Within the 15 days in October we spent with the American League champion Toronto Blue Jays, you study rather a lot in regards to the crew. Here’s a sampling:
The sport glove that infielder Ernie Clement makes use of was bought a couple of months in the past on eBay. “Mine was getting worn, so this one appeared good on eBay, so purchased it,” he mentioned. “I’ve to put on a glove beneath my glove as a result of this glove is so outdated, it has no padding in it.” Even with a glove bought on eBay, Clement is a terrific defender. He’s an AL Gold Glove finalist at third base and as a utility participant. He personifies the pliability of the Blue Jays, an elite defensive crew that strikes a number of gamers across the infield, and has others who play infield or outfield equally nicely. Clement can actually throw on the run, and his switch on the double play from second base is lightning quick. He has 18 hits and solely two strikeouts in 42 at-bats on this postseason during which he has shined as a rattling good participant. His aggressive hitting strategy comes from Coach Pitch when he was 6 years outdated. “We received three pitches per at-bat,” he mentioned. “My dad would say, ‘You’d higher swing.”’ Clement additionally occurs to look precisely like a younger Aaron Boone. “I’ve heard that,” Clement mentioned, smiling. Boone mentioned, laughing, “So have I. I am going to have to fulfill him sometime and inform him that this [his face] is what he has to look ahead to sometime.”
Reliever Louis Varland will pitch everytime you give him the ball. His choice could be to pitch every single day. He pitched in 10 of the 11 postseason video games for the Blue Jays. He began as an opener towards the Yankees in Sport 4 of the AL Division Collection in the future after pitching in aid. “He would have pitched 9 innings if I might’ve let him,” supervisor John Schneider mentioned. That aggressive nature comes from his time as a highschool wrestler in Minnesota. Varland wrestled as a freshman at 106 kilos and 160 kilos as a senior. His junior and senior yr in baseball, he performed at 185 pouonds — he would lose 25 kilos to make weight for wrestling, then acquire it again for baseball. “I might lose 20 kilos in per week,” he mentioned. “I did it the unhealthy approach. We’ll simply depart it at that.”
Infielder Andres Gimenez is “the perfect defensive participant I’ve ever seen at any place,” mentioned Guardians supervisor Stephen Vogt, who coached Gimenez in Cleveland in 2024. “He’s unimaginable.” Clement, an excellent defender himself, mentioned Gimenez “is the perfect I’ve ever seen. He makes performs nobody else could make.” Gimenez is the perfect defensive second baseman in baseball, however after the damage in early September to Bo Bichette, Gimenez moved to shortstop the place he has been great. Throughout infield apply, Gimenez takes floor balls from his knees, and makes use of a miniature glove, every of which trains him to focus his eyes on the ball. He has nice toes partially as a result of he performed soccer rising up in Venezuela, a la Omar Vizquel. Gimenez loves soccer. “It’s my pastime, I watch it on a regular basis,” he mentioned. Gimenez hit cleanup on Opening Day 2025 — and made 18 different begins there — for the Blue Jays. He additionally began 34 video games out of the No. 9 spot within the order in the course of the common season in addition to all 11 video games the Blue Jays have performed in October. He’s one in all seven gamers in main league historical past to start out at the very least 15 video games out of the cleanup spot and 15 out of the No. 9 spot in a season. And through his postseason, he grew to become one in all seven gamers in historical past to hit dwelling runs in back-to-back video games out of the No. 9 spot in a postseason sport.
Pitcher Max Scherzer stays an excessive competitor at age 41. “He discovered that I performed basketball,” mentioned Jays pitcher Chris Bassitt, who was an ideal highschool basketball participant. “So Max informed me, ‘We’re enjoying one-on-one. And we’re enjoying full courtroom.”’ Bassitt laughed and mentioned, “Max, I am not enjoying full courtroom one-on-one with you.” Scherzer began the important Sport 4 of the ALCS towards the Mariners, turning into the primary pitcher to start out a postseason sport for six totally different franchises. He hadn’t pitched since Sept. 24. Nobody had any concept what he was going to provide them, so, after all, he gave a sturdy 5⅔ innings. Schneider went to the mound to examine on Scherzer within the fifth inning. “I am f—ing good!” Scherzer barked at Schneider. “Let’s f—ing go!” Schneider mentioned with a smile, “I used to be scared,” then added, “you must have seen the dialog we had between [the fourth and fifth innings]. I requested him if he was OK. He mentioned, ‘What, are you f—ing kidding? Get the f— out of right here!” The subsequent day, Schneider’s feedback had been relayed to Scherzer. He smiled, half-embarrassed, half-proud, and mentioned, “I simply cannot assist it.”
