In a Blue Jays club that kept them from an AL East title and knocked them from the postseason, the Yankees and their fans can feel bitter, angry and jealous.
How about inspired, too?
Because what the Blue Jays are trying to do — shake off a disappointing season not with an overhaul but through subtle upgrades to the periphery of the roster that turned an also-ran into a pennant winner — offers a blueprint for what it seems as if Brian Cashman & Co. are attempting to execute.
The 2025 Blue Jays that won 94 games, the division and the ALCS on Monday night are not entirely different from the 2024 Blue Jays that finished 14 games under .500 and in last place in the East. Consider that Nos. 1-7 in their lineup for the clinching Game 7 — George Springer, Nathan Lukes, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Alejandro Kirk, Daulton Varsho, Ernie Clement and Addison Barger — all were holdovers. Consider that the pitching staff does not include Shohei Ohtani, Roki Sasaki, Max Fried or Corbin Burnes — all high-profile free-agent targets over the past few years who at least batted their eyes Canada’s way but went no further. Consider that the 2025 Blue Jays were constructed more with final touches than foundational pieces.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
