2025 World Series Takeaways: Early Lessons and Surprises

After two tightly contested clashes to open the World Series, the three-day travel break has given us all — analysts, fans, and players alike — a chance to reframe our expectations.

The early narrative of this championship showdown between the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers is shifting under our feet.

Game 1’s surprise outburst from Toronto briefly shook the odds.

Los Angeles’s Game 2 response reasserted much of its pre-series standing.

As the action now moves west, the series feels almost like it’s rebooting, with momentum hanging in the balance.

The Pre-Series Picture

Heading into the World Series, the Dodgers were widely tipped as favorites.

Analysts pegged their chances of claiming the title at about 64 percent, thanks to deep playoff experience, star power, and a rotation that’s carried them through October so far.

The Blue Jays, though formidable, came in as underdogs who needed to close that statistical gap.

Those expectations framed the opening games.

Most figured Los Angeles could take an early punch and still settle into its groove, which Game 2 seemed to show.

Toronto, though, made it clear in Game 1 that they’re not just here to make up the numbers.

Toronto’s Game 1 Statement

Game 1 was about as emphatic an introduction as Toronto could have hoped for.

Their offense ignited, forcing the Dodgers’ high-caliber arms into uncomfortable counts and scoring situations.

That performance pushed Toronto’s postseason Elo rating ahead of Los Angeles for a brief moment.

It was an analytical milestone that raised eyebrows around the league.

Yet the betting markets weren’t convinced.

Oddsmakers still gave the Dodgers a slight edge, hinting that Los Angeles’s depth and playoff pedigree might outweigh one night’s fireworks.

Game 2: Order Restored for Los Angeles?

In Game 2, the Dodgers responded with the sort of poised aggression that’s defined their season.

Behind sharper pitching and timely hitting, Los Angeles evened the series and rebalanced the odds.

Their championship probability now sits at 63.8 percent — almost exactly where it started.

A Tale of Two Games

Through two games, Toronto holds a slight edge in scoring, outpacing the Dodgers 12–9.

More impressively, they boast a stronger postseason run differential (+1.92 vs. +1.25 for Los Angeles), which hints that their performance isn’t just opportunistic — they’ve been good across multiple series.

Even so, baseball is as much about timing and momentum as it is about numbers.

The Dodgers’ win in Game 2 taps into a deeper psychological vein: it reminds everyone why they entered October as favorites.

Momentum Shift: Heading West

Now, the series travels to Los Angeles.

For the Dodgers, home-field advantage during the middle stretch provides a tangible boost, as their lineup and pitchers are attuned to the quirks of Chavez Ravine.

For Toronto, it’s a chance to prove they can win on the road against one of the most dominant franchises in modern baseball.

Key Storylines to Watch

As play resumes, several factors will shape the next chapters of this Fall Classic:

• Dodgers’ Rotation: The star-studded pitching staff has already shown flashes of dominance as well as moments of vulnerability. How they adjust will be pivotal.
• Toronto’s Offensive Persistence: Will the hot bats from Game 1 carry over into hostile territory, or will Dodgers pitching tighten the screws?
• Run Differential Trends: Toronto’s edge here suggests underlying consistency — but the sample size is still small.
• Psychological Edge: Splitting games on the road can boost a team’s confidence. The question is whether Toronto can maximize that advantage.

The Series Reset

With the split, this World Series almost feels brand new. The tension is thick, and momentum keeps swinging back and forth.

Strategic adjustments are coming, and you can sense a compelling mid-series arc taking shape. The Dodgers still look like the favorites on paper, but Toronto’s early punch changed the vibe—this isn’t a formality, it’s a real fight.

In postseason baseball, numbers help frame the conversation, but they never capture the full story. As play picks up again in Los Angeles, it’s clear that the World Series is about resilience and adaptation just as much as stats—both teams have shown they’re up for it.

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Here is the source article for this story: What We’ve Learned So Far From the 2025 World Series