The globalization of baseball is the protagonist in the closing of the 2025 World Series
The “Fall Classic” has become a truly international stage, marking the first time in history that an MLB season begins and ends outside of the United States.
The business of baseball Major Leagues has been focused, for decades, on putting the best possible talent on the field, no matter where it comes from. The current World Series between Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays places special emphasis on “world” and in the internationalization of the game, taking into account that, in total, nine countries or territories are represented between both teams.
Canada, Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Japan, South Korea and of course the United States are represented by players from Dodgers and Blue Jaysthis being the second largest number of countries present in the history of the World Seriesonly surpassed by the 2018 edition, in which the Dodgers and Boston Red Sox They had 10 countries represented.
Only taking into account players born outside the United States, the 13 international players who are playing in the current World Series represent the largest amount since 2022, when Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros were combined for 20 foreign players, according to data provided by MLB.
This World Series It has another peculiarity. For the first time since 1993, the season Major Leagues will end up being played outside the United States (when the Blue Jays defeated the Phillies in Game 6 at the then-called SkyDome, now Rogers Centre). The fundamental difference with that year is that, for the first time in history, a MLB It began and will end outside of United States territory.
For 2025, the season started in Japan on March 18, with the series among the Chicago Cubs and the Dodgerswhile, as we indicated above, you will end up in Canada, regardless of the result.
Obviously, the fact of having an entire country involved thanks to the Blue Jaysas well as the most popular player on the planet, at the moment, Shohei Ohtaniensures an audience flow that would not be had otherwise. Three countries fully invested in World Seriesadded to the others that are also being represented, guarantee an unprecedented global projection.
This World Series It also has another highlight: five of the players with the best-selling jerseys of the season are present. Shohei Ohtani (no. 1), Freddie Freeman (no. 3), Mookie Betts (no. 4), Clayton Kershaw (no. 12) and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (no. 15) are some of the most popular figures in the game and represent three different countries (by birth).
The World Series 2025 has been a great bet that has paid immediate dividends thanks to its international nature. The so-called “America’s favorite pastime” according to Americans, is now also a favorite pastime in multiple parts of the world, and that will only continue to happen more frequently in the future.
