David SchoenfieldOct 6, 2025, 07:00 AM ETCloseCovers MLB for ESPN.com Former deputy editor of Page 2 Been with ESPN.com since 1995
If you like left-handed pitching: Yankees vs. Phillies
If you like a never-before-seen historical matchup: Tigers vs. Dodgers
If you like a drought-buster World Series: Mariners vs. Brewers
If you like Joe Carter highlights: Blue Jays vs. Phillies
With eight teams left, there are 16 possible Fall Classic scenarios — a matchup for seemingly every type of fan to enjoy. Well, unless you were really hoping for that Colorado Rockies-Chicago White Sox or Pittsburgh Pirates-Los Angeles Angels World Series. If that’s the case, you probably need to rethink your dreams.
Here are eight of the most exciting potential matchups — one of which a majority of fans might strongly disagree with including. There is something for everyone, from history to star power to longstanding droughts. Let’s get to it.
The Toronto Blue Jays and Milwaukee Brewers were together in the AL East from 1977 through 1993, when the Brewers moved to the AL Central (and then to the National League in 1998).
The only year they finished 1-2 was 1992, when the Blue Jays won the division title by four games. The Brewers went 15-2 at one stretch in September to close the gap to two games with two games left to play, but they lost both while the Blue Jays won theirs. The franchises have had a limited trade history, although former longtime Brewers general manager Doug Melvin (still a front office adviser for the club) is an Ontario native and member of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.
Five players to fill out your Immaculate Grid: Paul Molitor, Lyle Overbay, Buck Martinez, Roy Howell, Matt Stairs
If you’re a traditionalist and want the most deserving teams to make it, this is the matchup for you. Even if you’re not impressed with Toronto’s run differential (third best in the American League), the Jays have been excellent since late May. Since May 27, they had the second-best record in the majors — behind just the Brewers.
The obvious current tie-in is Phillies manager Rob Thomson, who served as third-base coach and bench coach with the Yankees from 2008 to 2017 before joining the Phillies as their bench coach in 2018 after the Yankees hired Aaron Boone over Thomson to replace Joe Girardi as manager.
Five players to fill our Immaculate Grid: Bobby Abreu, Oscar Gamble, Kenny Lofton, Andrew McCutchen, Charlie Hayes
Best potential drama: Judge! Giancarlo Stanton! Schwarber! Harper! If those names don’t get you excited, go watch pickleball.
Of the 16 original franchises that existed when the American League formed in 1901, there have been 44 out of a possible 64 World Series matchups (including franchise relocations). This is the most surprising one not to have occurred because the Dodgers have played in 22 World Series and the Detroit Tigers in 11. Tigers-Phillies would be the other original 16 matchup that could be crossed off this year.
Five players to fill out your Immaculate Grid: Kirk Gibson, Max Scherzer, Gary Sheffield, Enos Cabell, John Shelby
Why this would be fun: You think the Dodgers might like revenge on A.J. Hinch, Houston’s manager in 2017 when the trash-can-banging Astros beat L.A. in seven games to win the World Series? Yeah, most of the guys from that matchup are gone, but Clayton Kershaw is still here, as is L.A. manager Dave Roberts. And though the Dodgers have won two World Series since then, you know they think they were wronged in 2017.
Aside from that, we would get two classic franchises, two classic uniforms, maybe one last World Series appearance from the retiring Kershaw and the chance for the Dodgers to become the first repeat champions since the 2000 Yankees.
Best potential drama: Tarik Skubal versus Shohei Ohtani. The best pitcher in the AL versus the best player in the world. If the baseball gods are in an especially compassionate mood, they will give us Skubal starting against Ohtani. May the baddest man on the planet win.
You want history? We have history. The Brewers were born in 1969 as the Seattle Pilots, but the Pilots went bankrupt before the start of the 1970 season and a Bud Selig-led group purchased the team (whose equipment trucks were literally stranded in Utah after leaving spring training waiting on where to go). Indeed, the Brewers’ blue and gold colors are a remnant of the Pilots’ original colors.
The Seattle Mariners came aboard as an expansion franchise in 1977 after the City of Seattle and King County sued the AL for breach of contract. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the teams had a heated rivalry that led to a massive brawl at the Kingdome in 1990. Lately, they have been frequent trade partners. Brewers ace Freddy Peralta came over from the Mariners as a minor leaguer in exchange for Adam Lind, one of Jerry Dipoto’s first trades as Mariners GM.
Five players to fill out your Immaculate Grid: Gorman Thomas, Chris Bosio, Richie Sexson, Mike Cameron, Yuniesky Betancourt
These teams have met in four World Series — although the last one was 80 years ago. The Chicago Cubs won in 1907 and 1908, defeating the Ty Cobb-led Tigers. Detroit won in 1935 and 1945. Aside from that, this would give us another original 16 matchup, and those always seem a little special. As long as these two teams have been around, they haven’t had much intertwining history. They didn’t even make a trade with each other from 1987 to 2004.
