Opinion: 5 most underrated performances in the World Series

The 2025 World Series was certainly one that will be talked about for years to come, where it saw the Los Angeles Dodgers take home their second consecutive title, beating the Toronto Blue Jays in seven games.

In a back-and-forth series, it was the Dodgers standing tall in the end, defending their crown thanks to a legendary performance from Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

While Yamamoto was great, deservingly winning World Series MVP, today we’re going to take a look at the five most underrated performances from the series.

5. Max Muncy

Muncy was a bit of an unsung hero for LA in this series, coming up with some huge hits and defensive plays.

On the surface, Muncy’s series wasn’t great by any means. He hit to a .214 average, with a .313 On base percentage and a .777 OPS.

But it was the specific moments that made his run memorable.

One that comes to mind is obviously the home run in game seven that pulled the Dodgers within one run.

Everyone is going to remember Miguel Rojas’s and Will Smith’s home runs that tied the game and then gave the Dodgers the lead, respectively, but Muncy’s contributions to Los Angeles in this series shouldn’t go unnoticed.

4. Clayton Kershaw

In his final game, the 37-year-old got it done when it mattered the most. Yes, Clayton Kershaw only recorded one out in the World Series, but man, did it come at the most important time.

In the 12th inning of Game 3, with the score tied and the bases loaded, manager Dave Roberts called upon Kershaw to get one out. After a long, tiring eight-pitch battle with Nathan Lukes, Kershaw induced a groundout to end the inning and keep the game even.

A gutsy performance from the 18-year veteran, and one that will be remembered for a long time, gives him the number four spot on this list.

3. George Springer

When you talk about gutsy performances, this man has to be mentioned. On an injured knee, George Springer gave just about everything he had for Toronto in the World Series.

Springer hit to a .381 average, with an on-base percentage of .409 and an OPS of .838.

In Games 6 and 7, after Springer missed Games 4 and 5 due to that knee injury, he went 5 for 10 at the plate, putting Toronto on his back.

It is one of the most inspiring performances from the 35-year-old, who had one of the best seasons of his career, putting him at number three on this list.

2. Addison Barger

I know I said George Springer put the Blue Jays on his back, but the catalyst for this Blue Jays offense and the man who would’ve won the World Series MVP award if the Jays had won the title is Addison Barger.

What a series. Barger was unconscious at the plate, hitting just shy of a .500 average, with an OPS of 1.216. His 12 hits put him inside the top 10 for most in a World Series, doing so in only 28 plate appearances.

A truly special series for Barger, who launched the first-ever pinch hit grand slam in the World Series, puts him at number two.

1. Will Klein

The Los Angeles Dodgers do not win the 2025 World Series if not for Will Klein. Yes, I said it.

Will Klein hadn’t pitched in a playoff game before Dave Roberts had him trot out as the last man left in the Los Angeles bullpen in Game 3.

He proceeded to throw four scoreless innings in extra innings, only surrendering one hit, allowing Freddie Freeman to end the game with one swing in the 18th inning.

But who is Will Klein?

The Dodgers traded southpaw Joe Jacques to acquire Klein in the middle of the 2025 season. He spent time with both the Oklahoma City Comets and the Dodgers, posting a 5.16 ERA with the Comets over 22.2 innings pitched and a 2.35 ERA in 15.1 innings with the Dodgers.

He had never eclipsed 40 pitches in a professional appearance before throwing 72 for the Dodgers in Game 3.

Without Klein’s performance, the Blue Jays likely would have taken game 3 and won the World Series. That is why Will Klein deserves the number one spot on this list.

With the season coming to an end, we now turn to the offseason, where Los Angeles will look to continue to bolster their roster in an effort to complete the illustrious three-peat.

Sawyer Bogaty is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email him at sgb5468@psu.edu.