The 2025 Major League Baseball postseason has delivered its share of drama, history, and heartbreak, but few stories capture the moment quite like the Los Angeles Dodgers’ surge to the World Series and the Milwaukee Brewers’ historic collapse. As October baseball barrels toward its climactic finish, all eyes now turn to the impending showdown between the Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays—a matchup brimming with intrigue, contrasting narratives, and the promise of more unforgettable moments.
The Dodgers, perennial postseason contenders, punched their ticket to the World Series in emphatic fashion. Sweeping the top-seeded Milwaukee Brewers in four games, Los Angeles flexed its championship pedigree with a display of dominance rarely seen at this stage. The NLCS scores—2-1, 5-1, 3-1, and 5-1—tell the tale of a team firing on all cylinders. The sweep not only sent the Brewers packing but also handed the Dodgers a six-day breather before the Fall Classic begins on October 24, 2025.
For Milwaukee, the NLCS was nothing short of a nightmare. Entering as the National League’s No. 1 seed, the Brewers had just eliminated the Chicago Cubs and were riding high on confidence. But their offense evaporated against the Dodgers’ pitching staff, managing a paltry 14 hits and four runs across four games—the worst showing by a top seed in MLB postseason history since the St. Louis Cardinals suffered a similar fate years ago. Rookie Caleb Durbin was the lone bright spot, going 4-for-13 with a triple and two doubles, but established stars like Christian Yelich (1-for-14) and William Contreras (2-for-14) struggled mightily. As one commentator put it, "Milwaukee had 14 total hits and four runs scored against the Dodgers as essentially everyone on the Brewers disappeared in the NLCS."
Despite the bitter end, Brewers catcher William Contreras took the ribbing from rival Cubs fans in stride, sharing a tongue-in-cheek video and joking, "now we go to vacation," in Spanish. But for the Brewers’ front office, the offseason brings tougher decisions. With starting pitchers Jose Quintana and Brandon Woodruff expected to leave in free agency, the spotlight turns to right-hander Freddy Peralta. Rumors swirl about Milwaukee potentially picking up Peralta’s 2026 option and trading him, but many argue that would be a critical misstep. Peralta finished 2025 with a 17-6 record, a sparkling 2.70 ERA, and 204 strikeouts over 176 2/3 innings. As one analysis insisted, "With Woodruff and Quintana likely gone, the Brewers are going to need somebody to lead their starting rotation in 2026 if they want to make another deep playoff run. They already have that pitcher in their rotation, and trading him would be a mistake."
While the Brewers lick their wounds and ponder their future, the Dodgers are busy preparing for their next challenge. The six-day layoff before the World Series has sparked debate about whether rest is a blessing or a curse. Dodgers ace Shohei Ohtani weighed in, saying, "I think it's positive that both fielders and pitchers can take a rest," but quickly added, "I think it's important not to lose their sense of practice for a week." Manager Dave Roberts echoed the team’s hunger, declaring, "We are hungry. I don't care what happened before. We're playing good baseball, we're healthy, but we still have work to do."
Ohtani, in particular, has been the talk of the postseason. The two-way superstar made history in the NLCS clincher against Milwaukee, clubbing three home runs and tossing six scoreless innings with ten strikeouts. While only two of those homers counted toward the record for pitchers—since the third came after he was replaced on the mound—Ohtani tied Cardinals legend Bob Gibson for the most home runs by a pitcher in a single postseason. MLB’s official account couldn’t contain its excitement: "HE DOES IT AGAIN 🦄 SHOHEI OHTANI HAS A THREE-HOMER GAME!" The possibility of Ohtani shattering Gibson’s record in the World Series looms large, especially since he’s expected to start at least once against Toronto. As one report noted, "Ohtani's place as the eventual holder of this record, at far more than just two homers, seems inevitable. After all, he intends to remain a two-way player through the end of his 10-year contract with Los Angeles."
Across the diamond, the Toronto Blue Jays arrive in the World Series after a hard-fought American League Championship Series against the Seattle Mariners. The Blue Jays prevailed in a dramatic seven-game series, clinching their first AL pennant since 1993 with a 4-3 victory in the decisive Game 7. Their journey was anything but easy: after dropping two of the first three games, Toronto stormed back, riding timely hitting and clutch pitching to secure their spot in the Fall Classic. The Blue Jays’ postseason run has energized a fan base hungry for a return to glory, and the team now stands on the brink of ending a three-decade championship drought.
The World Series schedule is set, with Game 1 slated for Friday, October 24, at Toronto’s Rogers Centre. The seven-game format ensures plenty of opportunities for momentum swings, managerial chess matches, and, perhaps, more historic feats. The Dodgers, defending champions, will try to become the first repeat winners since the Yankees’ late-1990s dynasty, while the Blue Jays chase their first Commissioner's Trophy since Joe Carter’s iconic walk-off in 1993.
Historically, teams entering the World Series after sweeping their previous opponent—like the Dodgers—have sometimes struggled against opponents fresh off a grueling series. In 2012 and 2007, teams with longer layoffs lost the Fall Classic to battle-tested foes. Will history repeat itself, or will the Dodgers’ rest and star power prove decisive?
As the baseball world waits in anticipation, both clubs face critical questions. For the Dodgers, can Ohtani and company maintain their sharpness after a week off? Will the Blue Jays’ momentum carry them to a long-awaited title? And for Milwaukee, how will they regroup after a postseason to forget, especially with the futures of key pitchers in flux?
One thing’s for sure—October baseball never fails to surprise. With the World Series set to open in Toronto, fans can expect fireworks, records on the line, and, perhaps, a new chapter in the sport’s storied history. Stay tuned, because the best is yet to come.
