The Toronto Blue Jays were never meant to be in the World Series (WS). All things considered, they were a postseason underdog. No one expected them to win the American League (AL) East, and no one expected them to crush the New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners on their way to the fall classic. The Blue Jays’ postseason journey has meant so much to baseball fans everywhere and will be remembered fondly for decades to come. Although it didn’t end the way everyone wanted, the Blue Jays’ 2025 postseason run will forever be an impressive part of the team’s history. 

To celebrate the WS, The Varsity reconnected with MLB reporter Keegan Matheson. A WS appearance means the Blue Jays are finally being taken seriously around the league, after being underestimated for years by their American counterparts. “In the United States, the Blue Jays are still viewed as the “other” team in MLB, but this has reestablished them as a serious player and that will impact how they’re covered in the coming offseason,” said Matheson in an email to The Varsity. 

American League Division Series (ALDS)

The Blue Jays’ magical postseason journey started during the last game of the regular season. With their backs against the wall, the team needed to pull out a win against the Tampa Bay Rays to win the AL East and earn a first-round bye to the ALDS. The Blue Jays crushed the Rays, beating them in a stress-free 13–4 game. 

Despite battling for years in a competitive division, the Yankees and Blue Jays had never met in the postseason. The Blue Jays came in hot, taking the first game of the series in an awe-inspiring 10–1 win. The Blue Jays never took their foot off the gas, dropping only one game to the Yankees throughout the series. 

Blue Jays fans rejoiced everywhere as the Blue Jays won game four of the ALDS with a score of 5–2, sending the team to the American League Championship Series (ALCS) and winning their first postseason series since 2016. 

American League Championship Series (ALCS)

After “DAAAAAA YANKEES LOSE,” the Blue Jays moved forward, facing the Mariners in the ALCS. The Mariners won their division, killing their division rivals with a 90–72 regular

season record. Their dominant starting pitching rotation, as well as MVP-calibre catcher Cal Raleigh, made the Mariners tough to beat. 

Raleigh is known for carving up the Blue Jays, hitting 11 home runs and a 1.062 on-base plus slugging (OPS) over the past four seasons against Toronto. His success continued into the postseason, with a .240 batting average, six hits, four home runs, four runs batted in (RBIs) and six runs scored in the seven ALCS games that were played. 

The Blue Jays had the AL’s best home record during the 2025 regular season, but the team still struggled early as the Mariners took the first two games of the series in Toronto. Ultimately, the Mariners’ hot streak came to a halt, and the team blew their lead. The Blue Jays managed to take the series, utilizing all seven games to make it happen. The Blue Jays robbed Seattle of their first-ever WS appearance, returning to the fall classic for the first time in 32 years. 

World Series (WS)

Now, the Blue Jays had the chance to win a WS against the juggernaut and defending champions LA Dodgers. Taking on a lineup with a top four of Will Smith, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, and two-way player Shohei Ohtani seems like an impossible task. If anyone could do it, it would be the Blue Jays. 

Going into the series, Toronto was buzzing. “There’s a special energy around Vladdy because he understands he’s the face of the franchise now,” Matheson wrote. “Any success or failure will be tied to him and he’s embraced life in Canada as much as any player on this roster…” 

The Blue Jays made a statement in game one, smashing home runs, ending with a final score of 11–4. However, the Dodgers responded quickly, silencing the Blue Jays with a 5–1 loss in game two. Going back and forth between Toronto and LA resulted in a series tie of 3–3. Everything would come down to one final game seven. 

Blue Jays rookie Trey Yesavage pitched a record-breaking game five. His 12 strikeouts were the most by any pitcher in WS history, all done without giving up a single walk. Yesavage has been a saviour for the team, providing successful starts throughout the entire postseason. The 22-year-old represents the future of the Blue Jays, a Toronto-drafted and developed talent with success in high-leverage situations. 

The last game seven of the WS was in 2019, when the Houston Astros took on the Washington Nationals. The Nationals won the WS with Max Scherzer on the mound. Nearly six years later, Scherzer started game seven for the Blue Jays. In the game, everything was coming up Blue Jays. Bo Bichette hit a huge three-run home run in the bottom of the third inning. Andrés Giménez padded the lead with a double in the bottom of the sixth. Rogers Centre was exploding with cheering fans as the top of the ninth was played. Two outs away from bringing home a pennant, Jeff Hoffman gave up a one-run home run to Miguel Rojas, tying the game. 

The Blue Jays couldn’t come up with any runs in the bottom of the ninth, sending the game into extra innings. The game concluded with a one-run home run from Smith in the top of the 11th inning. The Blue Jays failed to score in the bottom of the inning, bringing the final score to 5–4, and allowing the Dodgers to win their second consecutive WS. 

What comes next?

Now that the fall classic is officially over, fans can look forward to a break from baseball stress. Hypertension headaches, chilly WS watch parties, and heartbreaking losses can be put on pause until MLB returns in 2026. 

As for the next baseball season, Matheson wrote, “the Blue Jays should only be more aggressive going forward and their position as a World Series team will only make them a more attractive destination for free agents. I think we’re in Year 1 of a long championship window for the Blue Jays.” 

Unfortunately, the “team of destiny” failed to do the impossible. They lost to the billion-dollar Dodgers after fighting them with the power of friendship. Despite the loss, this World Series will go down as one of the best in baseball history.