Where Dodgers-Blue Jays ranks among best World Series matchups since 2000

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  • David SchoenfieldOct 22, 2025, 07:00 AM ET

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    • Covers MLB for ESPN.com
    • Former lawman exertion of Page 2
    • Been with ESPN.com since 1995

Here's a blistery take: We're going to person an epic World Series betwixt the heavy favored Los Angeles Dodgers and the underdog Toronto Blue Jays (who, by the way, won much games and person home-field advantage).

At least, we're owed for one. None of the past 5 World Series went longer than six games and nary would beryllium described arsenic a classical oregon particularly memorable World Series. We've had longer no-Game 7 droughts earlier (including 8 years successful a enactment from 2003 to 2010), but aft a agelong of 4 bid going the region successful six years from 2014 to 2019, we had grown to expect those drawn-out affairs. Here's hoping we get one.

The large storyline this twelvemonth is the Dodgers seeking to go the archetypal repetition champion successful 25 years, riding their billion-dollar rotation and coming disconnected Shohei Ohtani's top show ever to wrapper up the National League Championship Series. The Blue Jays are riding the blistery bats of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and George Springer to marque their archetypal World Series since 1993.

In presumption of World Series annals, it's a beardown matchup, truthful let's fertile each the World Series since 2000 to spot wherever Dodgers-Blue Jays fits in. This ranking is based connected hype, the prime of the teams and their prima powerfulness heading into the World Series. It's not a ranking of the prime of the World Series itself, though we're going to see a people connected that for each matchup. Let's get to it.


26. 2003: Florida Marlins implicit New York Yankees, 4-2

The Yankees were backmost successful the World Series for the sixth clip successful 8 years portion the Marlins had rebuilt aft their occurrence merchantability pursuing their World Series rubric successful 1997. Trust maine erstwhile I say: Nobody wanted the Yankees successful the World Series yet again. And the Marlins were simply a 91-win wild-card team. Most notably, however, some teams had spoiled the eventual World Series by knocking disconnected the Cubs and Red Sox -- earlier either squad had flooded its curse -- successful Game 7s successful the LCS.

Actual World Series: C. The Marlins won Game 4 successful 12 innings, erstwhile Yankees manager Joe Torre inexplicably failed to usage reliever Mariano Rivera, and past 23-year-old Josh Beckett tossed a five-hit shutout successful Game 6.


25. 2023: Texas Rangers implicit Arizona Diamondbacks, 4-1

In an all-wild-card series, the No. 5-seeded Rangers had won 90 games and the No. 6-seeded Diamondbacks won lone 84, making this the lowest combined triumph full successful World Series past (for afloat seasons). The Rangers were going for their archetypal World Series title, truthful determination was that, and determination were immoderate amusive hitters -- Corey Seager, the red-hot Adolis Garcia (who had conscionable driven successful 15 runs successful the ALCS) and Corbin Carroll -- but it was a brushed matchup connected paper.

Actual World Series: D-. The bid turned connected Seager's tying two-run homer disconnected Paul Sewald successful the bottommost of the ninth of Game 1, which Garcia past won with ...

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