From last place in 2024 to first place in 2025, and now a trip to the American League Championship Series.
The Toronto Blue Jays improbable, but impressive, season continues.
A four-game division series win over the New York Yankees is the latest surprise.
No fewer than eight pitchers, and seven combined hits between Addison Barger, Ernie Clement and Nathan Lukes led the Jays to a 5-2 series clinching victory over the Yankees Wednesday night.
The story lines, oh they were a’ plenty but the one that perhaps stands out the most is the play of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. who outshone likely the American League Most Valuable Player in Aaron Judge.
Guerrero Jr. hit .529 in the series with nine hits including three home runs and nine runs batted in. He was hitting just .136 with hits total in his previous six postseason games.
And how about the aforementioned Clement who hit an eye-popping .643 in the series
Trey Yesavage’s franchise and MLB rookie breaking performance in Game 2.
“It’s an unbelievable cast of characters in there that can keep a group level-headed or get a group going if you need to,” Blue Jays Manager John Schneider said. “A lot, if not all the credit, goes to the players.”
With the division series a best-of-five and the American League Championship Series now a best of seven, most feel the Jays will add Bo Bichette (knee injury) and one or both starting pitchers in Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer to their roster.
Perhaps former New York Yankees Hall of Fame shortstop Derek Jeter described the Blue Jays the best after Wednesday’s Game 4 win – moments after Guerrero Jr. used his now famous “Daaaaaaa Yankees Lose” line.
“I have to apologize because I didn’t realize how good the Toronto Blue Jays were. As a team, collectively, this team is pretty impressive.
Obviously, I didn’t get a chance to watch them on a daily basis. But now, seeing them over this series, every day, pitch by pitch, at-bat by at-bat, they’re as good as any team in baseball,” explained Jeter.
Toronto now awaits the winner of Friday’s Game 5 between the Detroit Tigers and Seattle Mariners, with Game 1 set for Toronto Sunday night as Major League Baseball announced its broadcast schedule.
Game 1 is set for 8:03 p.m. EST, with the timing of Game 2 depending on how the NLDS between the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs plays out.
If the Brewers advance, the Blue Jays will play Monday at 5:03 p.m. followed by Game 1 of the NL Championship Series at 8:08 p.m. Should the Cubs win, first pitch for Game 2 of the ALCS is set for 4:38 p.m. and Game 1 of the NLCS would start at 7:08 p.m.
“Maybe some people don’t believe in the team through the year, but I always remind everyone that we have an entire country behind us that believe in us, and hopefully we can get the World Series back to Canada,” said Guerrero Jr. through a translator.
Rod Mawhood is a lifelong Niagara native who has had the pleasure of working in all three mediums – Radio, Print and TV – for over 20 years. His first announcing gig was with the then St. Catharines Stompers. Since then he’s worked in radio and TV in Toronto, and currently is the announcer for the Niagara IceDogs and Niagara River Lions.
Rod also covers the Buffalo Bills for FOX Sports and the Buffalo Sabres for NBC Sports.
