How the Blue Jays Made the 2025 MLB Postseason

The Blue Jays missed out on the 2024 MLB playoffs after two straight seasons of playing October baseball. But after an eventful winter, the Jays are back in the postseason. Toronto, still fighting for the AL East, made it back after a strong resurgence from a star veteran and many unsung heroes on this year’s team.

Relying on the big guns

Heading into the 2025 season, there was a lot of chatter around the Blue Jays. Much of that had to do with whether this season would be the last run with Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The two were set to hit free agency after 2025, after Guerrero Jr. settled for one last pre-arbitration deal in January.

Bichette is still unsigned. However, Toronto inked Guerrero Jr. to a 15-year deal shortly after the start of the year, keeping him in town until his age-40 campaign.

Guerrero Jr. did fine overall, despite only hitting 23 home runs. The Jays’ first baseman slashed .299/.389/.481 (.870 OPS) and consistently puts the ball in play. As for Bichette, the 27-year-old came into play on 9/21 with the AL lead in hits (181) and doubles (44). What’s more impressive is that Bichette hasn’t played since the first weekend of September.

However, arguably the best bat on the Jays this season was George Springer, who turned the clock back to 2019 in what’s been an unbelievable campaign.

The 36-year-old Springer, who’s got his bat speed back, hit 30 home runs and slashed .305/.395/.552 (.947 OPS) across 134 games. Not too bad for the four-time All-Star.

The likes of Springer, Guerrero Jr., and Bichette having good years was even more important for another reason: injuries.

Arguably, the two biggest acquisitions from the winter, Andres Gimenez and Anthony Santander, both missed significant time. Gimenez played in 96 of the team’s first 156 games. Santander, meanwhile, suffered a shoulder injury in May & only played 50.

The unsung heroes

There were a lot of unsung heroes for the Blue Jays this season, both on the mound and in the field. I’ll get to the arms in a bit. But, it’s impossible to gloss over the hitters who played a critical role for Toronto this season.

Eight Blue Jays were in double-digits in home runs this season. That group included 31-year-old Nathan Lukes, who’s playing in his first full MLB season after being drafted a decade ago. Alejandro Kirk and Daulton Varsho, the latter of whom belted 19 in 64 games, were also part of that group.

Then, there’s Addison Barger. Barger, a sixth-round pick in 2018, flashed potential in his rookie season. However, he slashed .197/.250/.351 in 2024. This year, Barger cracked 20 home runs. He’s still an uber-aggressive hitter. Nonetheless, a valuable pull-heavy bat with power, one who provided much-needed pop from the left side.

It’s also hard to talk about depth without mentioning Ernie Clement, the utilityman with a +13 Outs Above Average rating this season and a contact machine.

The pitching

Without good pitching, teams are going to have a tough time making the playoffs. That was true for the Jays in 2024.

Toronto finished with the second-worst bullpen ERA last season. This season, it was 18th (4.11) as of September 20. It’s not a significant change but it’s nearly a full run better than what it was in 2024.

Toronto’s bullpen saw several pitchers emerge as key weapons. Former first-rounder Brendon Little struck out 88 over 63.2 IP and led the AL in appearances (74). Braydon Fisher struck out 60 over 48 frames. And Yariel Rodriguez, who received work as a starter last season, posted a 3.03 ERA despite a high BB/9 of 4.2.

Jeff Hoffman, one of the few Blue Jays who was acquired last winter and stayed healthy for all of the year, struck out 83 over 65 and saved 31 games as the team’s closer. Now, it wasn’t a clean season by any means for Hoffman; he blew seven games, tied for fourth in the Majors.

But, Hoffman, along with Seranthony Dominguez and those other names above, does a lot when it comes to netting swings-and-misses. The Blue Jays were third in the Majors in strikeouts (611) as of the 20th.

As for the rotation, things could have gone south. Toronto lost Max Scherzer early on, while Bowden Francis struggled mightily before going on the IL with a right shoulder impingement.

However, Minor League signing Eric Lauer provided much-needed help in the middle of the season. And, Kevin Gausman was one of baseball’s best pitchers over the second half. Gausman posted a 2.19 ERA since the All-Star break, the fourth-best among pitchers with 60+ IP.

The only ones with a better ERA? Trevor Rogers (Orioles), Hunter Brown (Astros), Paul Skenes (Pirates), and Gavin Williams (Guardians).

What to expect in October

The Blue Jays still have work to do. Toronto, as of September 21, sat two games ahead of the Yankees for the AL East. The AL East winner is likely ticketed for a first-round bye, which should help the Jays out considerably.

Toronto is without Bichette, who’s been ruled out for the rest of the regular season with a knee injury. Chris Bassitt just went on the IL with back inflammation. This opens up a lot of questions about how Toronto will sort out their rotation for the playoffs.

Jose Berrios was pushed to the bullpen thanks to 10 home runs allowed over 48.2 IP in the second half. Does that mean Trey Yesavage, the funky, yet powerful rookie, gets a slot in the rotation for October alongside Gausman and Shane Bieber?

We’ll have to see. But, there’s still work to be done.