The 2025 World Series comes down to Game 7, with the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers going head-to-head. Los Angeles evened the series with a victory in Game 6 on Friday, forcing the best-of-seven showdown, the first World Series Game 7 since 2019.
The Dodgers are chasing their first consecutive championship since the New York Yankees’ 1998–2000 run, while Toronto is pursuing its first title since consecutive wins in 1992 and 1993. Historically, teams holding a 3-2 lead, like the Blue Jays earlier in this series, have won the series roughly 70% of the time.
A prime mover for Toronto this postseason has been relief pitcher Louis Varland, who set a new MLB record for most postseason appearances in a single year with his 15th outing on Saturday, per USA Today's Bob Nightengale.
The 27-year-old entered in the top of the fifth inning to relieve Max Scherzer. In 0.2 innings of work, Varland faced the Dodgers’ top hitters, allowing a hit to Shohei Ohtani but keeping him off base by retiring Will Smith and Freddie Freeman on pop-ups.
Across 15 relief appearances in 2025, he has allowed seven runs in 16.1 innings while striking out 17 batters. Since being traded from the Minnesota Twins to Toronto this season, he has become a go-to bullpen option under manager John Schneider.
During the 2025 regular season, Varland appeared in 74 games, recording a 4–3 record with a 2.97 ERA. He struck out 75 batters and walked 22 across 72.2 innings pitched, compiling a 1.20 WHIP. Varland did not make any starts but contributed out of the bullpen in all 74 appearances.
A Minnesota native, Varland played at North High School in North St. Paul and Concordia University, St. Paul, before the Twins drafted him in the 15th round of the 2019 MLB Draft. He made his major league debut in 2022.
