They couldn’t, could they? They could, actually. Aaron Rose is full of hope for the Toronto Blue Jays.
They weren’t supposed to be here.
A few quiet offseason tweaks didn’t seem like enough to move the needle, but this Blue Jays group proved otherwise. They turned into the best team in the American League and just knocked off the powerhouse New York Yankees in four games to reach the ALCS.
Toronto’s mix of youth, depth, and confidence has made it one of baseball’s toughest outs. The Jays can hit, pitch, and win any style of game. Now they’re just eight wins away from their first World Series since 1993.
Here are four reasons the Blue Jays are for real.
Vladdy Flips the Switch
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ended the regular season mired in one of the worst slumps of his career, hitting just .203 over the final two weeks and looking completely lost at the plate. Then October came, and everything changed.
He homered in the first inning of his first playoff game and never looked back, finishing the ALDS with nine hits in 17 at-bats, three home runs, and nine RBIs. He was unstoppable, the kind of superstar who can single-handedly swing a series. The power, confidence, and swagger that made him the face of the franchise all came roaring back when it mattered most.
This is the player Toronto invested in, the one capable of carrying a lineup through October. If the Blue Jays are going to keep winning, it will be because Guerrero keeps hitting like this. This team will go as far as Vladdy can carry them.
Everyone’s a Threat in This Lineup
This offense is built on balance and contact. Twelve of the 13 hitters on the playoff roster had at least five at-bats in the ALDS, and 11 different players recorded a hit. The Blue Jays can attack in waves because everyone contributes.
They also strike out less than any team in baseball, and that relentless contact is a big part of why they’re still playing. They won Game 4 of the ALDS in part because Andres Gimenez put a ball in play that Jazz Chisholm mishandled on what should have been an easy double play. Maybe that sounds like luck, but when you force defenses to make plays over and over, you make your own luck.
Manager John Schneider uses his roster perfectly. Lukes had two hits in Game 1, sat for Games 2 and 3 to give Davis Schneider matchup advantages against lefties, then came back for Game 4 and delivered the biggest hit of the series. The Jays keep producing no matter who’s in the lineup, and that’s what makes them so dangerous.
Yesavage Gives Toronto a Secret Weapon
Trey Yesavage just delivered one of the most remarkable postseason pitching performances you will ever see. In only his fourth career major league start, the rookie completely shut down the best offense in baseball, striking out 11 Yankees without allowing a hit. It was the kind of performance that announces a young pitcher’s arrival and gives the rest of the league something new to fear.
His funky, high arm angle makes his pitches look like they’re dropping straight down on hitters, and his mix of fastballs, sliders, and splitters is devastating to both lefties and righties. The movement, deception, and confidence he shows on the mound make him a nightmare to face.
None of the remaining playoff teams have ever seen him, giving Toronto an element of surprise heading into the ALCS. And if the Jays find themselves in a close game later this postseason, Yesavage could be just as lethal coming out of the bullpen.
Schneider Finds a New Formula for Winning
The Blue Jays may still turn to Chris Bassitt or Max Scherzer later in the postseason, but Game 4 of the ALDS showed they have a trick up their sleeve. Toronto proved it can win a playoff game entirely with its bullpen, and that versatility could become a difference-maker as the stakes rise.
John Schneider managed the game to perfection, using eight pitchers who combined to hold the Yankees to two runs on six hits. Every move was deliberate and effective, from Louis Varland’s composed start to Jeff Hoffman’s calm finish. It was a perfectly executed plan that showed how much confidence Schneider has in his staff and how much depth Toronto has built. What once looked like a question mark now feels like a strength. The Jays’ bullpen-by-committee approach gives them flexibility, unpredictability, and the ability to neutralize even the league’s best lineups.