Why the Toronto Blue Jays are in the World Series

As teams evolve from pretenders to contenders, there are usually two variables that cause separation and allow for elevation.

That group of athletes, regardless of the team sport or individual game, is playing the best, at that time, against all competitors. Within a team environment, success is likely driven by a series of individuals who collectively reach a high level of personal achievement.

Take the Toronto Blue Jays, who open the World Series on Oct. 24 at home against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Here’s a team that was eight games out of first place two months into the 2025 season and then vaulted into the American League East lead just before the All-Star break. By virtue of sweeping the Yankees in the Bronx from June 30 to July 3 and extending a winning streak to nine at that time, the Jays began to create that separation.

After right-hander Chris Bassett defeated New York 8-5 on July 3, Toronto then gained first place in the division for the remainder of the season.

“When we left Tampa in late May, we began to play better,” said Jays’ manager John Scheinder at the end of the season. “We found more of an identity, as a group. On offense, we put a great deal of emphasis on base running and making more contact at the plate. And, we did that.”

As the Jays began to create that separation, those players counted to carry the team did just that.

Centerfielder and DH George Springer put the Jays on his back.

In batting a career-high .309, the 36-year-old banged out 32 homers and knocked in 84 runs. No home run was more dramatic than his 3-run bomb against Mariners’ right-hander Eduard Bazardo in the seventh inning of game seven of the ALCS. That rocket propelled the Jays into the World Series.

From the All-Star game, Springer placed among the league leaders in batting average, OBP, runs scored, slugging percentage and OPS.

Then there are the exploits of Vladimir Guerreo, Jr. In the current post-season against the Yankees and Mariners, the 26-year-old hit .457 with six homers and nine RBIs.

While Springer and Guerrero gain the headlines, Schneider tells reporters that the Jays’ versatility remains significant.

Outfielders Nathan Lukes, Miles Straw, and infielders Andres Gimenez, Addison Barger, Ernie Clement, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa provide flexibility. Late during post-season games, Straw is usually found in lef,t and Lukes, from starting the game in left, moves to right.

“We have deployed guys differently,” Schneider added. “We then focused on things we feel are important and attainable. We used the entire bench in many games, and everyone is ready to play in any given night.”

Since the All-Star game, the Jays’ bullpen has evolved as reliable and that’s a point Schneider likes to emphasize. With the back end occupied by a pair of Philadelphia Phillies castaways in Seranthony Dominguez and Jeff Hoffman, the closer role has been defined and particularly effective.

Here, Hoffman has emerged as the principal fireman. In four appearances alone in the Seattle series, Hoffman allowed no runs and accentuated Schneider’s essential belief in the value of a reliable bullpen.

“Competition is healthy, and the relievers are feeding off one another,” Schneider said. “There are deliberate things we are talking about and deliberate things catchers are doing. It’s about putting them in the right spots.”

With four of the potential seven World Series games slated for Rogers Centre and the whole of Canada jumping on the bandwagon, the questions remain: how will the Jays handle the Dodgers, the defending World Series champions?

With a collected Schneider pushing the right buttons, the Jays appear to be in position to shake the crown from atop Dodger Stadium.

The post Why the Toronto Blue Jays are in the World Series first appeared on Through The Fence Baseball.

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