The Windup: The Roundtable | Blue Jays-Dodgers World Series Preview

Podcast: The Windup (The Athletic)
Episode: 187 (The Roundtable)
Date: October 24, 2025
Hosts: Grant Brisbee, Andy McCullough, Sam Miller

Overview

This episode is a lively, in-depth roundtable preview of the 2025 World Series between the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers. Grant Brisbee, Andy McCullough, and Sam Miller tackle the series from every angle: matchups, rosters, key players, historical context, and postseason narratives. Conversation flows from tactical analysis to Hall of Fame debates, with occasional sidetracks into other sports and plenty of humor.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Series Setup, Scheduling, and Competitive Fairness

• Impact of Schedule Quirks on Team Preparation

  • Discussion opens on how playoff scheduling impacts teams, rest days, and fairness.
  • Sam notes the Blue Jays finished the ALDS early, allowing them to rest, while their earlier opponents (Mariners) had less rest ([02:01]).
  • A debate follows on whether teams should be allowed to “reset” between series—if finishing a series fast should earn extra rest or not.
    • Andy: “If you sweep a team, you should get to reset your rotation. If you have to go seven, you get penalized for it.” ([03:18])
    • Grant: “I agree…you sweep, you get a reward. You take it to seven, you get penalized.” ([04:36])

• General Aesthetic Gripes with the Postseason

  • Grant laments having NLCS games end before the ALCS has started, feeling it disrupts the drama ([05:11]).
  • General consensus: extended postseason breaks are awkward but sometimes unavoidable.

2. Blue Jays vs. Dodgers: On-Field Matchup Analysis

• Surface-Level Expectations: Dodgers Are Favorites

  • Grant summarizes Andy’s off-pod quip, “Dodgers in six. That could have been the podcast” ([08:33]), yet both see deeper nuance.

• Why the Blue Jays Are Dangerous

  • Andy emphasizes the Jays’ resurgent, high-contact offense and their two elite hitters:
    -"George Springer’s having his best season. Vladimir Guerrero made some fixes in his swing...looks like the guy who was promised." ([08:56])

• Blue Jays’ Pitching - A Weakness?

  • Dodgers are more optimistic facing Toronto’s pitching compared to the Phillies’ or Brewers’ elite lefties.
  • Sam: “The Blue Jays do not have any neutralizer for Shohei Ohtani and, to a lesser extent, Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy.” ([11:49])
  • The bullpen’s soft spot: Mason Fluharty (rookie reliever) could face the Dodgers’ stars in key spots—a rare series where the “25th man” might swing outcomes.

• Offensive and Defensive Contrasts

  • Sam draws stylistic differences between past Dodgers’ opponents and the Blue Jays:
    • "The Brewers put pressure on your defense...the Blue Jays put pressure on your pitchers because they’re not going to swing and miss." ([12:02])
  • Blue Jays lack speed; a minor opportunity since Dodgers’ catchers/rotation are vulnerable to running games.

• Dodgers’ Bullpen Under Pressure

  • Alex Vesia (key reliever) is absent due to family emergency, shifting pressure onto Blake Trinen and Emmet Sheehan. Andy notes, “Trinen...has been one of their most important relievers in this era...also objectively terrifying to watch.” ([17:13])

3. The Path to Upsets: How Could Toronto Win?

• Contact Hitting—the Dodgers’ Kryptonite?

  • Grant: “If there is a team that is built to beat the Dodgers, maybe this is the one.” ([19:43])
  • Both Grant and Andy point out the Blue Jays’ knack for spoiling pitches and running up opponent pitch counts—possibly knocking the Dodgers' starters out early.

• Dodgers’ Rotation & Relief Risks

  • Despite bare dominance, Andy cautions that 7-8 inning outings from Dodgers’ stars like Snell and Yamamoto cannot be assumed.
  • Sam uses “David vs. Goliath” and “Death Star” analogies—leaning on the theme that even “invincible” teams can fall due to small vulnerabilities ([23:48]):
    • “The Dodgers have a narrow sliver of the game where they are extremely vulnerable.”

4. Spotlight on George Springer

• Springer’s Postseason Legacy

  • Sam makes a case for Springer as the greatest postseason hitter by “championship win probability added,” even more than legends like Willie Mays ([26:04]).
  • “He is now the most consequential postseason hitter of all time,” says Sam ([27:56]), suggesting this may nudge him into Hall of Fame conversation.

