The Los Angeles Dodgers are the overwhelming favorites to win the 2025 World Series and become the first repeat champion in a quarter century.

That doesn’t mean they’ve cornered all the talent in this year’s Fall Classic.

In fact, the American League champion Toronto Blue Jays feature two of the top three players heading into the series and nearly half of our top 20.

Let’s dig into the stars — ranking the best of the series participants on how good I think they’ll be in this series and predicting who will take home some superlatives by the time the dust settles.

Top 20 players in the World Series

1. Shohei Ohtani, SP/DH, Dodgers

Ohtani put up a combined 9.4 WAR in the regular season and is a huge favorite to win the National League MVP again. Then, he one-upped himself with one of the greatest athletic performances of all time: six scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts and three home runs in the clinching game of the NL Championship Series.

2. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B, Blue Jays

Guerrero had a big regular season — 3.9 WAR despite the sixth-worst ball-in-play luck in the league — but has been white hot in the playoffs, leading postseason players in most major offensive categories.

3. George Springer, DH, Blue Jays

Springer led the Jays in WAR in the regular season, has been very good this postseason and his iconic ALCS Game 7 homer will live on.

4. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, SP, Dodgers

All four of the Dodgers’ starting pitchers are on a heater, but Yamamoto was the best of the group in the regular season by a lot and one of the top five pitchers in baseball.

5. Blake Snell, SP, Dodgers

Snell missed the first two-thirds of the season with shoulder inflammation but came back looking as good as ever. He might be on the best run of his career right now, with a 0.86 ERA in three playoff starts and the second-best underlying numbers (xFIP and xERA) in the playoffs among starters, behind Detroit’s Tarik Skubal.

6. Mookie Betts, SS, Dodgers

Betts, a clear future Hall of Famer, is 33 years old and has lost the standout power from his peak years but is still an impact player.

7. Freddie Freeman, 1B, Dodgers

One of the most consistently elite hitters of this era, Freeman just keeps performing — and he has a history of coming up large in the playoffs.

8. Alejandro Kirk, C, Blue Jays

Kirk was quietly the second-best all-around catcher in the league this year behind Seattle’s Cal Raleigh, but isn’t a huge star since his value is largely driven by on-base skills and pitch framing.

9. Max Muncy, 3B, Dodgers

Muncy is surprisingly solid as a baserunner and a defensive third baseman, and he’s always been a dangerous hitter.

10. Tyler Glasnow, SP, Dodgers

Glasnow’s walks crept up during the regular season and the playoffs, but he’s been missing bats as always and is inducing weak contact during his current hot streak.

11. Will Smith, C, Dodgers

Smith hasn’t been very good offensively in the playoffs but had the third-best WAR amongst catchers in the majors this season, behind only Raleigh and Kirk.

12. Ernie Clement, 2B/3B, Blue Jays

Clement posted a quietly solid 3.2 WAR this season, driven mostly by contact and defense, but has gone to another level in the postseason, hitting .429 with almost no ball-in-play luck, due to his 4% strikeout rate. He’s on a heater, but the Dodgers’ staff is the type to possibly end that streak.

13. Daulton Varsho, CF, Blue Jays

Varsho is above average at basically everything on the baseball field but isn’t truly elite at much. He missed time with shoulder and hamstring issues this year but was on track for a career-best 4-ish WAR season.

14. Kevin Gausman, SP, Blue Jays

Gausman posted the 10th-best pitcher WAR in baseball this season but has one of the lowest fastball velocities of pitchers in that range and has been hit around in the playoffs, though his career playoff performances are close to his regular season quality.

15. Tommy Edman, 2B, Dodgers

Edman is a good defender at almost any position but had the 12th-least lucky ball-in-play outcomes this regular season. That luck has turned around in the playoffs.

16. Trey Yesavage, SP, Blue Jays

Like Gausman, Yesavage’s splitter is his best secondary pitch, and he doesn’t have standout fastball velocity or breaking ball quality. That said, Yesavage’s splitter has been confounding hitters in his six career big league appearances, half of which have been in the playoffs.

17. Bo Bichette, SS, Blue Jays

It sounds like Bichette will be able to return to the Jays’ lineup for the World Series, but he’s been out the past six weeks with a knee injury and it’s hard to know what he’ll look like in the short term.

18. Addison Barger, RF, Blue Jays

Barger is usable defensively at a number of positions and broke out this year to be an above-average hitter, mostly due to his power.

19. Andy Pages, CF, Dodgers

Pages hasn’t been terrible at the plate this postseason, but he was a standout hitter (.272 average, 24 homers) and defender (plus-7 runs in 117 starts in center field) in the regular season, en route to 4.0 WAR.

20. Teoscar Hernandez, RF, Dodgers

Hernandez hit for power in the regular season (25 homers) but didn’t draw many walks or stand out defensively. This postseason, he’s been hitting for even more power on a rate basis, so he sneaks on this list.