Addison Barger swings the bat as exhausting as any participant within the sport, and his plan is to take action on each pitch. He takes relentless batting apply every single day. His nickname is “Bam Bam,” but it surely comes from the identify of his mom’s canine, not how exhausting he hits a baseball. He performs third base and proper discipline — extra Toronto defensive flexibility. “He has the perfect throwing arm of any third baseman I’ve ever seen,” Clement mentioned. In an 8-2 victory in Sport 4 in Seattle, Barger’s great throw from proper discipline lower down Josh Naylor at third base for a vital third out within the sixth inning. “He threw 98-99 [mph] in highschool,” Schneider mentioned. After I requested Barger if he may throw 98-99 mph at this time if he had been requested to shut on the mound, he laughed and mentioned, “I would throw 100.”
Catcher Alejandro Kirk, at 5-foot-8, 240 kilos, appears to be like much less like an athlete than anybody on the sector, the catching equal of Bartolo Colon. However “he has great bat-to-ball expertise,” Schneider mentioned. “And the primary time I noticed him catch, I noticed that he had elite arms. And he by no means will get too excited. And he by no means will get pissed off.” Kirk blocks balls within the dust in addition to any catcher within the sport, and is exceptionally adept at catching pitches down. Kirk hit two dwelling runs on the ultimate day of the season when the Blue Jays clinched the AL East title, then grew to become the primary participant in main league historical past to observe two homers within the season finale with two dwelling runs within the first playoff sport. Kirk is immensely standard in Toronto. “Everybody simply loves him right here,” Clement mentioned. “When he stole his first base of the season, I used to be on the plate. I needed to step out of the field as a result of the cheering was so loud from the followers.”
Ace Kevin Gausman has among the best split-fingered fastballs of any pitcher within the sport, however the grip on that pitch can often trigger a blister so Gausman normally would not throw his cut up throughout his bullpen classes between begins. “That is uncommon,” Bassitt mentioned. “However he’s so comfy with the grip, he would not have to apply it.” Gausman pitched in aid within the clinching Sport 7 towards the Mariners. “I can get free in a rush,” he mentioned earlier than the sport. “I grew up in Colorado. It was chilly. To get heat, and to get free shortly, I might put scorching stuff throughout my physique. It actually labored, however if you I began to sweat, whoa.”
First baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., among the best hitters within the sport, went to a brand new stage within the postseason, going 19-for-43 with six homers, 13 RBIs and solely three strikeouts. “He has energy, and he is a pest on the plate,” Blue Jays outfielder Myles Straw mentioned. “Not many hitters are each. He is among the best hitters I’ve ever performed with. Backside of the ninth, want a success, I take Vladdy each time.” Guerrero was a wrecking ball towards the Yankees within the division sequence, and equally damaging towards the Mariners within the ALCS. “He has a protracted swing, however he can cowl something,” Gausman mentioned. “Not many hitters can try this.” Clement was requested to clarify how anybody can hit with such energy, and in addition put the ball in play as usually as Guerrero. “There isn’t a explaining him,” Clement mentioned. “He’s on a unique stage.” Guerrero can be an excellent defensive first baseman, he has already gained a Gold Glove, and is a Gold Glove finalist this season. He additionally runs so significantly better than folks assume, which he confirmed when he scored from second on a single within the ALCS. There’s a notion that Guerrero is a heavy-set, unathletic first baseman. “Nothing may very well be farther from the reality,” Clement mentioned. Guerrero, the son of Corridor of Famer Vladimir Guerrero Sr., is an instinctive participant “with a very excessive baseball IQ,” Schneider mentioned. “He had that when he was 18 years outdated.” Certainly. In Sport 6 towards Seattle, he received an ideal learn on a ball within the dust, superior to 3rd, then scored on a throw within the dust by Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh. On the important thing throw by Barger in Sport 4 of the ALCS, the throw may have gone dwelling or to 3rd. Guerrero was aggressively signaling Barger to throw it to 3rd. Guerrero will get these instincts, that really feel for the sport, from his father: They’re the opposite father-son mixture to every have a four-hit sport within the postseason.
