The 2025 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays will go down as truly being an all-timer.
The back-and-forth nature of the series coupled with some monumental moments truly made this an objectively joyful series to watch regardless of rooting interests or not.
More news: Dodgers Win World Series Over Blue Jays in 11 Innings in Dramatic Game 7
Caleb Joseph is currently an analyst for Sportsnet (SN), a broadcasting company out of Toronto. Joseph spent seven years in the big leagues as a catcher for the Baltimore Orioles, New York Mets, and Toronto Blue Jays. He finished his career in 2020 with the Blue Jays, and has since been involved as an analyst for the television and radio broadcasts.
At the conclusion of Game 7, Joseph went on air and offered his opinion on the series. It’s understandable that he may have some leanings towards the Blue Jays. However, there appeared to be some real disrespect thrown towards the now back-to-back champs.
“There were a lot of wet eyes, and I don’t blame them for that. It’s going to sound like sour grapes, and I don’t really give a s–t, but I think the better team did not win this series. I think the Blue Jays are the better team. I feel like they play baseball a certain way that was infectious. They grabbed the attention of the fans. It’s disheartening to see that the better team did not win. That’s not to take anything away from the Dodgers, but the Blue Jays did so many things correct. They did so many things right.”
Toronto certainly out-hit the Dodgers for the entirety of the season. There were moments when the pitching was elevated in spots. Trey Yesavage, Kevin Gausman, Max Scherzer, and Shane Bieber all had moments where they stymied LA’s bats.
Having said that, as most teams do with a championship pedigree, the Dodgers — much to the chagrin of Joseph and those in “The Six” — did what they had to do to come out with the gritty victory when it mattered most.
More news: Dodgers’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto Wins World Series MVP After Historic Performance
Photo Credit: John E. Solokowski-Imagn Images
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41 Responses
What an a**h**e.
Hey Tom Dovidio great comment
What a typical fan boi reaction. How does one measure being a better team? Some will argue stats. On paper a team will look great but numbers on a page will not win you games or the World Series or back to back World Series. The better team is one that fought against the odds, not having a good stat sheet is one of those odds. The better team will fight back after falling behind 3-2 and having to play the remaining games on the road. The better team is the one who makes less mistakes and makes the great plays. The winning team is the one that has heart…Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitching in 3 games in a short span with little rest and getting 3 wins! A batter who is cold in the last stretch of the regular season who was not on the starting roster but who came out and made plays that save a run that could have eliminated the Dodgers in a sudden death situation with bases loaded then hit a home run to tie the game…this player M Rojas has heart. Stat didn’t predict that. Pages making another game saving clutch catch. The Dodgers had many opportunity to be eliminated but they fought back. If that is not a mark of the “better team” then I don’t know what is. Enjoy your sour grapes Sir.
Cry, cry, cry and cry some more, Caleb. #scoreboard chump
This is misleading. To say an “analyst” says the Dodgers were not the better team implies analysis! But there was none. This is nothing but one man’s likely biased opinion.
Frankly, I agree. I feel Toronto played better. And I’m a Dodgers fan!
But I came here for the analysis, the data and proof of why TOR outplayed LAD. That’s what was implied. Totally 100% misleading
I especially appreciated the Jays baserunning skills which eclipsed those of the Dodgers.
Seriously? The jays had at least 6 base running errors that likely cost them the series. The dodgers were and are the better team.
bill, dan was joking or facetious with the base running
Like this biased clown, it was amusing to see all the sour grapes and hate put out there on X from so many of the Jays fans, most claiming LA only won because of its “billion dollar payroll”. I guess they forgot Vlad Jr has a $500 million dollar contract. I’ve never seen so many bad losers. We, and they, should be tipping our caps to both teams for a fantastic and memorable series where there were heroes and goats on both teams and not claiming Toronto was the “better team”. Or that “David versus Goliath” crap that kept springing up. Baseball is the greatest sport because anything can and usually does happen, and this series certainly proved it. Somewhere I know Vinny is just shaking his head in awe of both teams. Congrats, Dodgers – you gutted it out when many of us thought you wouldn’t even make the WS!
And no one gives a sh_t what Caleb Joseph thinks either. Toronto is basically a triple A ball club and I’m surprised it took the Dodgers so long to win the series. That being said this was the worst performance by a winning team I’ve seen in a long time.
