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Top Questions as Dodgers, Blue Jays Face Off in First Meeting Since World Series
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Top Questions as Dodgers, Blue Jays Face Off in First Meeting Since World Series

#Shohei Ohtani #Cy Young Award #2025 World Series #Los Angeles Dodgers #Toronto Blue Jays #Max Scherzer

📌 Key Takeaways

  • The Dodgers and Blue Jays are meeting for the first time since the 2025 World Series, with key players like Shohei Ohtani and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. reuniting.
  • Shohei Ohtani's pursuit of a Cy Young Award is a major storyline, requiring him to pitch a high innings count with elite performance despite workload management.
  • The series features marquee pitching matchups, including Max Scherzer for the Blue Jays and Ohtani for the Dodgers, highlighting both teams' early-season form.

📖 Full Retelling

Shohei Ohtani, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and the rest of the crew that gave us that epic 2025 World Series are back on the same diamond since that amazing Fall Classic. It's an early-season reunion between the two-time World Series champion Dodgers and the stout Blue Jays squad they took down in seven games, starting with Monday's matchup. Breaking down the teams and how they've looked so far ahead of their three-game series. 1. Three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer is expected to take the mound for the Blue Jays on Monday, while the Dodgers have Shohei Ohtani set for Wednesday. How realistic will it be for Ohtani to win that award? Kavner: Ask Dave Roberts or any of Ohtani’s teammates, and it’s clear that winning a Cy Young is on the two-way player’s mind. "You can tell with the way he carries himself," Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing said this spring. "He’s the greatest, and he wants to be the greatest." Now that Ohtani’s a back-to-back champ, he has pretty much done everything else imaginable on a baseball field. The only year he didn’t win an MVP trophy the last five seasons is the season he finished fourth in American League Cy Young Award voting in 2022. He hit 34 home runs that year and had a 2.33 ERA in 166 innings. He would probably need to throw at least that many innings again if he wants a realistic shot at winning his first Cy Young in 2026, and he would need to be considerably better in the innings he pitches than the other contenders, who are almost certain to throw more innings than him. Ohtani is expected to go wire-to-wire on the mound this year after being slow-played in 2025, but the Dodgers will still be mindful of keeping him as fresh as possible by extending his rest between starts at times as the season moves forward. Over the last 30 years, only one starting pitcher — Corbin Burnes in 2021 — has thrown fewer than 170 innings and won a Cy Young. Perhaps Ohtani could make it a second. It has to be considered a longshot, given his two-way d

🏷️ Themes

MLB Rivalry and Reunion, Player Milestones and Awards

📚 Related People & Topics

Toronto Blue Jays

Major League Baseball franchise in Toronto, Ontario

The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games primarily at Rogers Centre in downtown Toronto.

View Profile → Wikipedia ↗
Los Angeles Dodgers

Los Angeles Dodgers

Major League Baseball franchise in Los Angeles, California

The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. One of the most successful and storied franchises in MLB, the Dodgers have won nine World Series cha...

View Profile → Wikipedia ↗
Max Scherzer

Max Scherzer

American baseball player (born 1984)

Maxwell Martin Scherzer (born July 27, 1984), nicknamed "Mad Max", is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York...

View Profile → Wikipedia ↗
Shohei Ohtani

Shohei Ohtani

Japanese baseball player (born 1994)

Shohei Ohtani (born July 5, 1994) is a Japanese professional baseball designated hitter and pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Nicknamed "Shotime", he has previously played in MLB for the Los Angeles Angels and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Hokkaido N...

View Profile → Wikipedia ↗
Cy Young Award

Cy Young Award

Major League Baseball pitching award

The Cy Young Award, officially the Cy Young Memorial Award, is given annually to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball (MLB), one each for the American League (AL) and National League (NL). The award was introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford C. Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher ...

View Profile → Wikipedia ↗

Entity Intersection Graph

Connections for Toronto Blue Jays:

👤 Max Scherzer 3 shared
🌐 Blue Jay (disambiguation) 2 shared
👤 Los Angeles Dodgers 2 shared
👤 Major League Baseball 1 shared
👤 Colorado Rockies 1 shared
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Mentioned Entities

Toronto Blue Jays

Major League Baseball franchise in Toronto, Ontario

Los Angeles Dodgers

Los Angeles Dodgers

Major League Baseball franchise in Los Angeles, California

Max Scherzer

Max Scherzer

American baseball player (born 1984)

Shohei Ohtani

Shohei Ohtani

Japanese baseball player (born 1994)

Cy Young Award

Cy Young Award

Major League Baseball pitching award

Deep Analysis

Why It Matters

This series is a high-profile rematch of the previous season's World Series, drawing significant attention from baseball fans. It highlights the ongoing narrative of Shohei Ohtani's pursuit of a Cy Young Award, which would cement his legacy as the most complete two-way player in history. The outcome and performances could set an early tone for both teams' 2026 seasons and fuel discussions about award races and championship contenders.

