After a season filled with highs and lows, the Dodgers became the newest dynasty, winning back-to-back World Series. Los Angeles defeated the Toronto Blue Jays in a dramatic Game 7 at the Rogers Centre, with the most viewers since 1991, averaging 51 million per game.
The Dodgers’ 3-2 victory didn’t come easily. Throughout the series, the offense struggled to find hits, batting just .203 as a team. Their lineup, with the highest payroll in baseball history, went quite for long stretches. Forcing second-year pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto to put the team on his back. Yamamoto delivered one of the most dominant World Series performances ever, pitching 17 and ⅔ innings with a 1.02 ERA and a flawless record of 3-0.
“While the offense struggled throughout the playoffs, the pitchers picked up the slack. Snell and Yamamoto excelled, giving us costly wins.” Senior Reese Gordon said. “This was one of the most entertaining series I have ever watched leading to multiple extra inning games.”
Expectations for the 2025 Dodgers were sky high from the start. With a roster featuring Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and an arsenal of the best pitchers across the league, anything other than a championship would be considered a failure. Critics around the league accused the Dodgers of trying to buy another title, as their payroll was over $330 million. While money built the roster, the Dodgers were riddled with injuries that plagued the pitching staff.
“All year people have complained about the payroll. It is a constant topic of debate across social media.” Senior Cooper Morse said. “People only complain about the Dodgers because they win, while other major markets like the Mets, paid $340 million.”
While the Dodgers big three struggled at key moments, Max Muncy, Migual Rojas, and Will Smith were the heart of the team. Muncy delivered huge plays at the hot corner, Rojas tied Game 7 with a ninth-inning blast, and Smith contributed with hits throughout the postseason, keeping the Dodgers alive when it mattered most. They may not be the highest paid players in the lineup; they showed that none of that mattered in the postseason.
“Even though they aren’t the highest paid player on the team, they can step up and make a major difference,” sophomore Miles Crotty said. “Miggy’s home run in the ninth inning single handedly won the series for the Dodgers.”
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