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The Ingredient to Blue Jays' Playoff Dominance is Not Vladimir Guerrero Jr

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Zach Kaplan | Last updated Oct 6, 2025 5:39 PM ET

Highlights:

Vladimir Guerrero Jr has been hitting out of his mind in the first two games of the ALDS against the Yankees.
The key to the Jays' playoff success to this point is not Vlad but rather the numerous under-the-radar starters who have deepened the lineup.
For the Jays to advance beyond the Yankees and make a run at the pennant, these guys will need to step up.

Former Blue Jays star Josh Donaldson was known as the 'Bringer of Rain' during his illustrious tenure in Toronto from 2015 to 2018.

While Donaldson is long gone, the Jays found a way to bring some rain of their own over the weekend at the Rogers Centre against the Yankees. Despite being tied in the win/loss column at 94-68, the Jays looked far and away the better team en route to a 2-0 series lead.

At the start of the year, to the average fan the lynch pin in the Blue Jays' offense would be Vladimir Guerrero Jr and Bo Bichette. But with Bichette out, Vlad has been hitting out of his mind - going 6-for-9 with two home runs and six RBIs as the Blue Jays outscored the Yankees 23-8.

It wasn't just Vlad, however. The rest of the league is starting to take notice, and the Blue Jays are in the advantageous position of having a deep lineup immune to pitch-arounds.

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. watches the flight of his solo home run against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 5, 2025.Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Blue Jays' lineup looked deeper than it's looked all year. Key impact players like Ernie Clement and Daulton Varsho all came in clutch for the Jays en-route to their 13-7 win Sunday, with Varsho going 4-for-5 with two home runs and two doubles.

Clement bashed a two-run home run in the second, the first of five home runs Toronto would hit off of Max Fried and Will Warren.

On Saturday, it was Nathan Lukes with a single, a double and three RBIs, and Alejandro Kirk (never to be taken lightly) with two home runs of his own.

The Jays' lineup depth is their most fearsome asset. The question marks of their bullpen resurfaced on Sunday, with Justin Bruihl, Braydon Fisher and Tommy Nance combining for seven runs over one combined inning (1/3 inning each).

Their top relievers - Mason Fluharty, Louis Varland and Seranthony Dominguez looked vintage Sunday, but the lineup depth powering the Jays to early leads before some folks even got to the ballpark is something that will need to stay if the Jays are to make a deep playoff run.

Even the rotation - now led by the three-headed monster of Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage and Shane Bieber - looks formidable.

There is plenty of praise to go around about John Schneider's squad, which is much more than just Vlad Jr and George Springer. With the Yankees on the ropes, the Jays have a clear path to success, and it runs through the underrated middle-of-the-order threats that have given opposing pitchers the sweats.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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