Context & Background

  • The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Toronto Blue Jays in seven games to win the 2025 World Series.
  • Shohei Ohtani is a two-time World Series champion with the Dodgers (2024, 2025).
  • Ohtani has won the MVP award in four of the last five seasons, with the exception being 2022 when he finished fourth in AL Cy Young voting.
  • In 2022, Ohtani posted a 2.33 ERA over 166 innings while also hitting 34 home runs, showcasing his unique two-way ability.
  • Max Scherzer is a three-time Cy Young Award winner, adding star power to the Blue Jays' rotation for this marquee matchup.

What Happens Next

The three-game series begins Monday with Max Scherzer starting for the Blue Jays. Shohei Ohtani is scheduled to pitch for the Dodgers on Wednesday. His performance and innings count will be closely watched as early indicators of his Cy Young viability. The series outcome may influence early-season perceptions of both teams as potential 2026 contenders.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the significance of this Dodgers-Blue Jays series?

It's the first meeting between the teams since the Dodgers beat the Blue Jays in the 2025 World Series. It's an early-season rematch with high emotional and competitive stakes.

What does Shohei Ohtani need to do to win the Cy Young Award?

He needs to pitch a high volume of innings (likely 160+) with dominant numbers, despite likely throwing fewer innings than other starting pitcher contenders. Maintaining elite performance while balancing his hitting duties is key.

How are the Dodgers managing Ohtani's workload in 2026?

While planning for him to pitch a full season, the Dodgers will strategically extend his rest between some starts to keep him fresh, balancing his Cy Young ambitions with long-term health.

Who is pitching in the series opener?

Three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer is expected to start for the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday.

Status: Unverified
Confidence: 40%
Source: Fox Sports

Source Scoring

53 Overall
Decision
Low
Low Norm High Push

Detailed Metrics

Reliability 40/100
Importance 75/100
Corroboration 30/100
Scope Clarity 80/100
Volatility Risk (Low is better) 20/100

Key Claims Verified

Max Scherzer is expected to pitch for the Blue Jays on Monday. Unclear

No external source found to verify this specific game prediction.

Shohei Ohtani is set to pitch for the Dodgers on Wednesday. Unclear

No external source found to verify this specific game prediction.

Ohtani's 2022 stats include 34 home runs and a 2.33 ERA. Confirmed

These are historically accurate statistics from the 2022 season.

Corbin Burnes is the only pitcher in 30 years to throw fewer than 170 innings and win a Cy Young. Confirmed

This historical baseball record is accurate.

Supporting Evidence

  • Primary Fox Sports [Link]
  • Primary Dalton Rushing (Quote)
  • Medium MLB Stat History

Caveats / Notes

  • The article references a '2025 World Series' which has not yet occurred, suggesting the content is speculative or set in the future.
  • Specific predictions regarding game schedules (e.g., Scherzer/Ohtani pitching days) lack external corroboration.
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Original Source
Shohei Ohtani, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and the rest of the crew that gave us that epic 2025 World Series are back on the same diamond since that amazing Fall Classic. It's an early-season reunion between the two-time World Series champion Dodgers and the stout Blue Jays squad they took down in seven games, starting with Monday's matchup. Breaking down the teams and how they've looked so far ahead of their three-game series. 1. Three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer is expected to take the mound for the Blue Jays on Monday, while the Dodgers have Shohei Ohtani set for Wednesday. How realistic will it be for Ohtani to win that award? Kavner: Ask Dave Roberts or any of Ohtani’s teammates, and it’s clear that winning a Cy Young is on the two-way player’s mind. "You can tell with the way he carries himself," Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing said this spring. "He’s the greatest, and he wants to be the greatest." Now that Ohtani’s a back-to-back champ, he has pretty much done everything else imaginable on a baseball field. The only year he didn’t win an MVP trophy the last five seasons is the season he finished fourth in American League Cy Young Award voting in 2022. He hit 34 home runs that year and had a 2.33 ERA in 166 innings. He would probably need to throw at least that many innings again if he wants a realistic shot at winning his first Cy Young in 2026, and he would need to be considerably better in the innings he pitches than the other contenders, who are almost certain to throw more innings than him. Ohtani is expected to go wire-to-wire on the mound this year after being slow-played in 2025, but the Dodgers will still be mindful of keeping him as fresh as possible by extending his rest between starts at times as the season moves forward. Over the last 30 years, only one starting pitcher — Corbin Burnes in 2021 — has thrown fewer than 170 innings and won a Cy Young. Perhaps Ohtani could make it a second. It has to be considered a longshot, given his two-way d
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Source

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