Regardless of what happens in Game 5 of the World Series, Dodger Stadium is hosting its final game until 2026.
The series is guaranteed to head back north of the border after the Toronto Blue Jays won Game 4, denying the Los Angeles Dodgers a chance to win a championship in their own building in Game 5. That means the Dodgers will have to close out a title on the road if they win the series, just as they did last year in the Bronx.
Game 5 will tip the scales in the World Series in a massive way. Standing in the Blue Jays’ way is a pitcher who missed most of his first season in a Dodgers uniform but was lethal down the stretch and early in the postseason, while Toronto will send out a standout rookie who hasn’t looked intimidated in any way in October.
Here’s a look at the starting pitchers for Game 5 of the 2025 World Series.
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Dodgers-Blue Jays Game 5 starting pitchers
Blake Snell will get the ball for the Dodgers in Game 5, with rookie Trey Yesavage set to start opposite him in a rematch of Game 1.
The Blue Jays would very much like to relive Game 1, which saw Snell work around some early trouble before Toronto finally got to him. The Dodgers’ bullpen couldn’t contain the mess Snell started, and the Blue Jays ultimately scored nine runs in the sixth inning to take a 1-0 series lead.
That is now a distant memory for the Blue Jays, who will try to match some of their Game 1 momentum against Snell but know the two-time Cy Young Award winner has some of the filthiest stuff of any pitcher in baseball.
For Yesavage, Game 5 will be a test the young right-hander has yet to experience. All four of his postseason starts have come at home, while Wednesday’s contest will put him under the spotlight in a tough road environment.
To this point, Yesavage has remained even-keeled, even when he hasn’t had his best stuff. Whether he can keep his composure on the road is the big question entering Game 5.
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Blake Snell stats
- Starts: 11
- Record: 5-4
- Innings: 61.1
- ERA: 2.35
- Strikeouts: 72
- Walks: 26
- Hits: 51
- Earned runs: 16
Snell missed about four months of his first season in Dodger blue with a shoulder injury, but he showed little rust once he returned. The left-hander posted a 2.09 ERA over his final eight regular season starts, allowing just one earned run over his last three as L.A. locked up an NL West title.
Notorious for control issues despite his excellent swing-and-miss ability, Snell kept those troubles in check against the Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers but issued four walks against the Philadelphia Phillies and three to the Blue Jays in Game 1. Toronto will be the first team Snell has faced twice in this postseason.
Blake Snell vs. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. stats
| Setting | Games | AB | H | HR | RBI | SO | BB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| Reg. season | 5 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | .222 | .417 | .333 | .750 |
| Postseason | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .250 | .400 | .250 | .650 |
Snell has enjoyed success against Guerrero in limited matchups, holding the Blue Jays star without a home run in seven meetings and limiting him to a .222 AVG in the regular season.
In Game 1 of the World Series, however, Guerrero went 1-2 with a walk.
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Trey Yesavage stats
- Starts: 3
- Record: 1-0
- Innings pitched: 14.0
- ERA: 3.21
- Strikeouts: 16
- Walks: 7
- Hits: 13
- Earned runs: 5
Yesavage has already made more postseason starts than regular season starts as a major league pitcher, and postseason start No. 5 will be perhaps the biggest of his career regardless of how the rest of his time in the majors plays out.
The rookie carved up the New York Yankees in the ALDS and bounced back against the Seattle Mariners after a rough initial start in the ALCS. Despite not having his best stuff, Yesavage worked a solid four innings for the Blue Jays in Game 1 of the World Series, allowing two runs in a Toronto win.
Yesavage posted a 3.21 ERA over 14 innings in the regular season, striking out 16 in three starts. Wednesday will mark his first road start of the postseason.
Trey Yesavage vs. Shohei Ohtani stats
| Setting | Games | AB | H | HR | RBI | SO | BB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| Postseason | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
Yesavage found success against Ohtani in his Game 1 start, striking out the Dodgers star to start the series and getting him to ground out to end the second inning.
While Yesavage’s MLB experience is limited, he proved in Game 1 that he didn’t fear the moment by opening his first World Series start with a strikeout. Now, the young right-hander will have to prove he can deliver the same results on the road.