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Ex-Yankees Star Puts Rivalry Aside With Heartfelt Message for John Schneider After Blue Jays Seal ALCS Spot

Originally posted on EssentiallySports | By Utsav Gupta | Last updated Oct 9, 2025 8:06 PM ET

When the Toronto Blue Jays needed them most, John Schneider made some brave choices that paid off. The manager’s decision to use eight pitchers in the important Game 4 against the New York Yankees led the team to its first American League Championship Series appearance since 2016. The 5–2 win on Wednesday night proved that a number of unusual decisions that had come under fire just days before were the right ones.

Vernon Wells, a former Blue Jays outfielder who also played for the Yankees, openly questioned Schneider’s Game 3 plan. Wells didn’t like that Shane Bieber was taken out of the game after just 2 ⅔ innings and 54 pitches, especially since Game 4 was going to be a bullpen game. “You don’t take Shane out with 53 pitches with Game 4 being a bullpen game,” Wells tweeted after Toronto lost 9-6 at Yankee Stadium in Game 3. The Blue Jays’ relievers gave up six runs in 5 1/3 innings that night, losing a three-run lead and making the argument about Schneider’s management of his pitching staff even stronger.

But Wells showed that disagreeing with someone doesn’t make them less respected. After Toronto won the series, the three-time All-Star sent a kind message that went beyond team loyalties. “Understand that a difference of opinion is not a criticism. I’ve known John Schneider a long time and know the path he has taken to be where he is now. From turmoil to galvanizing an organization and becoming one. I couldn’t be happier for John! Go win it all!” Wells acknowledged both his friendship with Schneider and the manager’s journey, separating his tactical concerns from his genuine admiration.

Understand that a difference of opinion is not a criticism. I’ve known John Schneider a long time and know the path he has taken to be where he is now. From turmoil to galvanizing an organization and becoming one. I couldn’t be happier for John! Go win it all! @BlueJays

— Vernon Wells (@VernonWells10) October 9, 2025

Schneider’s Game 4 strategy proved his point. Trey Yesavage, a rookie who hadn’t played in the league yet, made the team over veterans Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer. Nathan Lukes hit a two-run home run that was very important. Eight relievers worked together to hold the Yankees to six hits, doing a great job of running the bullpen game. Toronto is now waiting to see who wins the Tigers-Mariners game on Friday. This is their longest playoff run in almost ten years.

The Blue Jays followed Schneider’s unusual plan to the letter, but their success also showed how weak their opponent was. The Yankees are going home with the same problems that have been bothering them all season, while Toronto moves forward with confidence.

Yankees’ defensive failures end their season against the Blue Jays

Toronto was happy about progress, but the New York Yankees had to face a painful reality that went far beyond this series. The Blue Jays didn’t beat the Yankees; the Yankees lost. They lost because they kept making basic mistakes at important times in 2025.

Anyone who saw Game 5 of last year’s World Series would have found the defensive collapse eerily familiar. The Yankees blew a 5-0 lead because their defense fell apart, ruining their chances of winning the championship. In Game 4 against Toronto, Jazz Chisholm Jr. messed up a routine double-play ball that would have kept Cam Schlittler’s dominant performance going. Same script, different October.

Brian Cashman and Hal Steinbrenner promised to make the defense better after Juan Soto left. During the off-season, they focused on athleticism and better glove work. The results told a different story. By mid-July, New York had made 12 mistakes in just 10 games against Toronto. This lack of focus cost them the AL East division title. Their defensive stats for the whole season were just as bad. They were 19th in Outs Above Average with a -7 mark, which put them at the bottom with the White Sox and Rockies.

The Bronx Bombers caused their own elimination by making the same basic mistakes over and over. October showed the same weaknesses that had been bothering them all year, which made the off-season ahead much longer and more uncertain.

This article first appeared on EssentiallySports and was syndicated with permission.

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