Blue Jays Baseball: A New Season Dawns in Toronto
TORONTO – As the Toronto Blue Jays prepare to raise their 2025 American League Championship banner at Rogers Centre on Friday, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. acknowledges the emotions will be high. The team came agonizingly close to securing their third Major League Baseball championship, falling just short in a dramatic Game 7 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“Oh, definitely. I mean, the emotions are going to be there,” Guerrero shared through translator Hector Lebron. “They’re going to be great emotions, especially when they see that banner unfurling. It’s going to be great. We didn’t finish the way we wanted to, but that’s part of the game.”
Turning the Page to 2026
However, with the first pitch of the 2026 season against the Athletics, the 2025 season will officially be in the past. Guerrero, along with starting pitcher Kevin Gausman and the rest of the team, are focused on the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
“The expectations are for everybody else, they’re very high for us,” Guerrero stated, emphasizing the team’s commitment to hard work. “Just the same thing: go out there and keep working very hard, trying to do everything to win every game. Our expectations are the same.”
Gausman, set to make his first Opening Day start in his five-year tenure with the Blue Jays, offered a philosophical perspective. “There’s really only so much you can control,” he said. “Once the ball leaves your hand, you can get over and cover first base, but you don’t really have too much control over the outcome.”
Roster Changes and High Expectations
The Blue Jays have undergone significant changes in the off-season. All-star shortstop Bo Bichette and veteran pitcher Chris Bassitt have moved on, while the team has welcomed Japanese star third baseman Kazuma Okamoto, Cy Young Award runner-up Dylan Cease, and reliable pitcher Cody Ponce. A trade also brought right-fielder Jesus Sanchez to Toronto in exchange for Joey Loperfido.
General Manager Ross Atkins confidently stated that this year’s Opening Day roster is an improvement over the 2025 team. “We can understand why our fans don’t see it quite that clearly because of the subtraction of Bo Bichette, who is a very good player,” Atkins explained. “But in bolstering our pitching, first and foremost, was a very clear goal, one that we feel we accomplished in a significant way. Then the addition of Okamoto is something that we’re very excited about.”
Learning from the Past, Focusing on the Present
Manager John Schneider admitted to replaying Game 7 of the World Series in his mind, but stressed the importance of moving forward. “My expectations are for these guys to show up every day, be great teammates and be obsessed with winning. That’s it,” Schneider said. “If we do that, we’ll be just fine. The past is gone, now it’s just the present, it’s process and be productive.”
Atkins emphasized that success isn’t solely defined by winning a championship. “You’re not going to love my answer, but it’s to compete and to control what you can control,” he said. “It’s just too hard to say that if we don’t win the World Series, that it’s a failure.”
Team President Mark Shapiro echoed this sentiment, stating, “There is no such thing as running it back. This year is this year.” He emphasized the need for the team to organically forge a new identity and adapt to the inevitable unexpected challenges that will arise throughout the season.
Luis Severino is scheduled to start for the Athletics on Friday. The Blue Jays are ready to begin a new chapter, focused on competition, growth, and the pursuit of another championship run.
Source: The Star
