The Los Angeles Dodgers are on the brink of something special, the kind of history that cements legacies and sparks debates for decades. As they prepare to face the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2025 World Series, first baseman Freddie Freeman knows precisely what’s at stake: the chance to secure the franchise’s third championship in six years and solidify what many are calling a modern-day dynasty.

For Freeman, the word 'dynasty' has come up more than once recently. “Yeah, I think it kind of started in spring training,” Freeman said during the team’s media session ahead of Game 1. “Doc [Dave Roberts] talked about how special it would be to do something that hasn’t been done in 25 years. You go through the season just trying to get better, but now that we’re here — yeah, I think it’s fair to call it that if we can pull this off.”

A Dodgers win would put them in rare company, joining the Yankees of the late 1990s and the Giants of the 2010s as the only teams in recent memory to win three titles within six years. But Freeman insists that the organization’s success runs deeper than trophies. “It’s a sustained winning culture,” he said. “We’ve been competing at a high level for a long time, and these championships just help cement that.”

Despite the team’s repeated appearances on baseball’s biggest stage, Freeman says the excitement never fades. “Not at all,” he said when asked if the World Series ever starts to feel routine. “Getting to the World Series is what we all dream about as kids. You never know how many chances you’ll get — or if this will be the last one.”

This year’s Fall Classic carries extra meaning for Freeman, who will open the series in Toronto, a city that ties back to his family roots. “Both my parents were born and raised in Canada,” he said. “Every time I go there, I feel a little closer to my mom. I still get envelopes in my locker from relatives I’ve never met — it’s always special.”

The Dodgers enter the series after a six-day layoff, a potential concern given how previous postseason breaks have affected the club. But Freeman isn’t worried. “We’ve been facing live pitching, had intersquads, and we’re ready to go,” he said. “I don’t think the layoff’s going to hurt us — maybe it’ll even help us hit better.”

A primary key for the Dodgers has been its starting rotation, arguably the best in baseball heading into the World Series. “We’ve got four number ones going right now,” Freeman said. “That gives us so much confidence as an offense. You’re not going to put up huge numbers against elite postseason pitching, so we just focus on manufacturing runs and taking advantage of every opportunity.”

The Blue Jays, meanwhile, bring a talented but unpredictable pitching staff, highlighted by Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber, Max Scherzer, and rookie sensation Trey Yasavage — a pitcher the Dodgers have yet to face. “Facing a guy for the first time is always tough,” Freeman noted. “You don’t have the same scouting looks, but that’s what makes the World Series so fun — you’re seeing the best of the best.”

As for whether certain players are simply built for October baseball, Freeman points to experience and composure as the difference-makers. “My first postseason, my knees were shaking,” he laughed. “You just learn that it’s the same game. Once you can slow it down, that’s when you perform. Guys like Kiké [Hernández], they just have that switch — I wish we could bottle it.”

When asked about the emotional impact of seeing Canada erupt after Toronto’s clinching win, Freeman smiled. “It’s special. When a whole country rallies behind one team, that’s pretty amazing.”

For Freeman and the Dodgers, the mission is clear: finish the job, make history, and perhaps finally silence any doubts about this era of Dodgers baseball.