Following the conclusion of the MLB Championship Series on Monday, anticipation is building for the upcoming World Series matchups.

In the National League, the Los Angeles Dodgers have once again made it to the World Series. After their dominant win in 2024, the Dodgers bolstered their already star-studded roster, taking full advantage of Major League Baseball’s lack of a salary cap. This offseason, they added closer Tanner Scott, star pitcher Blake Snell, and pitcher Roki Sasaki from Japan, who transitioned from a starting role to a reliever after time in the Minor Leagues.

The Dodgers have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into their roster and it paid off. For the fourth consecutive year, they’ve claimed the NL West title. Offensively, the Dodgers boasted a .768 team OBP this year, which was good enough for second overall behind the New York Yankees. On the mound, their pitching staff led MLB with 1,505 strikeouts.

Their playoff run was nothing short of commanding, as the boys in blue silenced some of the biggest threats in baseball. In the first round they steamrolled the Cincinnati Reds, which made the playoffs after a four year drought.

Next they faced the Philadelphia Phillies which was a much closer series. The turning point came in Game 4 when Phillies pitcher Orion Kerkering committed an error which sealed the Phillies’ trip to Cancun and the Dodgers’ trip to Milwaukee.

Finally in the Championship series they matched up with the Milwaukee Brewers which was the Major League’s most winning team this year and, one of the clutchest teams in baseball, leading the league with hits with runners on. But the Dodgers made them look normal, outscoring the Brewers 15-4 and sweeping the series. 

Dodgers pitching dominated in the NLCS. In Game 1, Blake Snell set the tone with eight innings of excellence, striking out 10 batters. Yoshinobu Yamamoto followed with a complete game in Game 2, allowing just one run. Then, in Game 4, Shohei Ohtani delivered a historic performance, striking out 10 batters in just six innings while also blasting three home runs, showcasing his once-in-a-generation two-way talent.

Statistics from Baseball Reference show the Dodgers star player this year was Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani, looking for his 3rd straight MVP title, led the league in runs this year with 146; he also had an impressive .282 batting average while slugging 55 home runs. Ohtani also started 14 games as the pitcher in his season returning to the mound after a UCL injury; Shohei pitched 47 innings to an ERA just under three.

In the American League, the Toronto Blue Jays are seeking their first World Series win since 1993. The Jays this year were tied atop the American League with the New York Yankees who made an unceremonious exit this year from the Playoffs. At the beginning of this year’s season the Jays had only a 2.3% chance to make the World Series this year.

According to MLB data the Jays this year led the league with a .265 batting average, eight points higher than any other team, and a .333 OBP. Toronto has embodied the spirit of an underdog, winning over 57% of games in which they were classified as the underdog, the best mark in Major League Baseball.

The Blue Jays had an exciting road to the World Series this year after their Round 1 pass they faced off against the Bronx Bombers (New York Yankees) in a Best of 5 Division series in which they cruised to a 3-1 series win. 

In the American League Championship Series (ALCS) they faced off against the Seattle Mariners, a team that had become one of the league’s most dangerous squads after the trade deadline. With a revamped lineup, Seattle slugged the third-most home runs in all of Major League Baseball and led the American League in strikeouts by pitchers. They were also powered by Cal Raleigh, the MLB home run leader.

After losing the first two games of the series at home, they were forced to battle back in hostile territory, Seattle’s T- Mobile Park, for their next three. Toronto miraculously evened the series at three apiece. 

The stage was set for a dramatic win or go home Game 7 in Toronto. After six innings, the atmosphere at Rogers Centre was tense. The Blue Jays were trailing 3-1, and their World Series dreams seemed to be slipping away. But, in the bottom of the seventh, with two runners on base, George Springer, the 12-year MLB veteran, stepped up. Springer crushed a three-run home run deep into the Toronto night, sending the ball over left fielder Randy Arozarena’s head while the home crowd went into a frenzy.

The Toronto Blue Jays have been powered by an impressive lineup of star players this season. Among them, George Springer has continued to contribute significantly both offensively and with his experience. Bo Bichette, despite missing a substantial portion of the season due to injury, is poised for a return just in time for the World Series. With a .311 batting average when healthy, Bichette’s bat would be a tremendous boost to Toronto’s already potent lineup.

Another standout player has been Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who has solidified his status as one of the league’s premier talents. The five-time All-Star added yet another trophy to his career by taking the ALCS MVP trophy. Throughout the regular season, Guerrero hit .292 and recorded 57 extra-base hits, showcasing both his power and consistency and now in the Playoffs he tops the Homerun leaderboard with 6. With the potential return of Bichette, paired with Guerrero’s continued excellence, Toronto’s offense looks formidable as they head into the World Series.