Rude for rude.
I totally disagree with you, Gary, that Toronto is basically a Triple A team. The Blue Jays had a great season and being the World Series losers makes the team the second best in the entire league, at least for this year. They definitely outhit the Dodgers during the series. Guerrero and Clement were superb at the plate. Some of the pitching, particularly by Yesavage and Scherzer, was top-notch. But the Dodgers won . . . and deserved it.
maybe the Dodgers beat the 2nd best team to go to the World Series not in the world series
During the regular season a last place team can sweep a 3 game series against a league leader. When you only have to win 4 games a little thing here or there can make the difference, especially when there aren’t a lot of runs scored
Isn’t it a 7 game series? Should it have been a 9,11,or 21 game series….or just until the Blue Jays say it’s over?
Second place trophy is in the ladies bathroom.
There’s nothing further from the truth! The Dodgers were the better team. Not on paper but they were the better TEAM! They made it happen when it counted. There were no chokers on either side, the Dodgers just refused to lose.
Hey, at the end of the day, what matters is the Final Score. Dodgers probably fought harder than they should have but it proves what I always tell people: You don’t win postseason games “on paper.” If someone is hungrier than you, they deserve to win and you deserve to lose. The Blue Jays fought hard, outplayed us in many areas, were very hungry, and came close. But “close” only works in horseshoes and hand grenades, I’m afraid. If we “underachieved” and Toronto “overachieved,” we somehow pulled it out with their mighty effort and our less-than-stellar effort. Let’s give the Dodgers credit for winning; Let’s give the Mighty Blue Jays credit for playing their azzes off, despite losing. Excellent World Series. Shame someone had to lose.
Stats don’t win games, players do. Toronto played well in the three games they won, outscoring LA 23 – 7 in those games to take what should have been a commanding lead going home for games 6 and 7. In their four losses, including three at home by the team with the best MLB home record in the regular season, LA outscored them 19-11. So, they scored more runs, had more hits, and a laundry list of other statistical advantages. But players have to perform when the game is on the line. Take away 6 runs of that ridiculous 9 run 6th inning in game one and many things flip or even out statistically (and they still win the game).
So, did stats make Toronto fail to close the gap in game 6 with RISP in the 8th and 9th inning in game 6? Did stats make them fail to score in the bottom of the 8th, 9th, and 11th innings, all with multiple RISPs, in game 7. Had they done ANY of that, they would have won the series. They didn’t. Game 7, Dodgers players, not stats, closed a 4 -2 deficit in the 8th with a HR off of a starter who statistically dominated LA in his starts (Yesavage), close a 4 – 3 deficit against their closer in the 9th to tie it up with another HR, and give up the GW HR to Smith in the 11th inning preceding their failure in the bottom? Statistically speaking, at least 2 of those 3 HRs were improbable. Did stats make Toronto goof up several times running the bases? Granted, no errors defensively, but the Toronto players had many opportunities to win both of those games and the series, yet failed to do so. That’s players, not stats.
Want a little cheese with that whine?
Well said, Mike!
Great analysis!
The “better” team is probably the one that serves up the fewest hanging sliders in a crucial game.
Caleb Joseph can say anything he wants about the relative merits of the Dodgers and the Blue Jays. But fortunately for us, he can’t claim that the Blue Jays won the series. The Dodgers did and that, in the end, is all the counts.
Better team. That’s kind of a vague statement. On a given day, over a 162 season, over a 7 game series? Whatever.
But… the Jays might have been the better team, but the better team doesn’t always win, especially in a short series. It was a best of 7 series, not a 2 out of 3. Or 8 out of 15. Without looking at the numbers I believe the Jays won one more in the regular season. Both tough divisions, NL West and AL East. One more out of 162 is a hickup, a pitcher, yours or theirs hanging a curve for a HR. An ace with the glove making or missing a great catch. The very dimensions of ballparks, what’s a fly ball in one is a HR in another. The way the wind is blowing on any given day.
But Caleb Joseph is either just another talking head, yaking about his team, the Jays played well, the Dodgers won, end of story. And Caleb should just shut up if he want’s to be regarded as a class act, which apparently he does not.
Whaa whaa whaa…
Your team lost! Deal with it. Dodgers are a Championship Team and they won it when it mattered.
