Dodgers vs Blue Jays: Starting Lineup - World Series Game 1 Preview

The 121st edition of the Fall Classic will get underway with Game 1 between the Dodgers and Blue Jays in Toronto on Friday night.

And this matchup is unprecedented, never have these two clubs met with the game's ultimate prize hanging in the balance.

With the defending World Series champions trying to become the first back-to-back champs in 25 years, and the Blue Jays looking to win it all for the first time in more than three decades, it promises to be a tremendous series.

Blue Jays rookie sensation Trey Yesavage is on the bump versus Dodgers lefty Blake Snell. First pitch is at 8:08 PM ET on Sportsnet and FS1.

This will be Trey Yesavage's fourth postseason start after making just three MLB starts in the regular season.

No other pitcher has made multiple postseason starts within his first seven overall appearances, but Yesavage just keeps raising the bar.

Yesavage is coming off a great bounceback start against the Mariners in Game 6 of the ALCS, when he threw 5 2/3 innings of two-run ball with seven strikeouts, leaning again on his excellent splitter.

That will be put to the test immediately against the Dodgers' order, but the 22-year-old has the advantage of the unknown.

This Los Angeles lineup has never faced Yesavage, and with the excellent deception between his fastball and splitter coming from a sky-high release point, that has been an obvious advantage for him.

For at least the first two World Series games, the Dodgers will roll out the same rotation that dominated the Brewers in the NLCS, beginning with Blake Snell in Game 1.

Snell is coming off a gem of a start against the Brewers in NLCS Game 1, eight scoreless innings in which he struck out 10, walked none, allowed just one hit and faced the minimum.

Overall this postseason, he is 3-0 with a 0.86 ERA (two earned runs in 21 innings) and 28 strikeouts against five walks.

Jeff Hoffman looks like a closer capable of shutting down games in the World Series, which wasn't always the case in the regular season.

He came up huge in Games 6 and 7 of the ALCS, and John Schneider is comfortable pushing him two innings in the right spot.

Louis Varland has pitched in 10 of the Blue Jays' 11 postseason games, so it's just a matter of which inning you'll see him in, while Seranthony Dominguez is the other setup man.

One variable is Brendon Little, who had an ugly outing in the Game 5 ALCS loss, but the Blue Jays will need a lefty eventually.

One of Braydon Fisher or Mason Fluharty could be asked to step into bigger spots, too, while Bassitt and Eric Lauer are the likely long relievers.