Here at Oliver Fox Sports Analytics Incorporated, we like to be on the cutting edge of statistical analysis and research. That’s why, when charged with ranking the top 11 players in the upcoming 2025 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays, we’ve decided to debut our new, game-changing model: Vibes-based Impact Baseball Expectation Score (VIBES).
Here’s how it works: we distill down the sum of all available tracking data for individual players and score it against the current socio-cultural expectation for how that player is expected to perform, and then divide that by the square root of how important they are to the baseball ecosystem and to the World Series narrative. Most of us aren’t mathematicians, so here’s the simple breakdown: a score of 1 VIBES is bad, a score of 5 VIBES is great.
So now, armed with the revolutionary intuition afforded to us by VIBES, here are the top 11 players to watch in this World Series. Importantly, these are not the 11 best players in the series (i.e. last year’s World Series MVP Freddie Freeman is literally not on this list). Rather, it’s the players whose names flashing on screen means you need to pay attention, because something important is about to happen.
11. Roki Sasaki, P, Dodgers
The Dodgers have #GivenUp on their bullpen meaningfully contributing to their playoff success, having starters regularly go eight innings like it’s 1952 and the Dodgers are still in Brooklyn. Sasaki, touted out of Japan as a future ace starter, has battled injuries this year but has stumbled his way into essentially becoming Los Angeles’ closer. It’s a role that very few saw coming, and he’s been great in it.
He’s also 23 years old, and one of the few Dodgers on this squad that have not already won a World Series. Say what you will about this team buying its way to success, but the hardest thing to do in sports is repeat. You need hunger from guys who don’t have it yet, and Sasaki may well find himself pitching the last out of this World Series. He better be hungry then.
10. Ernie Clement, IF, Blue Jays
Clement has been singularly impressive this regular and post season, leading the Blue Jays in every significant fielding category from third base and raking .429, basically becoming Toronto’s second-most reliable hitter behind the man, the myth, the… guy we’re going to get to later at #2. Clement staying hot is going to be essential if the Blue Jays are going to do anything to this god squad of starting pitching the Dodgers will be rolling out, and his defense down the third base line will be the wall against which Los Angeles’ offense will have to break. If Clement can’t be the player he’s been so far, the Blue Jays might run out of answers fast.
9. Kiké Hernandez, IF, Dodgers
Slightly lower VIBES because he’s not really dominating any Dodgers conversations, but Playoff Kiké is absolutely a thing and needs to be acknowledged here. He really did not have a good season at all for Los Angeles, barely scraping above .200 average and posting a terrible .1 WAR campaign. But he has bounced back in a big way, actually leading the Dodgers in average in the playoffs (min. 10 PA).
But why have him here instead of, ya know, Freddie Freeman? Because while Kiké isn’t more responsible for the Dodgers winning than the reigning World Series MVP, he might actually be more important in his role. The fact that he just isn’t a black hole in the batting order is what makes the Dodgers so unstoppable. You can’t count on him for an out, and you can’t pitch around guys to get to him. That is the straw that stirs the drink, and Kiké has been the paragon of high-level role players that separate this team from the Mets and Padres. Arguably, guys like Kiké make the Dodgers the Dodgers.
8. Trey Yesavage, P, Blue Jays
“Yep, that’s [Trey Yesavage]. You’re probably wondering how [Trey Yesavage] got in this situation. Well, it all started back [on the New Hampshire Fisher Cats]…”
That’s my spec script for the Trey Yesavage biopic, or the 21-year-old pitcher who has pitched a smooth six games in his entire MLB career and now is going to be leaned on in a real way to win games in the World Series. No, not some other World Series. The World Series.
The VIBES are good with him, but eventually our guy is going to realize the gravity of the situation he finds himself in. Then we will find out how likely it is that we get this biopic produced; my inbox is open Warner Bros.