Well, the results say otherwise pal!
I totally respect the Jays. They played well and damn near pulled it off……But they didn’t pull it off! For anyone to say such a thing as this is really pathetic.
I wonder if Joseph realizes how ignorant and whiny he sounds with his better team bullshit. He is just a sore loser so probably not.
In the end it wasn’t the big payroll guys who came through when runs were needed. A lot of great moments came from the middle and end of order guys.
And the only reason the Dodgers have such a high payroll is because they have to at least match teams like the Blue Jays trying to get the free agents who would like to be part of a great Dodger organization.
I tip my Dodgers cap off to the Toronto Blue Jays. They are a very good team, who “missed it by THIS much.” As for Caleb Joseph, what a loser. Your dinner is waiting for you in my cats’ litter box.
Dodgers got Lucky !!!
LUCK IS THE RESIDUE OF DESIRE-
-Branch Rickey-
The 7 games have many games inside of stories to tell. The Blue Jays put the ball in play going from station to station and several instances occurred over and over which showed they mismanaged the opportunity on said base paths. Their base coaches failed to do their jobs plain and simple. Unfortunately each instance mismanaged a win. The dodgers being the direct opposite power over power avoided coaching errors. Base ball is a wonderful game and showed it once more.
The Jays have nothing to be ashamed of. They out-hit LA consistently getting more men on base and wreaking havoc in most of the 7 games. But Yamamoto was there, with assists from Pages and Rojas, to save the day. They (The Jays) lost game 7. Close isn’t a win. It was a great series and would have been even if the Dodgers had lost (sure glad they didn’t). See you next year.
You know, he’s got a point. Just like The San Diego Padres were probably better that the 2024 Dodgers, the Jays, while not on paper better than the 25’ Dodgers were the hottest team in the MLB during the playoffs and playing at higher, more productive level than the D’s.
My response to that is, “That’s why you play the games. Show up, execute and prove it. This is not a theoretical exercise and having home field advantage after taking two in the opponent’s house is, well, f-ing irrelevant. I thought the Dodgers had a great chance to win at Roger’s Centre (learn to spell, Canada.) Ask the Milwaukee Brewers WTF happened. Streaks and great W-L records are yesterday’s news. The Dodgers have learned these hard won lessons. Your journey has begun…..This team was built for one purpose….World Championships, and they aren’t won with stats, and it isn’t ever pretty. Oh, and Major League Baseball is the most difficult championship to win, much less repeat. Great series, mass respect to Toronto, class team, great hitting and defense. The Dodgers will take Yesavage off your hands if you want. Keep ruining baseball…Go Dodgers…2025 and 2026.
Uh, “Center” is American English and “Centre” is British English. Considering Canada is a constitutional monarchy with King Charles as their “head of state”, it’s perfectly reasonable and an acceptable spelling. And he doesn’t have a point, but a worthless loser’s mentality opinion. Stats and W/L records are meaningless. Were the Dodgers the better team than the Nationals in 2019? The Padres in 2022? The Diamondbacks in 2023? Yes is the answer based on stats and W/L records. Absolutely not when you look at the results of those three NLDSs. Play the games. The rest is just details and noise.
It may mean more to some to to have a game with a higher number of stats on the books but it doesn’t mean you should win, deserve to win, or your a better team based on that. Even though the Dodgers do have a loads of stats in favor of success they can also win with more efficiency which can mean less stats in a game or series but big plays and big hits and great coaching decisions when it counts and thus leading to and achieving yet another Championship!
The author says about the Blue Jays:
“I feel like they play baseball a certain way that was infectious. They grabbed the attention of the fans. It’s disheartening to see that the better team did not win…. but the Blue Jays did so many things correct. They did so many things right.”
Sorry buddy but the Dodgers have always had the most dedicated fanbase with the highest yearly attendance record because they ‘play baseball a certain way that is infectious’ & ‘ are attention grabbing’ and they ‘do things correct and do so many things right’!!! Did you even watch Game 7 ?!!! We Bleed Blue from the heart, not from a bird!
