The Los Angeles Dodgers are champions once again, and they didn’t take the easy road to get there. Facing elimination twice on the road against the Toronto Blue Jays, the Dodgers dug deep and delivered back-to-back clutch wins to clinch their second consecutive World Series title. That’s the kind of resilience that defines championship DNA.
While many familiar faces returned from last year’s title run, this year’s journey introduced some new names to the October spotlight - one of them being outfielder Alex Call. Call started the 2025 season with the Washington Nationals, a team in rebuild mode, before being dealt to the Dodgers at the trade deadline. What followed was a whirlwind few months that ended with a champagne-soaked celebration and a parade through the streets of Los Angeles.
For Call, who had never played in a World Series before, the experience was nothing short of surreal. From the moment the final out was recorded to the days of celebration that followed, he’s been soaking in every second of the ride.
“Being able to kind of take a parade lap going through L.A.,” Call said recently. “We had the parade, then the next day we go to the Lakers game and next day after that go to the Kings game. Just seeing all the fans super excited about what we were able to accomplish, and they get to be a part of it, just kind of soaking it in.”
This wasn’t just a professional milestone for Call - it was a personal journey that came full circle. From his roots in River Falls, Wisconsin, to Ball State, through the grind of the Minor Leagues, and finally landing on one of the most storied franchises in baseball, he’s now a World Series champion. And he knows just how rare that is.
“It’s really a surreal moment,” he said. “Going through L.A. and having everybody wave at you and just be super excited about what our team did, really just a surreal time and really fun to soak it all in.
Why not? It’s kind of a once-in-a-lifetime thing.
Hopefully we can run it back again, but it could be once in a lifetime, so just soak it up.”
The Dodgers’ championship celebration was classic Hollywood - a parade through downtown, an electric rally at Dodger Stadium, and appearances at Lakers and Kings games to keep the party going. It was a city-wide salute to a team that once again proved it’s built for October.
And for Call, it was the culmination of a midseason move that turned into the opportunity of a lifetime. When he arrived in Los Angeles, he didn’t come in expecting a starring role. He came ready to contribute however the team needed - and that mindset paid off.
“I’m going to be ready for whatever,” he said back in August. “I think there’s obviously a ton of great players here, established players.
Really, whatever they ask of me, I’m going to give it all I have and play to the best of my ability. I’ll be ready for anything.”
And he was. In 38 games with the Dodgers, Call hit .247 with a .333 on-base percentage and .384 slugging.
He chipped in with four doubles, two home runs, and five RBI - solid numbers for a player stepping into a deep, talented roster. But more importantly, he fit the mold of what the Dodgers value: players who buy in, stay ready, and rise to the moment when it matters most.
Now, with a ring on his finger and memories that will last a lifetime, Call is part of Dodgers lore. From deadline pickup to parade participant, his story is a reminder of how quickly things can change in baseball - and how special it is when they break your way.