By Miguel Mike Medina
Photo Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Toronto Blue Jays will not return to October Baseball after losing their series to the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards.
The Blue Jays reached the World Series last season, losing in seven games to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Blue Jays should have been champions last season, but they dropped games at key moments in the series. Now, they will be taking an early vacation.
It is a very disappointing season for Toronto. Their 77-81 record is completely different from the team we saw last year. It’s going to be a long offseason for general manager Ross Atkins. Atkins will need to take a hard look in the mirror and figure out who he wants to keep around and who will stay.
George Springer has been a beloved figure in Toronto since he arrived in 2021. The Blue Jays will never forget his iconic three-run home run in Game 7 of the ALCS against the Seattle Mariners, which sent them to the World Series for the first time since 1993.
Springer, who turned 37 five days ago, might be one of the Blue Jays who won’t be back next season. Springer signed a six-year contract in January 2021. We are probably seeing the end of an era for Springer in Toronto. He was huge for this lineup all season long last season. This season, Springer batted .251 with 15 homers and 54 RBIs in 124 games.
The 4-time All-Star made one All-Star appearance during his tenure with the Blue Jays and finished seventh in the AL MVP voting in 2025.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is having one of the worst seasons during his time with Toronto. Vlad Jr. hasn’t been sharp and has missed time due to injuries. The 6-time All-Star only hit nine home runs this season. It’s the lowest since the 2020 pandemic season, when he also hit nine.
Blue Jays management hopes that next season, Vlad Jr. can return to the Vlad Jr. we saw in 2021 and 2024, when he posted staggering numbers. He was a postseason hero last season, hitting eight home runs and driving in 15 runs while hitting .397 and posting a 1.289 OPS.
Guerrero signed a 14-year, $500 million deal last year, and he’s finishing his first season under it. The contract is the largest deal ever in Blue Jays history.
Miguel Mike Medina is the publisher of The MMM Journal. He can be reached at medinamiguelmike@gmail.com and themmmjournal@gmail.com
X: @mmm_sportnfilms, Instagram: @miguel_passionforsports and @themmmjournal, LinkedIn: The MMM Journal, TikTok: @miguelmikemedina
