With the Toronto Blue Jays’ Game Seven victory over the Seattle Mariners, the Los Angeles Dodgers now know their World Series opponents after sweeping the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS. Two teams from opposite sides of the continent, fighting for the biggest prize in MLB, the Commissioner’s Trophy. Here is the preview between the two teams in blue, fighting it out for World Series gold. Unless otherwise noted, all stats and rankings were provided by MLB.
These are the two best offenses this postseason. The Dodgers are ranked second with a .770 OPS, which falls well short of the Blue Jays’ .878 OPS. These results aren’t a huge shock, considering both teams finished top-three over the regular season, albeit the American League champions well out-slugging their earlier pace.
The Blue Jays have shown more depth down the lineup, although both squads have at least seven players with an OPS above .700. The AL winners have the only two players with an OPS above 1.00, while also boasting eight qualifying players with an OPS no worse than .753. The nearly identical offensive output over the regular season has shifted power to the north, with Toronto hitting out of its mind.
The Dodgers are undoubtedly the more talented pitching staff. The Blue Jays are allowing 1.91 more earned runs per game this postseason, so what was a similar output over the regular season has the NL champs pitching with conviction. All four of Los Angeles’ qualifying starters would easily make Toronto’s roster, challenged only by Kevin Gausman. While the results of the relievers on both sides are comparable, the starting staff is heavily one-sided.
Both of these teams boast an impressive fielding percentage, finishing the regular season above .984. The Blue Jays made, however, 18 more errors, and had 16 fewer defensive runs saved, per The Fielding Bible. It may be two examples of elite defensive teams, but the Dodgers earned the edge.
The Dodgers get the pitching and defensive edge, while the Blue Jays try to ride the wave of their offensive momentum. The NL starting pitching staff is the biggest discrepancy between the two, so Toronto will need to work the starter out of games and get to the mediocre bullpen.
Game One takes place this Friday at the Rogers Center in Toronto, Ontario. Will the defending champion’s superior starting staff carry them, or will the Cinderella tale that is the Blue Jays finish with a happy ending for Canadians?
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