Pitcher Trey Yesavage, age 22, made three main league begins, then began Sport 2 towards the Yankees, turning into the seventh pitcher in historical past to start out a postseason sport having thrown 14 innings or much less in his regular-season profession. After all, towards the Yankees, he pitched 5⅓ innings, gave up no hits, walked one and struck out 11 — he’s the primary pitcher to strike out 10 within the first 4 innings of his first postseason begin. He confirmed unimaginable poise, and has a presence on the mound like that of Gaylord Perry. Schneider by no means noticed Yesavage in spring coaching. He was so removed from enjoying within the main leagues, he was all the time throwing on a again discipline. “As he was transferring up, I noticed him on movie and video,” Schneider mentioned. “However when he received right here, he appeared totally different.” Movie and video can inform you solely a lot a couple of participant. Yesavage’s slider is thrown from instantly excessive and that steep angle makes it very exhausting to choose up, a la Juan Guzman. “I’ve by no means seen a slider like that,” Kirk mentioned. Backup catcher Tyler Heineman mentioned, “Neither have I.” Yesavage additionally dominated the Yankees along with his cut up, which additionally baffled the Mariners in Sport 6. There’s a rule in baseball that you do not communicate to that day’s beginning pitcher on the day of the sport. But there was Yesavage, earlier than Sport 6 towards Seattle, speaking to ESPN’s Karl Ravech about soccer. Yesavage went out and threw nicely for 5⅔ innings in an elimination sport.
Utility man Davis Schneider is an above-average defensive second baseman and an above-average defensive nook outfielder. He would not seem like a baseball participant along with his mustache and thick glasses. However he’s the personification of a baseball participant. He hits every single day with Barger, his buddy, and he swings nearly as exhausting as Barger does. “He was nearly launched 3 times within the minor leagues,” Schneider mentioned. “However he saved on preventing. He simply figured it out.” He is not the one Blue Jay participant who figured it out.
Schneider is superstitious. Earlier than Sport 6, he walked to the ballpark. “I both drive or stroll,” he mentioned. “I walked yesterday. We gained. So I walked once more at this time.” When requested if he bumped into any followers on the road, he mentioned, “Yeah, a couple of. All of them mentioned, ‘Good luck.”’ Then Schneider smiled and mentioned, “Final yr, once we weren’t excellent, I drove to the ballpark on a regular basis.” Buck Martinez, a former main league catcher and former Blue Jays supervisor who has broadcast Blue Jays video games for 15 years, mentioned that Schneider reminds him “of Bobby Cox in 1985,” the yr that the Blue Jays began to win.
Straw, like Clement, is taken into account a “glue man.” Straw appreciated the praise, however mentioned, “We’ve got 10 of these guys on this crew.” Schneider mentioned, “That is the tightest group I’ve ever been round.”
Designated hitter George Springer’s three-run homer within the seventh inning of Sport 7 of the ALCS, was one of many three largest dwelling runs in membership historical past. Springer struggled terribly final yr on the plate however labored with former Astros teammate Michael Brantley, a pricey good friend and an ideal hitting teacher, within the offseason. Springer, who hit sixth on Opening Day, raised his OPS .285 factors in 2025, by far the most important enhance within the main leagues. He grew to become an elite participant once more, he returned to the leadoff spot and doubtless will end within the high 5 in AL MVP voting this yr. “He’s 36 years outdated, however he acts and performs like he’s 20,” Schneider mentioned. When informed that the Blue Jays’ protection was distinctive this season, Springer laughed and mentioned, “Effectively, that is as a result of they received the outdated man off the sector and let the younger bucks roam across the outfield.”
The Blue Jays win due to an elite protection, good beginning pitching and an offense that led the foremost leagues in batting with a .265 common. They modified their offense strategy this season: use your “A” swing each time, or do not swing. “Promote out,” Schneider mentioned. “Or do not swing.” Within the postseason, the Blue Jays hit .296; the remainder of the playoff groups hit a mixed .218. They put the ball in play higher than any crew within the main leagues. “The most important league batting common on balls in play is .300, that is all it’s essential to know,” Bassitt mentioned. “Within the sport at this time, putting out is OK. Not right here. For us, it isn’t OK to strike out.” Within the postseason, the Blue Jays struck out 65 instances in comparison with 108 by their opponent. They struck out each 6.1 at-bats. All different groups within the postseason averaged a strikeout each 3.4 at-bats. The Blue Jays scored 71 runs and struck out 65 instances. The final crew to attain extra runs than that they had strikeouts in 11 postseason video games was the 2007 Purple Sox, who gained the World Collection. And that is why the Blue Jays have a preventing probability towards the mighty Dodgers.