Around 8:10 p.m. ET on Friday, the excitement will have given way to tension — the kind that only playoff baseball can provide.
Yes, the World Series will return to Canada for the first time in 32 years. That, in itself, is a statement and achievement worth celebrating.
But what really made those 1992 and 1993 teams special is that they won it all.
Blue Jays fans experienced the nail-biting drama that comes with the post-season in Game 7 of the American League Championship, when Toronto trailed for most of the game to the Seattle Mariners before George Springer flipped the script with his instantly iconic three-run home run in the seventh inning.
Now, the Blue Jays and their World Series opponent, the Los Angeles Dodgers, are back to 0-0. Plenty of twists and turns surely lie ahead.
Here are eight people who could determine the outcome of the Fall Classic:
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays first baseman
A guy who could take over the series all on his own, Guerrero Jr. has earned his 14-year, $500 million US contract before it’s even begun.
Hitting .442 with six homers and 12 runs batted in through two series, Guerrero Jr., who won ALCS MVP, has proven to be an absolute force in these playoffs. Even when he makes an out, it’s likely he hit the ball hard. And his three strikeouts in 11 playoff games show just how difficult it is for opponents to put him away without a ball in play.
The Dodgers’ biggest strength is their starting pitchers, and their ability to generate strikeouts. Something’s gotta give.
The Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Seattle Mariners 4-3 to win the American League Championship Series (ALCS) and book their ticket to the World Series. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who was born in Montreal, said he’s proud to have won the ALCS MVP but even prouder to be going to the World Series.
Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers pitcher and slugger
It would be malpractice to leave Ohtani off this list. He is easily the greatest player in the sport, though the Blue Jays have already vanquished two of the contenders in Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh.
Ohtani’s clinching Game 4 performance in the NLCS — 10 strikeouts as a pitcher, three homers at the plate — is the stuff of legend.
More than anyone else in the series, the Japanese superstar can carry a team on his back. And remember: he was nearly a Blue Jay just two seasons ago, when Toronto’s full-court press to bring him north of the border caused all of us to download flight tracker apps, only to be disappointed for the plane to have belonged to Canadian entrepreneur Robert Herjavec.
Ohtani’s probably pretty happy in Dodger blue as he goes for a second straight ring. But the Blue Jays would surely like to put a pin in his budding dynasty.
Roki Sasaki, Dodgers closer
Another failed Blue Jays pursuit, Sasaki even visited Toronto this past off-season before choosing to join fellow Japanese star Ohtani in L.A.
After an injury-marred rookie season, Sasaki shifted to the bullpen for the post-season, where he’s taken over as closer.
But Rogers Centre in Game 1 could be the loudest and most hostile atmosphere he’s ever faced — especially considering his spurning of the Jays not that long ago.
How the 23-year-old handles that pressure will be immense — especially with the rest of the Dodgers bullpen looking shaky behind him.
John Schneider, Blue Jays manager
Throughout this season, Schneider won over critics by overseeing a team that consistently executed the fundamentals, one that boasted among the best defences in the league, struck out less than anyone and can drop down a sacrifice bunt, like the one that preceded Springer’s homer, to perfection.
Then again: if the Blue Jays lost to the Mariners, Schneider was set to be the goat after his curious Game 5 decision to bring in struggling lefty reliever Brendon Little in the eighth inning.
The manager has mostly pressed the right buttons during this run. But one wrong move could determine how he is remembered in Toronto.
The Toronto Blue Jays will play in the World Series for the first time in more than 30 years after beating the Seattle Mariners 4-3 in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series. Speaking to reporters after the victory, manager John Schneider said this team is ‘a special group.’
Freddie Freeman, Dodgers first baseman
It’s gonna be tough for Freeman — who represents Canada at the World Baseball Classic to honour his late mother — to top last year’s World Series, when he ignited the Dodgers with a Game 1 walk-off grand slam, even while battling injury.
But the World Series MVP could have some extra motivation playing in Canada. And while his post-season run hasn’t been quite the same as last year — he’s batting .231 with just one home run in 10 games — we know he’s capable of authoring big moments.
Plus, Freeman should have plenty of opportunity to do damage batting behind Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Will Smith.
Alejandro Kirk, Blue Jays catcher
The stalky catcher’s best skills — pitch framing, contact hitting — aren’t the flashiest, which means Kirk can sometimes fly under the radar.
But if the Blue Jays are celebrating at the end of the series, Kirk will have been a major reason why.
He has started and finished all 11 playoff games, helping Blue Jays pitchers navigate a pair of scary offences in New York and Seattle while producing a timely hit or two along the way.
And, oh yeah, his grand slam on the last day of the season helped Toronto clinch the AL East, setting up a bye in the wild-card round and the home-field advantage the Blue Jays have enjoyed.
Teoscar Hernandez, Dodgers outfielder
Beloved by both fan bases, the smiley, sunflower seed-throwing former Blue Jay might grow into one of the key characters of this series.
Hernandez was part of the Blue Jays’ 2022 wild-card collapse against the Mariners before being shipped unceremoniously to that very team for a reliever and a prospect. After one season in Seattle, he joined the Dodgers and found a home.
Over 27 playoff games with Los Angeles, Hernandez has smashed seven home runs to go with 27 RBIs.
His strikeouts and his defence were two reasons why Blue Jays management traded him, but if he comes up clutch now against his former team, the mistake of dealing him may only look worse.
Daulton Varsho, Blue Jays outfielder
Unsung throughout the season as he battled injury, the centre fielder has two tools that make him an ideal candidate for one of those October moments: power and elite defence.
Varsho clubbed 20 home runs in just 71 games in the regular season and has since added two in 11 post-season contests.
It’s also worth remembering that among the renovations at Rogers Centre was a shortened centre-field wall, allowing defenders the opportunity to pull back potential homers.
It may never come — Varsho can suffer cold spells — but the ingredients are in place for the 29-year-old to play a key role in the World Series.
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