That’s the one thing about baseball you could be playing great baseball 1 day the next day blow it I thought the Dodgers have the talent and capability of winning because they played last year that helped but this year is a whole different environment people were leaving and they knew they were leaving and they
wanted for that individual, what a way to retire in the World Series amen by the way I’ve been a Dodger fan for 63 years I love
the Dodgers maybe 1 day they didn’t play the best that’s the way goes in baseball the best of 7 games. I’ve been to 4 different World Series with the Dodgers they played better and they played worse These are grown men playing a kid sport and they’re getting paid a hell of a lot of money they’d better give it a 100%
What an ignorant comment coming from supposedly a well-informed individual, baseball is a game of inches, a game of circumstances, a game of moment situations where all kinds of things can happen when you have the human element involved in the game. Things that could have happened but did not, situations that could have gone the other way, that is baseball my friend how do you rate who and why is such a team better than the other.
I will agree with Caleb Joseph’s analysis that the Blue Jays were the better team in this years World Series. Unfortunately for the Blue Jays, they played the BEST Team and defending champions in baseball. Although the Dodgers were outplayed most of the series, their Championship metal and grit allowed them to stay in the games. The Dodgers may have been outplayed but The Dodgers made the plays that mattered most to win the series. Freeman’s homerun to win game 3, Kershaw to pitch and end the inning with bases loaded, Miguel Rojas’ homerun on the 9th in game 7, and of course Will Smith’s go ahead homerun to put the Dodgers up in the Top of the 11th inning in Game 7. Can’t also say enough of Yamamoto to pitch a complete game in Game 2, pitch the Dodgers to a win in Game 6 and end the Blue Jay’s World Series hopes to win Game 7 on a game ending double play with Guerrero at 3rd base with one out. The Blue Jays did not capitalize on their opportunities to win. This was Championship was earned and not given. Whatever Mr. Joseph! Your biased analysis doesn’t matter anyway. This Dodger team and ownership is not bad for baseball. If you’re a Dodger hater because of the “juggernaut” reason the Dodgers pay their players, your ownership needs to step up and do the same. Don’t fault Dodger ownership for not just making money but also recruiting the type of players who resemble the Dodger character of players who represent the organization the right way, an organization that reinvests in their players and the rest of the supporting services (training, medical, scouting, etc.). This is a class organization and an organization I can be proud to be a fan of since I can remember back to the 70’s! This Dodger ownership is appreciated in LA. Just like the Lakers have always believed….The Stars Belong In LA and we have a team and ownership that not only have the ability to attract these players but also have the ability to bring them to a clubhouse that is fun and different than any other organization they’ve played for in the past. Lastly, I’m so glad that this current Dodger organization can finally shut up those pundits with that East Coast bias….such as MR. JOSEPH! Let’s Go Dodgers…..history awaits…..Back 2 Back…2 Back!!!
Hey, I’m as big of a Dodger fan as there is, but I have to admit I agree with Caleb Joseph 100%…
…when he said “It’s gonna sound like sour grapes.”
As for the rest of his comment, it means nothing anyway. I’ve watched a ton of baseball in my life, and I have no recollection of a player named Caleb Joseph.
Game 1 gave some people the wrong impression about this series. The teams played 74 innings. In ONE of those innings the Jays scored 9 runs in the first game. The other 73 innings, the Jays scored 1 more run than the Dodgers; the Dodgers hit 10 bombs, Jays hit 5. Dodgers beat Jays 3-4 (3 straight) in Toronto. So I don’t think that makes the Jays the better team.
Love the conversations! Winning is fun. Losing isn’t. I allow the latter to have their say. But, “a win is a win”, unless it was won illegally – and – this definitely does not apply to the win we are discussing here! Upsets, surprises, and the unexpected are all that makes sports such fun!! It’s clearly for grown-ups!!
As an employee of the losing team he needs to support his team it is what it is. The bottom line the Dodgers did what they needed to do when it needed to be done. The Dodgers won the World Series 4 games to 3 games. Those are the requirements as set by MLB has been that way for years. If Mr. Williams has an opinion and wishes to express his opinion then so be it everyone has an opinion just like everyone has an a$$hole neither thing count for much. As a professional analyst it would be much stronger opinion if Mr. Williams had of backed up his opinion with data versus an opinion. Personally think it really make him sound like a sore loser rather than a professional broadcaster. Go Dodgers you are the World Series Champion for the 2025-2026 season until the next World Series is contested and a Champion crowned. Hopefully the Dodgers can be the next 3-peat Champion in November of 2026