Fascinating contrasts characterize this Fall Classic that begins Friday night at Rogers Centre.

The Dodgers? The World Series seemed their fait accompli at the start of the season. They won it last year , as you might remember, then only got stronger in the offseason. Now they’re looking for their franchise’s ninth title overall .

It’s a different story for the Blue Jays. Their franchise has gone back-to-back, but that was way back in 1992-93, before most members of their active roster were born. And coming off 2024’s last-place finish in the AL East amid an era of unmet expectations, they weren’t widely counted as a World Series contender. Yet here they are, looking to dethrone a defending champ with much more experience on this stage.

The contrasts extend to the manner in which th

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