Oct 4, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider (14) before game one against the New York Yankees in the ALDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

Schenider's Masterful Chess Match Advances Blue Jays Past Yankees

Originally posted on Toronto Blue Jays on SI
By JD Andress | Last updated Oct 10, 2025 11:00 AM ET

For the first time since 2016, the Toronto Blue Jays have advanced to the American League Championship Series, after defeating A.L. East rivals the New York Yankees 5-2. Still, it didn't come without drama and theatrics, as a tense battle ensued between the two teams.

The difference maker for the Blue Jays was the effective use of the bullpen by manager John Schneider, who employed eight different pitchers in the deciding Game 4, turning a bullpen game into a strength against a struggling Yankees lineup.

Entrusting the arms on the roster and using matchup favorability in his favor, without having to use Kevin Gausman or Trey Yesavage in case of implosion, was not only masterful but also the difference maker between the managers in the two dugouts.

Poise and Precise Through Decision Making

Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Blue Jays kept the Yankees on their toes all night, never allowing them to get comfortable at the plate, and not allowing them to face the same pitcher more than once, a significant difference maker when batters are trying to find their groove. Louis Varland got the start, earning a vote of confidence from Schneider after giving up a game-tying home run the night before.

The rotating door in the bullpen would continue going all night, as Varland was just one of eight Blue Jay pitchers who would enter the game, with none of them throwing two innings or more, or even reaching 30 pitches in the contest. The final arm of the night was Jeff Hoffman, and despite a rollercoaster of a season in the closing role, he was able to limit the damage and send his team onto the next round.

It wasn't to say that they didn't run into trouble; they did, especially issuing free passes to the Yankees. Hoffman came into the bottom of the eighth with runners on first and second, and despite issuing a walk to the first batter he saw, he got a flyout to escape the inning unscathed. Schenider gave him the ball again for the ninth, and with a four-run lead to play with, he closed it out.

They used effective pitching and aggressive pitching, letting the Yankees' lineup swing themselves out of the count, a trend they had shown since Game 1 against the Boston Red Sox. They had 10 strikeouts as a team, led by Mason Fluharty with three, and kept them on their heels, focusing on scouting reports rather than the feel, something the Yankees organization has yet to excel at this season.

For the Blue Jays, it was a long time coming to advance to the next round, but for John Schneider, it was something more: a chance to show his baseball mind and how much of a difference maker he is in the Blue Jays dugout.

This article first appeared on Toronto Blue Jays on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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