Another Long (and Sometimes Boring) World Series

The Los Angeles Dodgers wrapped up the 2025 World Series last night with a four games to three win over the American League Champion Toronto Blue Jays. Last night's game was exciting as the two evenly matched clubs played eleven innings to decide this year's championship. Unfortunately, it was another one dimensional game in which the game was decided by home runs.

I've written of the times of World Series games for the last several years. But, I'm not going into the length and boredom factor of each game as in years past. Here are the actual times of game for each of the seven in the 2025 “Fall Classic.”

Game 1     3:13
Game 2     2:36     This was the most snappily played game of the series.
Game 3     6:39     This was an 18-inning game. Had it been two games, each would have been long.
Game 4     2:54
Game 5     3:02
Game 6     3:02     Yes, it's the exact same length as the previous game.
Game 7     4:07     The game went 11 innings.

All together it was 1533 minutes of baseball. Not all of it was good when nothing happened at the plate due to walks, strikeouts, or hit batsmen. To put it another way, it was 25 and a half hours of  “America's Pastime.” Or, to put it another way, over a day of your life was gone if you watched every single game and every single pitch.

Rather than ignore the time the extra innings added to Game 3 and Game 7, I've calculated the average length two ways. The actual average time of game was 3:39. But, if recalculated using an average time per inning, the number is 20.716 minutes. Then, when that average per inning is multiplied by 9, it results in a time of game of 3:06.

While both times are still way too long for me, it's better than it had been before MLB implemented its time clock to speed up play. It's helped, but now the Major League Baseball powers that be need to go back to the drawing board and shorten the time between pitches.

Game 6 = 3:28

The 2020 World Series* has come to an end with the average game lasting three hours and 37 minutes.  Game six was won by the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-1 over the Tampa Bay Rays and clinched the 2020 World Series*.  The Dodgers did not bat in the ninth and still the game,  lasted three hours and 28 minutes.  I missed on my original prediction by 12 minutes per game.  I had initially said the average 2020 World Series Game would last 3:25.

Part of the reason for yet another long boring game was that the Dodgers made six pitching changes.  This is not to criticize Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.  It is unfortunately, the way the game is being played with too many specialists that have ruined the flow of games and removed the sport as America's past time.  Overnight TV ratings for this World Series were down from last year when the Nationals beat the Astros.  In Game 5, less than eight million people watched the Sunday night game aired by Fox TV.  That compares to more than 12 million viewers who watched a mid-season regular season NFL game between the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals which aired at the same time on NBC.

Baseball is an exciting game when played with a flow and at a good pace.  But, this bastardization of the game we have seen for the past too many years and this COVID shortened season has left it behind the growing fan base of the other big three professional sports.  Wake up MLB!

Game 4 = 4:10

The average length of game jumped to 3 hours and 37 minutes with this exceedingly long game that lasted four hours and ten minutes. Outside of a few seconds of excitement the evening was tedious. It appeared the Los Angeles Dodgers had this game won with their ace Kenley Jansen coming in to close it out. But, poor defense by Chris Taylor in the outfield and catcher Will Smith in the bottom of the ninth allowed the Rays to come back and tie the series at two games each. Game Five is scheduled for Sunday night.

Game Three = 3:14

The average time of game dropped slightly to 3 hours and 26 minutes each. My original prediction was the average length of game for the entire series would total 3:25. The Dodgers won this one 6-2 and both teams used a combined nine pitchers, which is one reason this one was much shorter than game two. The Dodgers now lead the Rays two games to one.

Game Two = 3:40

Image courrtesy MLB.

Game Two of the 2020 World Series lasted three hours and 40 minutes.  For the record it was won by the Tampa Bay Rays over the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-4.  With the first two games played this year the average time of the games equals 3:32.  I forecast earlier this week the average length of game for the entire series would average 3:25.

Up next its game three tomorrow night from Arlington, Texas.  Oh, wait, that's where all the games are being played because of the pandemic.  So, MLB why was today a travel day when no one traveled?  My guess is Fox TV had something it thought might be less boring, like say, a presidential debate. 

Game One = 3:24

Image courtesy MLB

The first game of the "World Series" lasted 3:24.  That's for an eight and a half inning game.  And it is just one minute quicker than my prediction of an average game time of 3:25 for this year's games.  For the record it was won by the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-3 over the Tampa Bay Rays.