• Hall of Fame & the Astros Scandal

  • Andy asks if Springer’s role in the 2017 Astros should affect his candidacy ([29:41]).
  • Sam: “I personally wouldn’t factor it...I have a high tolerance for shenanigans...I think that probably is now past.” ([29:53])
  • They discuss Carlos Beltran and how public and voter perceptions might fade with time.

5. Blake Snell: The Avatar of Modern Pitching

• Snell’s Hall Case and Style

  • Sam: “If you had to pick...players who will win a Cy Young in the future, I think Blake Snell is the fifth pick and he’s already got two.” ([35:30])
  • The hosts agree Snell is the archetype of the high-strikeout, low-slugging modern pitcher—remarkable stuff, dominance in short bursts, but still only 25 WAR.
  • Grant: “He’s just doing it in a very 2000s kind of way...the avatar for the modern Cy Young winner.” ([36:51])

• Snell’s Changing Reputation

  • “Blake Snell has reached strange new respect kind of territory...he’s starting to get cult favorite status,” Sam notes ([40:38]).
  • Discussion of his erratic command, high walk rate, but brilliance when on. Andy highlights Snell’s work with Kershaw and focus on “90 compete tool” ([43:16]).

6. Coaching Decisions and Postseason Strategy

• Brief aside on the Mariners’ ALCS loss and questionable bullpen management, illustrating how quick decision errors can swing high-stakes games ([45:58] onward).

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• Andy, on Playoff Philosophy ([03:18]):
  “If you sweep a team, you should get to reset your rotation. If you have to go seven, you get penalized for it.”

• Sam, on Why This Series is Unique ([10:15]):
  “You know, it’s baseball, right? So, you got who will get lucky and we can’t predict that. There’s who will get hot, and we can’t really predict that.”

• Grant, on What Makes the Series Fascinating ([14:58]):
  “The Dodgers led the majors in strikeouts as a pitching staff...And specifically, Blake Snell vs. the Blue Jays is going to be fascinating.”

• Sam, on Series' Plotline ([22:04]):
  “The Dodgers have a narrow sliver of the game when they are extremely vulnerable.”

• Sam, on George Springer’s Postseason Greatness ([27:56]):
  “He is now the most consequential postseason hitter of all time...He’s played 80 postseason games. He’s had 23 homers. He’s like a superstar in a large sample.”

• Andy, when asked to expand on “basketball is a different sport” ([50:41]):
  “No, I think I summed it up. All right.”

• On “David vs. Goliath” media questions ([23:48]):
  Andy: “The Blue Jays have the fifth highest payroll in the sport. They’ve been mocked for trying, but they are, like, an active trier in spending…and third, am I the only person who finished that story? Goliath lost.”

Important Timestamps

• 01:33 — Episode start, hosts greet each other
• 02:01–05:44 — Discussion about ALCS/ALDS schedule fairness and rest
• 08:33 — “Dodgers in six” debate, Blue Jays’ offensive resurgence
• 10:15–14:58 — Paper strengths, weaknesses, how Blue Jays match up
• 17:13–18:10 — Dodgers bullpen, Vesia absence, Trinen and Sheehan
• 19:43–21:20 — Blue Jays’ contact hitting as a weapon
• 23:48–25:33 — “David vs. Goliath”/“Death Star” analogies
• 26:04–29:12 — Extended Springer discussion, postseason stats, Hall of Fame
• 29:41–32:28 — Astros scandal’s shadow on Springer’s legacy
• 35:30–39:31 — Blake Snell’s career, Cy Youngs, Hall of Fame vibes
• 40:38–43:16 — Snell’s variable public image, pitch characteristics
• 45:58–50:05 — Postseason bullpen management and second-guessing
• 50:41 — Brief deadpan joke: “basketball is a different sport.”

Tone and Style

• Conversational, dry-witted, rapid-fire references.
• Deeply analytical but with frequent asides and pop culture analogies.
• Hosts playfully needle each other. Grant and Andy in particular drive banter, while Sam drops stat deep-dives and philosophical musings.

Episode Takeaways

• On paper, the Dodgers are favorites, but the Blue Jays’ contact-heavy lineup, offensive star power, and ability to wear down starters make them a credible threat.
• Both teams have vulnerabilities: Dodgers’ bullpen and Toronto’s lack of lefty pitching.
• Individuals like George Springer and Blake Snell loom large, with legacies and Hall of Fame conversations attached to this series.
• The current era’s playoff structure uniquely shapes narratives, opportunities, and even postseason player legacies.

This episode is essential for any baseball fan craving a sharp, fun, and richly detailed preview of the 2025 World Series. It’s both serious and irreverent—a perfect primer for understanding the matchups, the narratives, and what to watch for once the games begin.