Superlatives

Fastest pitch of the World Series will be thrown by: Roki Sasaki

Sasaki narrowly wins this matchup with the hardest-thrown pitch among these teams in the playoffs at 100.8 mph, and he’s fresher than Louis Varland (100.7 mph) and can go more max effort than Ohtani (100.3 mph).

Others in the mix: Ohtani

Best breaking pitch will be: Emmet Sheehan‘s slider

Sheehan’s slider was, per pitch thrown, the best pitch on the Dodgers’ staff this season. It doesn’t have a gaudy spin rate or crazy movement but he throws it hard and hitters can’t seem to track it.

Others in the mix: Yariel Rodriguez‘s slider, Braydon Fisher‘s slider, Brendon Little‘s curveball, Jack Dreyer‘s slider, Glasnow’s curveball, Shane Bieber‘s curveball

Best changeup/splitter will be: Yesavage’s splitter

Yesavage offers a unique combination of movement profile (his slider moves to his arm side), a very high arm slot, and short extension which brings his release even higher. Hitters haven’t seen something like this before, then add in a killer splitter (which he barely threw at East Carolina, where he was last season) and hitters don’t know what to do.

Others in the mix: Yamamoto’s splitter, Gausman’s splitter, Snell’s changeup

Most whiffs will be thrown by: Snell

Snell has been red-hot in the postseason (I explain why here) and should get two starts, but there’s a number of strong candidates for this.

Others in the mix: Yamamoto, Yesavage, Glasnow

Hardest hit ball in play will be hit by: Guerrero

The odds for this are as close to 50/50 as you can get. Guerrero (120.4) and Ohtani (120.0 mph) were second and third in max exit velo during the regular season behind Cincinnati’s Oneil Cruz (122.9). Ohtani has a slight edge in playoff max EV at 117.7 to Vlad’s 116.0. I’ll lean to Vlad because he’s been running hotter at the plate and thus will get a few more chances to smoke one at a gaudy number, but Ohtani will be facing a weaker pitching staff, so this is still a coin flip.

Also in the mix: Ohtani

Highest sprint speed will be recorded by: Clement

The other main candidates are part-time players who might get only some chances to open it up on the bases, but I expect Clement to be on base often in the series.

Others in the mix: Hyeseong Kim, Edman, Myles Straw

The batter who will record the most hits: Guerrero

Clement (second in postseason hits with 18) might be held back a bit by the quality of the Dodgers’ pitchers while Guerrero (first in postseason hits with 19) also makes a ton of contact but gets the margin for error of having huge power, too.

Others in the mix: Clement, Nathan Lukes, Betts, Freeman, Springer

Best defender will be: Kirk

If you consider framing to be a part of defensive value (you definitely should) and also factor in positional difficulty (I think you should), then Kirk is the answer. He’ll be impacting roughly half of the pitches in the series and he was the second-best framer in the league behind San Francisco’s Patrick Bailey this regular season.

Others in the mix: Clement, Edman, Betts

South Africa’s lower order staged a remarkable fightback on the third day of the Rawalpindi Test, with Senuran Muthusamy and Keshav Maharaj leading the resistance after debutant Asif Afridi’s brilliant five-wicket haul had earlier put Pakistan in command.

At one point, Pakistan seemed poised for a significant first-innings lead as South Africa stumbled to 235-8, but Muthusamy, Maharaj, and Kagiso Rabada turned the tables with crucial partnerships.

The visitors not only wiped out the deficit but also managed to take a slender lead, with Muthusamy registering his career-best score.

Resuming at 185-4 overnight, South Africa lost Kyle Verreynne (10) in the very first over of the day, courtesy of Asif Afridi.

The debutant then dismissed Tristan Stubbs (76) and Simon Harmer (2) in quick succession, tightening Pakistan’s grip.

However, Muthusamy found a steady ally in Marco Jansen, adding 25 valuable runs for the eighth wicket before Noman Ali broke through.

Maharaj then joined Muthusamy, and the pair frustrated Pakistan’s bowlers with a resilient 71-run stand.

Pakistan missed several chances in the field dropping three catches and a stumping allowing the South African pair to rebuild.

Maharaj’s gritty 30 eventually ended when Noman struck again.

Rabada then joined forces with Muthusamy, and the duo added a defiant unbeaten 73-run partnership for the final wicket. Rabada played aggressively, bringing up a quickfire half-century off just 38 balls.

By stumps, South Africa had reached 381-9, with Muthusamy unbeaten on 86 and Rabada on 51.

Meanwhile, Asif Afridi etched his name in cricket history, becoming the oldest player to claim a five-wicket haul on Test debut at 38 years and 299 days surpassing a 92-year-old record held by England’s Charles Marriott (37 years, 332 days).

Earlier, on Day 2, South Africa had lost Ryan Rickelton (14), Aiden Markram (32), Tony de Zorzi (55), and Dewald Brevis (0).

Shaheen Afridi, Sajid Khan, and Noman Ali picked up a wicket apiece to support Asif’s heroic spell.

Pakistan, batting first, had earlier suffered a dramatic collapse, losing their last five wickets for just 17 runs.

