The Los Angeles Dodgers etched their names even deeper into baseball lore on November 2, 2025, with a heart-stopping 5-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 7 of the World Series. In a contest that had fans at the edge of their seats for over four hours at Rogers Centre, the Dodgers not only secured their second consecutive championship—a feat unseen in 25 years—but also bid farewell to a franchise legend, Clayton Kershaw, while signaling that their reign atop Major League Baseball may be far from over.
This Game 7 had everything: drama, historic milestones, and a parade of stars delivering in the clutch. The Blue Jays, hungry for their first title since 1993, jumped out to a 3-0 lead on Bo Bichette’s mammoth 442-foot home run off Shohei Ohtani in the third inning. The Dodgers, unfazed by the deficit and the raucous Canadian crowd of 44,713, clawed back with sacrifice flies from Teoscar Hernández and Tommy Edman, and a solo blast from Max Muncy in the eighth that trimmed Toronto’s edge to 4-3. But it was Miguel Rojas, a veteran infielder often overlooked in a lineup brimming with superstars, who delivered the game-tying home run in the ninth—the first such feat in a Game 7 of the World Series. "I had a conversation with my wife," Rojas revealed after the game. "She told me something big was waiting for me."
As the tension mounted into extra innings—just the sixth time a World Series Game 7 has gone past nine frames—the Dodgers and Blue Jays traded missed chances. Toronto reliever Seranthony Domínguez stranded three Dodgers runners in the 10th, and the home crowd could sense history within reach. Yet, in the 11th inning, Will Smith stepped to the plate and delivered the biggest swing of his life, launching a 2-0 pitch from Shane Bieber into the left-field bullpen for the first extra-inning homer in a winner-take-all World Series game. Smith, who had already caught a record 73 innings in the Series, raised his arms in triumph as he rounded the bases. "He hung a slider," Smith said. "I banged it."
But the drama wasn’t over yet. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. led off the bottom of the 11th with a double, and after a sacrifice bunt and a walk, Alejandro Kirk hit a broken-bat grounder to shortstop Mookie Betts. Betts, calm under pressure, started a slick 6-6-3 double play—the first to end a World Series since 1947—sealing the championship for Los Angeles. The Dodgers’ dugout erupted, silver confetti rained down, and the Blue Jays were left to ponder just how close they came to glory. "I’ve been crying probably for an hour," Toronto’s Ernie Clement said, his voice cracking with emotion.
This victory was the capstone of a season and an era. The Dodgers, with a $500 million roster and a relentless organizational culture, overcame a 3-2 Series deficit on the road to become the first National League team to repeat since the 1975-76 Cincinnati Reds. They now boast nine championships and three titles in the last six years, fueling debates about whether this is the dawn of a new dynasty. Manager Dave Roberts, who has guided the club since 2016, acknowledged the magnitude of the achievement: "To do what we’ve done in this span of time is pretty remarkable. I guess let the pundits and all the fans talk about if it’s a dynasty or not."
Central to this run has been the influence of Clayton Kershaw. The 37-year-old lefty, a three-time Cy Young winner and former MVP, announced his retirement late in the season, capping a storied career that spanned the Dodgers’ transformation from perennial underachievers to baseball’s model franchise. Kershaw’s swan song wasn’t just ceremonial—he contributed crucial outs in the postseason, including snuffing out a bases-loaded threat in the epic 18-inning Game 3. As he warmed up in the bullpen during the 11th inning of Game 7, Kershaw admitted he lost track of the outs: "When he hit the double play, I thought the run scored and it was tied. I thought I had the next batter." His legacy as perhaps the greatest Dodger ever is cemented, with a bWAR of 80.9 towering over franchise legends of the past.
The Dodgers’ success is no accident. Since the Guggenheim group took over ownership in 2012 and Andrew Friedman joined as lead executive after 2014, the organization has built a juggernaut. Their payroll has consistently ranked among MLB’s highest, but money alone hasn’t fueled their rise. The Dodgers have invested heavily in scouting, analytics, player development, and medical science, ensuring a steady pipeline of talent. As Dave Roberts put it, "People just overlook the fact that every year, we probably have a top-five farm system in baseball. This year, I think we probably have the No. 1 or No. 2."
Star power has been another hallmark. Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and recent additions like Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki have all played pivotal roles. This international influence has not only boosted the team’s performance but also expanded its global brand. Yamamoto, named World Series MVP, finished the postseason with a 5-1 record and a sparkling 1.45 ERA, capping his run with 2 2/3 clutch innings in Game 7. "Before I went in, to be honest, I was not really sure if I could pitch up there to my best ability," Yamamoto admitted through a translator. "But as I started getting warmed up ... I started making a little bit of an adjustment, and then I started thinking I can go in and do my job."
The Dodgers’ culture is defined by loyalty and communication, as evidenced by players like Miguel Rojas and Enrique Hernández, who praise the organization for its transparency and support. Even as stars come and go, the club’s identity remains steadfast—focused on winning, innovation, and creating an environment where players want to stay. As Blake Snell said, "Even playing against them, watching, it was just always in the back of my mind: I wanted to be a Dodger and play on that team. To be here now, it’s a dream come true."
While the Dodgers celebrated their triumph, the baseball world couldn’t help but look ahead. With a core of Betts, Freeman, Ohtani, and a front office committed to excellence, Los Angeles is already the favorite for the 2026 title. As Freddie Freeman quipped in the postgame revelry, "The Yankees are three-time back-to-back, so we get to use that same narrative next year."
For now, the Dodgers stand atop the baseball world, champions once again, and with no signs of slowing down. The Kershaw era may have closed, but the Dodgers’ dynasty is still very much alive—and perhaps only just beginning.
