Text and photos by Joe Mock
All rights reserved
We have a matchup never before seen in the Fall Classic, as the two years the Blue Jays played in the World Series, the opponents were the Braves in 1992 and the Phillies the following year, never the Dodgers.
Yes, it’s been a long drought for Toronto, as it’s been 32 years since the team’s last pennant … despite the fact the team made the playoffs five times during the interim.
Fun facts: during the Blue Jays’ entire 49-year existence, their overall record is 3,855 wins and 3,856 losses, which is about as close to .500 as you can get; despite the long World Series drought, the team is undefeated in World Championships, as they’ve won both times they appeared in the Fall Classic. The first title was captured on the road at Atlanta Fulton County Stadium in ’92, while the ’93 crown was won at Rogers Centre (then called SkyDome) behind Joe Carter’s walk-off homer in the bottom of the 9th in Game 6.
We just saw Dodger Stadium last year, as the mighty Dodgers vanquished the error-plagued Yankees in five games, with the deciding contest happening in New York.
Interestingly, the two combatants have among the highest payrolls in the sport. The Dodgers, number two in the 2025 rankings, would easily be the biggest spenders if 97% of Shohei Ohtani’s salary wasn’t deferred. The Jays come in at number four in the Majors, behind only the Yankees in the AL.
Speaking of payrolls, you have to feel like the teams these two defeated in the NLCS and ALCS didn’t have a chance. It took seven games, but the Jays beat Seattle, who had only the 16th highest payroll. The Dodgers, meanwhile, rolled over Milwaukee, whose payroll ranked all the way down at number 23! Do you think this proves that teams with more modest payrolls can get to the postseason — but not win it all? (To be fair, I should point out that the Mets, who had baseball’s highest payroll in 2025, didn’t make the playoffs at all.)
And while it seems Dodger Stadium is constantly undergoing renovations adding wonderful new features (thank you, Janet Marie Smith), the Blue Jays completed a massive renovation of Rogers Centre in 2024. The changes are phenomenal. Read all about it here.
Anyway, it’s time for our annual comparison of the two ballparks in the Fall Classic. We’ve been doing this for over two decades, and it’s always fun — and a little bit tongue-in-cheek. We call it our “tale of the tape,” which references the way two boxers used to be compared in generations gone by. (By the way, if you’re looking at this on your phone, note you’ll need to swipe to read the column about Dodger Stadium.)
 |
Inside |  |
Rogers Centre |
Dodger Stadium |
|
| After 12-1/2 years at Exhibition Stadium, the Jays moved into Rogers Centre (then known as SkyDome) June 3, 1989. | Year opened | The Dodgers moved here in 1962, making it the third oldest park in MLB. Constant renovations keep it fresh |
| The stadium was constructed on a former railroad switching yard, at the base of CN Tower in downtown Toronto. | Site | This little canyon just northwest of downtown LA is called Chavez Ravine after Julian Chavez, who purchased the land in 1844 |
| Both I and my USA TODAY baseball-writing brethren have it at #21. | Our ranking among 30 MLB parks | My personal ranking has Dodger Stadium at #11, while my USA TODAY co-workers say it’s #7 |
| 39,150, down 10,000 due to recent renovations. The Jays were 9th in attendance in ’25. | Seating capacity | 56,000. As they do most seasons, they led the Majors in attendance — by a wide margin |
| AstroTurf 3D Xtreme | Playing surface | Santa Ana Bermuda grass |
| Obviously the dome, but so many great new features from 2022-2024 renovations | Special feature | The zig-zag pavilion roof gives the park its iconic look. Ohtani cleared it in the NLCS |
| Rod Robbie with Robbie Adjeleian NORR Consortium. Populous did the recent renovations. | Architects | Praeger-Kavanagh-Waterbury (particularly Emil Praeger, who also designed Tappan Zee Bridge) |
| $570 million. The recent renovations cost $400 million | Cost to build | $23 million, or 6% of Rogers Centre’s renovations in 2023-24 |
| Following the renovations: 328′-381′-400′-372′-328′ | Outfield dimensions | Perfectly symmetrical: 330′-375′-400′-375′-330′ |
| The Jays played their home World Series games here in 1992 and ’93 | World Series hosted | The team played in plenty while in Brooklyn, but this is the 12th at Dodger Stadium |
| Toronto won its only two World Series, with the most recent in 1993 | Last World Series won by home team | Just a year ago, in five games over the Yankees |
| Rogers Centre, back when it was called SkyDome, hosted the 1991 All Star Game | All Star Games hosted | After the LA Coliseum hosted in 1959, it didn’t come back around to LA until 1980 and 2022 |
| Adjacent to the stadium is the 1815′ tall CN Tower. The Waterfront of Lake Ontario is three blocks down the hill | Landmarks | From the parking lot at the top of the hill behind home plate, you can see downtown LA. Elysian Park has a gorgeous view down at the stadium |
| Before becoming baseball-only, the NBA and Canadian Football League played here. Its largest crowd ever was for WrestleMania | Other events | The NHL Stadium Series came in January 2014. The World Baseball Classic, Olympics and Pope John Paul II have also appeared |
| Ridiculously detailed analysis over three years by Statcast indicates Rogers Centre is exactly average in runs scored and allows 4% more HRs | 2023-25 park factors Source: Statcast |
What was once a pitcher’s park, it now yields the most home runs in the Majors.* It’s almost exactly average in runs scored, though |
| Multi-generational fans who are tired of the Yankees and Red Sox dominating the AL East | Filled with | Yeah, there were one or two empty seats in the playoffs, but come World Series time, this place rocks |
 |
Outside |  |
Rogers Centre ranks above Dodger Stadium for me. It’s one of the most overrated parks in MLB. Go Canada!