Not only did the Los Angeles Dodgers win their second straight National League Pennant, but they did so in dominant fashion. They swept the Cincinnati Reds in the Wild Card Series, took care of the Phillies in four games in the NLDS, and then swept the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS. They've played in 10 postseason games thus far and have won nine of them. It isn't supposed to be that easy, particularly for a No. 3 seed that didn't have home-field advantage in the NLDS or NLCS.
The Dodgers proved that once again, they're the team to beat. However, with the World Series schedule released, the question of will they be at an advantage or not in the Fall Classic is one worth asking.
Here's a look at the schedule, released on Monday by MLB, for the Fall Classic.
Game | Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
Game 1 | Friday, Oct. 24 | 8:08 p.m. ET | TBD |
Game 2 | Saturday, Oct. 25 | 8:08 p.m. ET | TBD |
Game 3 | Monday, Oct. 27 | 8:08 p.m. ET | TBD |
Game 4 | Tuesday, Oct. 28 | 8:08 p.m. ET | TBD |
Game 5 | Wednesday, Oct. 29 | 8:08 p.m. ET | TBD |
Game 6 | Friday, Oct. 31 | 8:08 p.m. ET | TBD |
Game 7 | Saturday, Nov. 1 | 8:08 p.m. ET | TBD |
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB season.
The Dodgers might be at an advantage in the World Series
The argument here is mainly about rest. The Dodgers punched their ticket to the World Series on Friday, Oct. 17. The World Series does not begin until the next week on Friday, Oct. 23. This means that the Dodgers will go a full week without playing in a single game - that's unprecedented.
This means that their stars, who have played a ton of baseball over the past couple of years, will get much-needed rest at a time when rest is at an absolute premium. This also means that injured players like Tanner Scott get more time to show whether he can be part of the World Series roster. This weak Dodgers bullpen could certainly use him.
Perhaps most importantly, this means that the Dodgers get to watch the Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners tire themselves while playing each other for the right to play against the Dodgers while Los Angeles gets to chill from the comfort of their own homes.
Their players could be as rejuvenated as they've been all season with a week off, while the Jays or Mariners won't have as much time to refresh and recover. This could be a blessing, but it also could be a curse.
Debunking the rest vs rust argument in the 2025 World Series
Is there such thing as too much rest? For reference, MLB teams do not have a full week in between the end of spring training and the start of the regular season. MLB teams do not have a full week-long All-Star break. MLB teams who are fortunate enough to earn a Wild Card Series bye do not have to wait a week before playing in the NLDS. Waiting a week to play a single game is uncharted territory that players are not used to.
Having a long layoff of this magnitude is great in terms of rest and recovery, but timing can get thrown off. Timing is everything offensively, so going a week without real game action, even if the Dodgers run their own scrimmages, is just such a long time and something players are not used to. Sure, they'll regain their timing throughout the series, but losing a game because they started slow offensively could doom their season.
The Dodgers will have a full six days off between the NLCS and World Series after completing the four-game sweep of the Brewers.#MLBTonight discusses the "rest vs. rust" argument and whether or not it will impact LA. pic.twitter.com/M6m6c4cEng
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) October 19, 2025
That being said, there are plenty of examples of World Series winners who had five or more days or rest. It can be beneficial, depending on the team and circumstance. For example, the 2008 Phillies had over six days off and won in six games. The 2019 Nationals won the World Series with six days off. The 2022 Houston Astros achieved the same fate with five days off. Shall I continue?
At the end of the day, matchups decide the World Series, rather than some fictional rest vs rust argument. That's where the Dodgers could hold a real edge.
Pitching could mean everything for the Dodgers
I think the Dodgers have the World Series advantage, but not in the way you might expect. Sure, they might be a bit more rested, but it's not as if the winner of the ALCS won't get time off. They'll get three full days off before the World Series begins. That might not be seven days, but three days is plenty.
Where the Dodgers will really get their advantage is with the pitching. By clinching early, they can do whatever they want pitching-wise, as they will have a week to figure that out. On the flip side, the Blue Jays and Mariners have to do whatever they can to advance. This could result in utter mayhem in Game 7.
For example, if the Jays were to use Kevin Gausman, their ace, in relief on Monday, would he start on Friday's Game 1? He could, but he'd be on short rest. It's more likely that he'd be bumped to Game 2 of the series, which would mean he'd likely start Games 2 and 6. Gausman started Games 1 and 5 in the ALCS, and because of the two days of rest after Game 5, he's available in relief in Game 7. Would Gausman be available in a potential World Series Game 7 if he has to start Game 6? That's less likely without a single off-day in between. The Mariners find themselves in the same situation if they wanted to start George Kirby in Game 1.
Even so, both teams should be fine offensively even with the rest - how teams have performed in the last couple of postseasons with the bye is proof of that. The only distinct advantage the Dodgers have from the schedule comes from the pitching. And as we know, the smallest of pitching edges can decide quite a lot in October.