A predicted World Series matchup between the Blue Jays and Dodgers for 2025, a look at the players that will face salary arbitration, and more
The official social media account for Major League Baseball decided to have some fun this week and shared a prediction for the upcoming ten World Series games. Their crystal ball indicates that the 2025 World Series might pit the runner-ups and the winners of the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes against each other.
But this seems like a bit of a softball. To start with, it’s not like we don’t understand what the MLB is doing; after all, we all know that the Dodgers and Blue Jays were in the running for Shohei Ohtani. These two clubs fought it out for the most sought-after free agent in baseball history, going so far as to speculate on the name of Ohtani’s dog and follow Robert Herjavec’s aircraft. However, this also reveals a very interesting way that the league is thinking about the Jays’ and Dodgers’ future.
WARNING: The Blue Jays are the Big Slugger’s FINALISTS! (Blue Jays of Toronto News)
The post’s most striking detail is that, according to MLB predictions, the Atlanta Braves and Baltimore Orioles will square off in the 2024 World Series. This means that, in spite of all of the roster additions made this off-season, the Los Angeles Dodgers will not be playing in the World Series this year. It’s interesting to note that Shohei Ohtani will probably be ready to toss by 2025 but won’t pitch in 2024. Will the Dodgers’ reliance on Shohei’s arm in the rotation be the deciding factor in 2025? Will the Dodgers add even more players throughout the upcoming offseason as well? With the exception of club options and extensions, players like Shane Bieber, Gerrit Cole, Corbin Burnes, Max Fried, Juan Soto, Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, Eloy Jiménez, Gerrit Cole, and Corbin Burnes will be available as free agents. Could the Dodgers spend all of their money in the upcoming winter?
On the flip side, the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2025 World Series is a weird prediction. The Jays have been the complete opposite of Los Angeles in that they have hardly made any purchases or free agent signings of major league players. This winter, the Jays have only added Isiah Kiner-Falefa to their roster in addition to bringing back Kevin Kiermaier. The Jays haven’t accomplished much other than those two transactions, which raises the question of what the MLB sees in the Jays’ potential that most do not.
If the Jays hope to contend in the World Series in 2025, players from within the organization will probably have to step up to the plate. This season’s shortened season included some really strong performances from Davis Schneider and Spencer Horwitz, and fans are still eagerly awaiting the return of Orelvis Martinez, Ricky Tiedeman, and Addison Barger. But would the Jays’ youthful prospects be the key to their success in 2025, according to the MLB, or might it be their alleged readiness to attempt to make a big splash in the free agency market the following offseason?
The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Jays in the end, but it was never a secret that they were more than eager to take a chance and invest in Shohei Ohtani this winter. The Jays have pursued some of the biggest fish this offseason and appear to be in the running for the majority of elite free agents, even though they lost out on Ohtani. Toronto has been heavily linked to Cody Bellinger, Jorge Soler, and J.D. Martinez this offseason after the Ohtani fiasco. In addition, the Jays might be quite busy by October 2025 and add some very interesting components with the upcoming free agent class.
Is there a chance for the Jays and Dodgers to play in the 2025 World Series? Yes. But it seems one side would need to be pretty inventive to accomplish so, while the other will be a regular contender for the next decade.