7. Mookie Betts, OF, Dodgers
Do I need to explain why the Mookie Betts is important to pay attention to in this World Series? This is one of the most dynamic, most uniquely gifted players in the history of baseball. He can play multiple positions at an elite level while managing to hit well into his 30s. The Red Sox thought they were smart for getting off his deal before he started to deteriorate… and they’re still waiting for that to happen.
Mookie did not have the best regular season, but his playoff performance shows why you want guys like this on your roster. His skillset is irreplaceable, and I will always pay close attention when Mookie is on the screen.
6. George Springer, OF, Blue Jays
Our first player to max out the VIBES scale does so by answering a single question: what was the most important single moment of the MLB playoffs so far? Answer: George Springer’s 3-run home run to send the Jays to the World Series
Ohtani’s two-way supernova was cooler, sure, but it is positively irrefutable that Springer’s swing was more important. They were losing. By 2. It was Game 7. They had no other way out but through, and Springer brought a bulldozer.
There will be a moment like that in this World Series — Freddie Freeman had one last year, and I know Springer is capable of being that guy. He is box office going forward.
5. Kevin Gausman, P, Blue Jays
I’m not going to sit here and lie to you that the Kevin Gausman VIBES are through the roof. That would not be accurate. What I’m going to tell you is that Gausman absolutely, positively, unequivocally must be great for the Blue Jays to win this thing.
Toronto’s rotation is not Los Angeles’. Nobodies is, but Gausman is the best chance they have at stealing a game from one of their aces. I could tell you why his stats make this more or less likely, but that’s a moot point. He has to be good in his first start, he has to go long. The only thing worse than playing the Dodgers is playing the Dodgers with a devastated bullpen. Gausman can’t let that happen.
4. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, P, Dodgers
Welcome to “you make over $300 million, have a sub-2.00 ERA in the playoffs and pretty much nobody cares because you’re the third most exciting starting pitcher on your own team” corner, hosted by Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
A lot of teams have an ace like Yamamoto. Some even have an ace better than Yamamoto. But gosh dang it find me the team that has a more overqualified second starter than him. You cannot. Blake Snell (who’s coming up) is pitching so well Yamamoto doesn’t even have a claim to be the true ace, but his pitching is the reason the Dodgers have been unbeatable. When he’s on, nobody mows you down like his splitter does. And you see it the day after seeing Snell. What a world.
3. Blake Snell, P, Dodgers
Maxing out VIBES was cute, Springer, here’s a guy who has actually exceeded the scale and starting doing things with a baseball I’m not sure was possible. He has pitched 21 innings this postseason, allowed 6 hits, zero home runs and 2 total earned runs in three wins. Hello?
For those keeping score, that’s a .86 ERA, a number so good it breaks even the most advanced analytical models into just saying “yep, that’s good.” Snell has been off the chain, and if he throws down another eight scoreless innings in Game 1? Man, I don’t know what we’re going to do as a society.
2. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B, Blue Jays
Well now we’re just ignoring the scale. Hitting six home runs in the playoffs so far will do that. Vlad has the “oh shoot” belt for the Jays, being the guy that opposing fans say “oh shoot” when they come up to bat. I don’t need to tell you why Vlad is important to this series; he’s the center around which the Jays’ offense rotates. He’s what everything else is built around. And I really don’t doubt he’ll deliver. If you want a reason the Blue Jays are in this spot, look no further than Vlad Jr.
1. Shohei Ohtani, P/DH, Dodgers
In the entire history of sports, no player has had better VIBES or vibes heading into a championship series than Shohei Ohtani does exactly right now. They are almost irresponsibly high.
Ohtani just did potentially the most impressive thing in baseball and/or sports history, and is ready to crash every Canadian watch party ever with his special mix of being so good it’s confusing and dripping with so much swag it’s overwhelming. When you clicked on this article, you probably knew exactly what would be sitting at #1.
Are the vibes so high that there is no way to surpass them? Perhaps, but Ohtani’s career is an exercise in asking impossible questions then answering them. Next up: can you go undefeated in playoff series’ for an entire career? Oh, you didn’t realize he’s never lost in the playoffs? Well that’s in play. Oh boy is that very much in play.
