World Series predictions: Our experts on who should throw out the ceremonial first pitches

The World Series is all about the pomp and circumstance, and nothing brings more pomp than a well-executed ceremonial first pitch. So who will our World Series teams call upon to set the tone for their title aspirations?

After asking our experts to pick a World Series winner, we tapped them for their thoughts on who will throw out the first pitch before each team’s first home game.

Soccer star Son Heung-Min of the MLS Los Angeles Football Club throws the ceremonial first pitch earlier this season. (Brian Rothmuller / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Los Angeles Dodgers

There is no shortage of celebrity talent for the Dodgers to choose from when it comes to first pitches, but a World Series first pitch takes on a special meaning beyond sheer star power. Dodgers legend Orel Hershiser, who won the Cy Young Award and the NLCS and World Series MVPs in 1988 for L.A., was a popular pick among our experts.

As our Jayson Stark points out, Hershiser was scheduled to throw a first pitch during last year’s World Series, but after fellow Dodgers legend Fernando Valenzuela passed away, Hershiser was part of a pregame ceremony honoring Valenzuela instead. Kirk Gibson, another 1988 World Series hero and NL MVP, also received multiple mentions.

Another popular selection, naturally, was music icon Kendrick Lamar, who starred in January’s Super Bowl halftime show and has famously feuded with Toronto music legend and super fan Drake.

Here’s a selection of our experts’ first pitch picks for the Dodgers:

Katie Woo: For Drake’s sake, hopefully not Kendrick Lamar. For everyone else’s sake, hopefully Kendrick Lamar.

Chad Jennings: Austin Barnes. He was a part of two World Series winners, and he opened this season back on the roster as the Dodgers’ backup catcher before being released mid-season. He’s both a part of this team, and a symbol of its growth over the past decade. Fans would go bananas. And it’s better than some random actor.

Jen McCaffrey: Kirk Gibson. Channeling the heroics of past World Series icons versus a random celebrity fan feels like a better move.

Eno Sarris: Kirk Gibson, to raise awareness for Parkinson’s research and because he’s a Dodger legend for his 1988 performance.

Jim Bowden: Will Farrell because he’s hilarious.

Chandler Rome: Clayton Kershaw, for an excuse to leave him off the roster.

Charlotte Varnes: Decoy again (Shohei Ohtani’s dog). This will not actually happen, but it would be great if it did.

Patrick Mooney: The guy from “Shark Tank” who was on “The Ohtani Flight” to Toronto.

Melissa Lockard: Wayne Gretzky, just to be mean.

Matt Gelb: Rob Lowe: Star of FOX’s “The Floor”.

Steve Berman: Luka Dončić. With the Dodgers’ ownership group now taking over in LakerLand, this is the time to trot out the guy who’s replacing LeBron as the team’s most important player.

Sam Blum: They should shock the world and have Fat Joe do it.

Stephen Nesbitt: Denzel Washington; he looks right at home at Dodger Stadium.

Denzel Washington honors Jackie Robinson. Chills. #AllStarGame pic.twitter.com/Tm9BEj1FHJ

— MLB (@MLB) July 20, 2022

Toronto Blue Jays

The Dodgers might have Hollywood, but the Blue Jays have all of Canada to mine for celebrity first pitches. They honored the stars their 2015 ALCS team during this year’s ALCS. So what will the Jays have in store for us for the World Series?

Our experts overwhelmingly predict that 1993 walkoff World Series hero Joe Carter will get first pitch honors (honours?). Drake, of course, was another popular selection, as was Geddy Lee, lead singer for the Canadian rock band Rush. Some of our experts’ notable selections:

David O’Brien: Joe Carter. He hit two home runs in each of the last two World Series the Blue Jays played, in 1992 and 1993, and they won both of those series.

C. Trent Rosecrans: Joe Carter. Seriously, why would it be anyone else?

Chris Kirschner: Drake. No one would get the Rogers Centre electrified for the World Series other than the 6ix God himself.

Chad Jennings: Geddy Lee. Rush is going back on tour, and their bassist is a Blue Jays super fan (and, generally, a baseball super fan). Perfect mix of a Canadian icon who’s in the news and has a real connection to the team. He’ll, no doubt, walk to the mound with a mean, mean stride.

Charlotte Varnes: Cito Gaston (Blue Jays manager from 1989-97 and 2008-10). It seems like this would be a perfect way to throw back to a great era of Blue Jays baseball.

Stephen Nesbitt: A hologram of Connor McDavid. Canada’s superstar is lifelong fan of Canada’s ballclub. So what if he’ll be on the West Coast playing hockey when the series is in Toronto?



Sam Blum: Robert Herjavec. He infamously did not fly Shohei Ohtani on his private jet two years ago, and this first pitch will be payback for Ohtani picking Los Angeles.

Andy McCullough: Stefan Babcock from the band Pup.

Jen McCaffrey: Paul Molitor. It feels like good mojo for them to have the 1993 WS MVP throw out the first pitch.

Melissa Lockard: Mike Myers, elbows up.

Dennis Lin: Drake. People love mess.