculous Game 7
November 1, 2025. Rogers Centre was vibrating.
The game went into extra innings, because of course it did. In the bottom of the 11th, with the Dodgers leading 5-4, the Blue Jays had the tying run on base. Alejandro Kirk stepped up to the plate. Yamamoto, working on short rest and pure adrenaline, threw a 92 mph splitter.
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Kirk rolled it over. Double play. Game over.
The Dodgers won the series 4-3. Yoshinobu Yamamoto took home the World Series MVP trophy, which feels right considering he went 5-1 throughout the entire postseason.
Why This Matchup Mattered
For Toronto, this was their first appearance since the Joe Carter "Touch 'em all" days of 1993. Even though they lost, they proved the AL East still runs through the 6ix. They knocked off the Yankees and the Mariners to get there.
For Los Angeles, it’s about the "D-word." Dynasty. Winning two in a row in the modern era of the 12-team playoff bracket is statistically improbable. Dave Roberts joined an elite club of managers with three or more rings.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans
If you're looking back at the 2025 season to understand how the landscape of baseball has shifted, here are the things you should actually pay attention to:
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Watch the Pitching Trends
The Dodgers didn't win because of their bats alone. They won because they had a rotation that could handle high-leverage "short rest" situations. In your local league or when analyzing 2026, look at how teams are managing "hybrid" starters who can move to the bullpen.
The Rise of the International Star
Between Ohtani, Yamamoto, and Hyeseong Kim (who saw action for L.A.), the 2025 World Series was a massive advertisement for the global game.
Don't Sleep on the Underdogs
The Seattle Mariners and Milwaukee Brewers were arguably the best teams for 80% of the season. Postseason baseball is a different sport. When you're looking at 2026 odds, don't just look at the win-loss column; look at who has the "swing-and-miss" stuff in the bullpen.
The 2025 season showed us that while the big-market teams like the Dodgers are always going to be "whos in the world series" favorites, teams like Toronto are only one healthy Bo Bichette or one hot Vladdy Jr. month away from turning the league upside down.
If you want to dive deeper into the specific box scores or see the Statcast data on Yamamoto's final pitch, the MLB official film "Repeat" is already available on most streaming platforms. It’s worth a watch just to see that 18-inning Game 3 again.