But after some late heroics from the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 7 of the World Series on Saturday night, the Blue Jays were left with a heartbreaking loss that brought their dream season to an end.
It was, and likely always will be, a tough pill to swallow for Blue Jays players and fans alike, as the magic of their 2025 turnaround was snuffed out with a stunning Dodgers comeback — one that might as well have been stolen right out of Toronto’s playbook.
Max Muncy, Miguel Rojas and Will Smith launched solo homers in the eighth, ninth and 11th innings, respectively, to help Los Angeles erase, and then overcome, a 4-2 deficit, becoming the first team to repeat as World Series champions since the New York Yankees won a third straight in 2000.
While the result is far from what the Blue Jays were hoping for, there’s no denying the impact this 2025 club has had on the city of Toronto and country of Canada as a whole. Not only did they capture the imagination of baseball fans from coast-to-coast north of the border with their October run, but they also turned many heads south of it with their unique brand of baseball and likeable cast of characters.
Los Angeles has certainly been getting its due for a third title in five years, but American media has also been saluting Toronto for a season that isn’t going to be forgotten anytime soon. Here’s a look at what they’re saying about the Blue Jays.
With their AL East title and 94-win regular season, the Blue Jays put themselves in fantastic position to be the Junior Circuit’s representative in the Fall Classic.
They perhaps didn’t quite get the recognition they deserved as one of MLB’s most dangerous clubs, however, until they knocked off the New York Yankees in the ALDS.
The New York Post‘s Jon Heyman gave Toronto its due after Game 7 on Saturday, putting into context just how rare it is for a team to go from the basement of its division one year to potentially hosting a parade in the next.
“These Blue Jays, last-place finishers a year ago, deserve immense credit for rising from the ashes to play baseball’s best collection of superstar talent right down to the final inning of a classic Game 7 in a classic World Series. The Jays played a beautiful season, beating out the Yankees for the AL East crown, then a superb postseason. They won two straight series, starting with a rout of the Yankees in the ALDS. They outscored the alleged Bronx Bombers 34-19, sending notice this is a serious squad…
“While this is an extraordinarily tough loss to take, this was also a superb season for the Jays, who were never expected to do much after a string of disappointing finishes, culminating with a last-place showing in 2024. They were aiming to join the 1991 Twins and 2013 Red Sox as teams that rose from last place one year to win the World Series the next.”
Toronto obviously didn’t join that group on Saturday night, but if one thing is clear after this post-season, it’s that the Blue Jays left a mark on each team they faced this October with their talent and style of play.
Fox Sports MLB — Alex Rodriguez gives Blue Jays their flowers
One group that was particularly impressed with this collection of Blue Jays talent was the Fox Sports panel. The crew of Kevin Burkhardt, Alex Rodriguez, David Ortiz and Derek Jeter was assigned to coverage of Toronto for the ALDS, ALCS and World Series, so they got a close-up look at the club for 18 games this October.
And with each Toronto win, bounce-back or gutsy effort, the panel seemed to gain more respect for the upstart Blue Jays squad.
After Game 7, Rodriguez led the way in giving credit to Toronto for its incredible 2025 and post-season.
“It’s absolutely heartbreaking for the Blue Jays. They had an incredible year from top to bottom.
“They did it all. They did it in a beautiful, classy way. Great manager, (he’s) been there since 2008. They pitched well, they defended well. They ran the bases. They showed guts. They never gave up…
“You kind of (wish) you could have two championships. From top to bottom, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., you name it. They’ve done a wonderful job, they have nothing to put their heads down about and they’ll be back and hopefully we’ll be seeing them in years to come.”
In their month of post-season action, the Blue Jays stayed true to who they were during the regular season, getting contributions from up and down their roster.
From Guerrero and Ernie Clement making playoff history this October to Trey Yesavage blossoming into a certified star at just 22 years old, Toronto showcased its depth on the national stage and earned some recognition along the way. The Athletic‘s Chad Jennings put together a team of the top post-season performers, which included the following six Blue Jays:
1B: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., (29-for-73, 8 HR, 1.289 OPS)
3B: Ernie Clement, (30-for-73, 6 2B, .978 OPS)
SS: Andrés Giménez, (14-for-65, 12 RBI)
UT: Addison Barger, (22-for-60, 3 HR, 1.024 OPS)
SP: Trey Yesavage, (27.1 IP, 3.58 ERA, 39 K, 1.05 WHIP)
RP: Jeff Hoffman, (10 G, 12.1 IP, 2 SV, 18 K, 1.46 ERA)
For a team that rode strength in numbers all season, seeing six players land on this All-Playoff Team serves as a fitting tribute to what made these Blue Jays so hard to beat.
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