From a commanding 316-5, the hosts were bowled out for 333 after a sensational spell by Keshav Maharaj, who claimed all five of the final wickets.

Pakistan got off to a steady start as openers Imam-ul-Haq and Abdullah Shafique put on 35 runs for the first wicket before Imam was bowled by Simon Harmer for 17 off 35 balls.

Abdullah Shafique continued with composure, combining aggression with patience to counter South Africa’s bowling.

Skipper Shan Masood joined him and displayed positive intent, hitting two towering sixes as Pakistan reached 65-1 after 20 overs.

The duo built a 50-run stand before lunch, maintaining momentum.

After the break, both batters guided Pakistan past 100. Masood reached his 13th Test fifty, while Shafique notched his sixth.

Their 111-run partnership for the second wicket ended when Harmer dismissed Shafique for 57 off 146 balls.

Babar Azam contributed 16 off 22 balls before falling to Keshav Maharaj, leaving Pakistan at 167-3.

Masood narrowly missed a century, scoring 87 off 176 deliveries with two fours and three sixes.

Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel added 34 for the fifth wicket before Kagiso Rabada trapped Rizwan lbw for 19, reducing Pakistan to 246-5 in 84.5 overs.

Resuming day two at 259-5, Saud Shakeel and Salman Ali Agha stabilised the innings, adding 70 for the sixth wicket.

Shakeel brought up his ninth Test fifty, while Agha contributed 45 off 76 balls with five boundaries before being dismissed by Maharaj.

Maharaj then struck again, removing Shakeel for a well-crafted 66 off 147 balls.

He continued his dominance by dismissing Shaheen Afridi for a duck to complete his five-wicket haul, and later accounted for Sajid Khan (5) and debutant Asif Afridi, as Pakistan were bowled out for 333 in 113.4 overs.

Maharaj finished with outstanding figures of 7 for 102, while Simon Harmer and Kagiso Rabada took a wicket apiece.

For Pakistan, captain Shan Masood top-scored with 87, while Saud Shakeel contributed a solid 66.

KANSAS CITY — TCU guard Olivia Miles said she knows many were surprised she bypassed being a likely lottery pick in the WNBA draft earlier this year to remain in college.

But with the WNBA’s ongoing collective bargaining negotiations, Miles, who transferred from Notre Dame for her final season, said she is content to observe that debate from afar.

“The WNBA is figuring out their own stuff [with the CBA] as we’re watching,” Miles, 22, told ESPN on Tuesday at Big 12 women’s basketball media day. “So, let them figure it out, and for one more year, I’ll enjoy college.”

After Miles’ junior season with the Fighting Irish was ended by TCU in the Sweet 16 in March, many expected her to then declare for the draft because she was age-eligible, having been at Notre Dame since her arrival in winter 2021. Instead, she opted to transfer and use her remaining season of eligibility at TCU. She is projected to be the No. 2 pick in ESPN’s most recent 2026 WNBA mock draft.

Miles said she knows there is a lot happening with negotiations for a new CBA, which has to be signed before the league moves forward with the expansion draft, the lottery for the 2026 regular draft and free agency. All that will have an impact on Miles’ future, but she is putting it to the side a while longer.

“Right now, it’s all still opinions on what is going to change,” Miles said of the CBA. “We hear there is going to be a lot of [player] movement and the league will look different next season. So, for now, I just prioritize what is right in front of me. I’ll start thinking about everything else later on.”

There is plenty for Miles to still accomplish in college. TCU is the preseason favorite in the Big 12, as chosen by the league’s coaches. Miles was a three-time all-ACC first-team selection at Notre Dame, where she averaged 14.2 points, 6.0 rebounds and 6.5 assists in 101 games.

She missed the 2022-2023 postseason and the entire 2023-2024 season with a knee injury. Miles said despite averaging 15.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists last season for the 28-6 Irish, she still wasn’t 100% confident in her preparation to be in the WNBA. So, she bypassed the 2025 draft.

“[The lottery potential] was a lot to leave on the table,” Miles said, adding with a smile, “My parents thought I was crazy. Everyone thought I was crazy. Heck, I still hear comments like, ‘It doesn’t make sense. Why would she come back? Why did she go there?’

“But I wasn’t in great shape, still, mentally. I had a great season last year, but I still wanted to get more consistent and more disciplined, and in better shape physically. I didn’t think I was ready. Being at TCU feels so aligned; I couldn’t pass up on the opportunity, especially with their style of play. Why not stay in college? The pros will still be there.”

The Horned Frogs had a breakthrough season in 2024-2025, going 34-4 and winning the Big 12 regular-season and tournament titles before making the Elite Eight, all program firsts.

But TCU lost four senior starters and needed an infusion of experience and talent. Miles, the preseason Big 12 newcomer of the year, brings that, and coach Mark Campbell’s program offers a pick-and-roll offensive system that will help Miles when she goes pro after this season.

“She’s going to be the ball-dominant kid, and she’s going to get the usage — all of our actions will run through her,” Campbell said. “She wanted to use this year to really, really get her mind right and get ready for the pros. And she’s acted like a pro since day one.”