Garion Thorne gives you a preview, prediction and pick for Game 1 of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays.

For the first time since 1993, a World Series game will take place, well… In another part of the world.

Thanks to one extra regular season victory, the Toronto Blue Jays will host the Los Angeles Dodgers at Rogers Centre. The last time that building hosted a World Series game? Joe Carter was jumping the bases after hitting one of the most famous home runs in MLB history.

Is a moment of that magnitude awaiting us on Friday? Let’s preview Game 1, which gets going at 8:00 p.m. ET, with the help of some of some odds and lines on the DraftKings Sportsbook.

Dodgers vs. Blue Jays Game 1 prediction, preview

After the team’s quick sweep of the Brewers in the NLCS, the Dodgers have been resting in Los Angeles, waiting to find out who would emerge from the American League side of the bracket. As such, we’d already known Dave Roberts’ pitching plan for Game 1: Blake Snell. The same man tasked with starting Game 1 of the Wild Card round and Game 1 of the NLCS. Snell has proven to be almost unhittable throughout the postseason, allowing only two earned runs over 21.0 innings of work. It’s a stretch where the former Cy Young Award winner has struck out 28 opponents and has issued a paltry five walks, translating into sterling marks in both FIP (1.18) and SIERA (1.66). To an opposing hitter, the prospect of facing a version of Snell that doesn’t have control problems must be horrifying. Snell has a career 30.1% strikeout rate and a .209 opponent batting average. He’s also often done an amazing job of suppressing the quality of opponent contact, as was the case in 2025, with his 96th percentile average exit velocity (86.2). If the southpaw isn’t walking people, I’m honestly not sure how anyone is expected to score off him.

While Snell’s presence in this Game 1 was virtually assured, the mystery in this pitching matchup was on the Jays’ side. Toronto turned to Kevin Gausman for a relief appearance in Game 7 of the ALCS, and it was unclear if the organization would choose to give their veteran ace an extra day’s rest before making his World Series debut. We got out answer on Thursday. Trey Yesavage will start for the Blue Jays, becoming the youngest Game 1 starter in the Fall Classic since Ralph Branca in 1947. While that might seem loony to those who haven’t followed Yesavage’s journey from 2024 first-round pick to postseason hero, the 22-year-old has spent September and October proving that he belongs at this level. The rookie RHP has managed a 3.54 FIP in his first three playoff outings, with the headline performance coming in Game 2 of the ALDS, when Yesavage tossed 5.1 no-hit innings with 11 strikeouts. Yesavage’s splitter is devastating — especially to RHBs — and it’s a massive reason he was able to produce a 15.5% swinging strike rate in his three regular season appearances in 2025. Yesavage’s unique arm angle also make him a tough matchup for a Dodgers lineup that has never faced him before.

Offensively, these were, without question, two of the better run scoring teams in MLB throughout the season. In fact, both Los Angeles and Toronto finished the regular season ranking inside the top five in wOBA and wRC+. However, the Blue Jays have taken things to a whole new level in the playoffs, slashing .296/.355/.523 with a league-best .878 OPS. Things will certainly get more difficult against a Dodgers rotation that has dominated the National League the past four weeks, yet there might be some extra hope on the horizon. From all accounts it seems like Bo Bichette will be available for Game 1, which would mark his first game action since suffering a knee injury on September 6. At the time of the ailment, Bichette had been slashing .370/.423/.566 with a 177 wRC+ since the All-Star break. He was also leading MLB in hits. It’s unclear (and unlikely) Bichette would be able to play shortstop, but the re-addition of his bat would obviously be a boost.

Dodgers vs. Blue Jays Game 1 pick, best bet

Best Bet: Trey Yesavage 6+ Strikeouts (+107)

For as dangerous as the Dodgers lineup is, there’s some swing and miss. In fact, Shohei Ohtani, Tommy Edman and Will Smith have all struck out in over 30% of their postseason plate appearances. Meanwhile, Yesavage has 38 strikeouts in his 29.0 MLB innings.

Strong Lean: Under 7.5 (-120)

Good pitching beats good hitting. Blake Snell has a 0.86 ERA in the postseason, while Yesavage has the advantage of surprise. I think both starters will keep this game low-scoring until the late innings.