Five players to fill out your Immaculate Grid: Bill Madlock, Luis Gonzalez, Keith Moreland, Richie Hebner, Kyle Farnsworth
Aside from that, we would get Javier Baez, who was part of Chicago’s 2016 title-winning (and drought-breaking) team, going against the team he spent his first eight seasons with, as well as Cubs starter Matthew Boyd facing a Detroit team he was with for seven seasons.
Five players to fill out your Immaculate Grid: Roy Halladay, Scott Rolen, Jose Bautista, Jayson Werth, Juan Samuel
The Cubs owe a little favor to the Mariners for ending their World Series curse in 2016. Mike Montgomery, whom Chicago acquired from Seattle at the trade deadline in 2016 for Daniel Vogelbach and Paul Blackburn, recorded the final out of the Game 7 victory — certainly one of the most obscure pitchers to get the last out of a World Series.
Lou Piniella managed the Mariners from 1993 to 2002 and the Cubs from 2007 to 2010, making the playoffs four times with Seattle and twice with Chicago, but he couldn’t guide either team to a World Series. The two teams shared another manager in Jim Lefebvre.
Five players to fill out your Immaculate Grid: Jamie Moyer, Goose Gossage, Steve Henderson, Gary Matthews, Heathcliff Slocumb
Why this would be fun: Julio Rodriguez and Pete Crow-Armstrong. They were the two best center fielders this season — and two of the most exciting players in the sport — with Rodriguez ranking fifth among all position players in Baseball Reference WAR and Crow-Armstrong ranking 11th. They also ranked 13th and 15th in FanGraphs WAR. Both finished with 30-30 seasons.
Lots of history between these two teams, with 12 World Series matchups, including last year when the Dodgers won in five games.
Five players to fill out your Immaculate Grid: Rickey Henderson, Willie Randolph, Robin Ventura, Kevin Brown, Darryl Strawberry
Best potential drama: Blue Jays’ defense versus Brewers’ defense. These are two of the best defensive teams in the majors, a key reason they ended up with top records. The Blue Jays are led by infielder Ernie Clement, who tied for the MLB lead with 22 defensive runs saved while having started at all four infield positions; second baseman Andres Gimenez, who is playing shortstop with Bo Bichette injured; and center fielders Daulton Varsho and Myles Straw, who combined for 25 DRS. The Brewers are solid across the board and loaded with speed in the outfield with Jackson Chourio (whose status for Game 2 is uncertain after an MRI on his right hamstring came back inconclusive), Blake Perkins and Sal Frelick.
Why this would be fun: Lefty pitching against lefty power. The Yankees feature lefties Max Fried and Carlos Rodon, who combined for 37 wins in the regular season, while the Phillies run out Cristopher Sanchez, Jesus Luzardo and Ranger Suarez. The last team to win the World Series with at least four games started by lefties was Atlanta in 2021, but two of those were openers. The Boston Red Sox had three southpaw starters when they won in 2018 (Chris Sale, David Price and Eduardo Rodriguez), as did the Dodgers when they lost in 2017 (Clayton Kershaw, Rich Hill and Alex Wood), but prior to the Red Sox, the last team to win with three lefty starters was the 1996 Yankees with Andy Pettitte, Jimmy Key and Kenny Rogers.
Still, a rematch would be … dare we say … let’s put this as gently as possible … entertaining! Sure, some of you wouldn’t be able to handle it, but it would be the first World Series rematch since 1977-78, between the … yes, Yankees and Dodgers (the Yankees won both times). The Dodgers would be trying to become that first repeat champion since the Yankees in 2000 to further cement their historical legacy. The Yankees would be trying to end that — for them — long World Series drought since 2009. There would be big stars all over the field. And considering both teams have had bullpen issues, perhaps some late-game drama that could turn this showdown into a seven-game epic.
If you like No. 1 seeds making it: Blue Jays vs. Brewers
Why this would be fun: Both teams finished with the best record in their league — well, the Jays tied with the New York Yankees but won the tiebreaker to get the top seed — and since the wild-card era began in 1995, the nature of baseball’s postseason makes it rare for the top seeds to meet in the World Series. It has happened just five times:
Combined years without a championship: 41 … that’s 41 for the Tigers and zero for the Dodgers
Oh, and both fan bases are among the loudest in the sport — Phillies crowds are notoriously loud from the first pitch of games, although Blue Jays fans probably broke the noise meter back in 2015 when Jose Bautista (a different Jose Bautista from the aforementioned one) hit that grand slam against the Rangers.