6 biggest Jays-Dodgers storylines ahead of World Series

It may not have been the World Series matchup that many predicted, but the upcoming battle between the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers promises to be memorable. There are plenty of connections between the two teams, making this a far more juicy showdown than you may realize.

Let's look at a few of the biggest storylines to watch in this year's Fall Classic.

Shohei and Roki: The ones who got away

By now, the Blue Jays' all-in pursuit of Shohei Ohtani during the 2023-24 offseason is well documented. The secret visit to the team's complex in Florida. The coy press conferences during the winter meetings. The private jet tracked online by millions who thought the plane was carrying the world's most outstanding player north of the border ... only for it to end up being the Shark Tank guy. Barely 24 hours later, Ohtani signed his $700-million deal with the Dodgers and promptly led them to a World Series title.

But Ohtani's not the only Dodgers star who spurned the Blue Jays. Toronto was a finalist to sign Roki Sasaki this past winter, and the club even went as far as to take on Myles Straw's contract to give extra international bonus money to Sasaki. The same day that the Blue Jays acquired Straw, Sasaki announced he was signing with the Dodgers.

It's funny how all of this worked out for everyone. Ohtani, of course, is making history in L.A., while Sasaki shook off an injury-plagued regular season to become the Dodgers' most important bullpen weapon and a breakout playoff star. Left initially reeling, the Blue Jays sank to last place in 2024 before this year's remarkable turnaround. And they couldn't have done it without Straw, a valuable contributor to the AL champions as a fourth outfielder. He even produced more fWAR (1.8) than Sasaki in the regular season.

The Blue Jays likely have a ton of respect for Ohtani and Sasaki despite getting left at the altar. Still, you can bet that they're relishing the chance to get the last laugh by beating them when it matters most. Wouldn't it be something if this World Series came down to Sasaki versus Straw, or Ohtani versus Vladimir Guerrero Jr., with two out in the ninth inning of Game 7? It feels like the baseball gods want to have fun here.

Bichette's impact

Bo Bichette hasn't played since spraining his knee in early September, but the Blue Jays' All-Star shortstop said Monday that he'll "be ready" for Game 1. How Toronto will use him is still up in the air, as even manager John Schneider isn't quite sure yet.

"We'll see whether it's on the field, DHing, whatever it may be," Schneider told Sportsnet 590's Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker on Tuesday. "He's made some significant progress in terms of how he feels about his swing, and how he feels running."

Obviously, getting Bichette's bat back would be a massive development for the Blue Jays. However, he's a defensive downgrade on the best of days, which would hurt a Toronto team that prides itself on playing fundamentally sound defense. If Bichette can only DH, it might force George Springer to play the outfield, even though the Blue Jays have exclusively used him as a designated hitter through these playoffs. Springer also posted inferior offensive splits as an outfielder this year. Additionally, Nathan Lukes and Davis Schneider could lose at-bats in this scenario, which could weaken the overall depth of Toronto's lineup.

A third plan is for Bichette only to hit and do nothing else, allowing the Jays to roster him for a Kirk Gibson-esque moment as a pinch hitter. While it might ease Schneider's mind regarding roster machinations, it would limit Bichette's overall impact to potentially just seven at-bats. Any way you slice it, if he's active, you can bet he will have played a role in this series' outcome.

Teoscar's revenge

Teoscar Hernández became a fan favorite in Toronto over six seasons with the Blue Jays, but the club dealt him following its 2022 wild-card series collapse. After one lost campaign with the Seattle Mariners, Hernández revitalized his career with L.A. in 2024, and he's now an important bat in the Dodgers' deep lineup.

Blue Jays fans have received Hernández warmly during his past homecomings. He remains a close friend of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and has repeatedly expressed love for Toronto. But three years after getting cast aside, Hernández is about to return to Rogers Centre with the championship ring that his former teammates still don't have.

Just as the Blue Jays want to stick it to Sasaki and Ohtani, you can bet that Hernández is ready to get revenge. Don't be surprised if he uses this as fuel to have a massive series and perhaps turn himself into an enemy of Canada.

Dodgers fans vs. Springer

George Springer began crafting his October legend eight years ago against the Dodgers. A member of the Houston Astros back then, Springer was named 2017 World Series MVP after hitting .379/.471/1.000 during their seven-game series win. He became the third player to hit five homers in a single World Series and set a Fall Classic record with 29 total bases.

Of course, the view of this performance changed two years later when the Astros' sign-stealing scandal came to light. And while most of the 2017 Dodgers are gone - Clayton Kershaw and Enrique Hernández are the only players who are still with L.A. from that team - the fans certainly haven't forgotten. It's a foregone conclusion that Springer will receive the rudest of welcomes once the series shifts west.

Will the jeers affect Springer during the games at Dodger Stadium? He's in the midst of another epic playoff run, albeit with dramatic home-road splits that'll no doubt draw scrutiny from skeptics (1.053 at Rogers Centre, .802 on the road). However, Springer could become the most reviled of all the 2017 Astros in Southern California if he manages to silence Chavez Ravine in the World Series again.

Vlad Jr.'s moment

Guerrero wasn't lying when he said he was "born ready." The Blue Jays' $500-million man has taken over the playoffs, first almost single-handedly eliminating the New York Yankees and then crushing the Mariners en route to ALCS MVP honors.

At just 26 years old, Guerrero has a chance to one-up his Hall of Fame dad and win a World Series. Vladimir Guerrero Sr. never hoisted the Commissioner's Trophy with his two primary franchises, the Expos and Angels. But he reached the Fall Classic late in his career with the Rangers, batting 1-for-14 in their series loss during his second-last season.

Regardless of what happens from here, this October run has cemented Guerrero as a Canadian baseball icon. Adding a ring would put him squarely into the inner circle of modern baseball superstars and maybe even start to push him past his father. At this point, you'd be crazy to bet against Junior.

Power vs. grit

Los Angeles' pitching staff is easily the most dominant in baseball when it's firing on all cylinders. Specializing in blowing away opponents, the Dodgers posted an MLB-best 9.4 K/9 rate during the regular season. But now they face a plucky Blue Jays lineup that had the majors' lowest strikeout percentage (17.8%), led by Guerrero, who's been K'd just three times this postseason.

Blue Jays hitters excel at working the count, putting the ball in play, and extending at-bats. Dodgers pitchers enjoy dispatching their rivals as quickly as possible. Opponents hit .150 and struck out 1,505 times against L.A. this year when faced with a two-strike count. Conversely, Toronto's batters had the second-best OPS (.562) and second-fewest Ks (1,099) while hitting with two strikes. The Blue Jays also recorded the majors' highest average (.292) with runners in scoring position and the second-best OPS with RISP - behind only the Dodgers.

Toronto's lineup may lack in overall star power compared to Los Angeles', but it makes up for that with balance, depth, and grit. The Blue Jays already wore down the Yankees' and Mariners' talented pitching staffs this postseason. It'll be fascinating to see these contrasting approaches face off in a seven-game series and watch both sides adjust to try to counter their opponents' strengths.