In late May, something shifted in the Toronto Blue Jays lineup. They became an offensive force. The supporting cast was what made this team hum. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was a star, Bo Bichette had a bounce-back season, and George Springer was in the midst of a renaissance. It’s not just the main players who were outstanding, but also the entire roster that made the Blue Jays an offensive force to be reckoned with. It was clear in Game 1 of World Series when the Dodgers, the defending champions, were defeated 11-4. Addison Barger hit the first grand slam in World Series history with a pinch-hit. What could be more illustrative of depth than a situation like this?
Barger had only 225 MLB plate appearances in his career and was a.197/.250/.351 hitter (68 OPS+). In the 2025 regular-season, he made 502 plate appearances. He hit.243/.301/.454 and had 32 doubles. He was able to hit 20 homers in 377 plate appearances against right handed pitchers. But he had a hard time against lefties, and tended to avoid them. He delivered one of the most devastating blows ever seen in World Series history, against Anthony Banda, a left-handed pitcher.Barger replied, “To be honest with me, I can’t remember.” When asked about his thoughts while rounding the base he said: He called it a “blackout.” Nathan Lukes pinch hit in the first inning. He drew bases-loaded walks after falling behind with a 0-2 count. He fouled four pitches in that plate appearance. Blue Jays won 4-2 with his walk. The Blue Jays’ depth is exemplified by the fact that two pinch-hitters were used in one of World Series’ biggest innings.
Lukes was never a top-tier prospect. Lukes was never even considered a prospect. Lukes, a seventh-round selection in 2015 spent 10 years playing in the minors. Lukes was on the verge of retiring his cleats when he finally got a shot. He’s 31 now. In 135 games, he batted.255/.323/.407. He has found his place in the playoffs at the second position in the batting line-up, between Springer and Guerrero. Lukes’ ALDS/ALCS stats are.333/.381/.410 in 11 games. The Blue Jays trailed 2-0 at the start of Game 1 on Friday. Daulton Varsho – named after his dad’s former teammate Darren Daulton – who was the catcher for Joe Carter’s 1993 World Series home run walk-off in this ballpark – blasted a 2-run shot.
Blake Snell had not allowed a lefty to hit a home run since last June 2, and it was Juan Soto. Snell had not allowed a single left-handed hit in the 2025 postseason.
Varsho’s father Gary, who played in fourth outfield for the Cubs as well as with the Phillies, Reds, and Pirates before transitioning to an MLB scouting position, was selected by Wisconsin-Milwaukee second round pick of 2017. Varsho, who was mostly a catcher, came through the minors as a catcher and then was traded to Jays by Diamondbacks for Gabriel Moreno, Lourdes, Gurriel, Jr. Varsho suffered from injuries for most of 2025, but managed to hit 20 long-distance home runs and slug.548 in only 71 games. He was a monster against the Yankees in the ALDS, going 7 for 16 with three doubles, two homers, four RBI and seven runs in four games.Two innings after Varsho tied the game, Ernie Clement’s bases-loaded single in the bottom of the sixth gave the Blue Jays the lead for the first time in a World Series game since Carter’s home run in 1993. The single started the greatest nine-run World Series game ever. Only two teams in history have scored more than nine runs (the Tigers of 1968 and the Athletics of 1929). Clement was selected in the fourth round in 2017. In the spring of 2023, he was released by the Blue Jays before signing with a minor-league team. He had a quiet year in which he accumulated a 4.3-WAR rating as a utility player. In the first two playoff rounds, he had a.429/.444/.619 line with seven RBIs and 10 runs.
Between Barger, Varsho, Clement, Lukes, catcher Alejandro Kirk — he’s a two-time All-Star, but I think he still qualifies as “supporting cast” on this team — and shortstop Andrés Giménez, the Blue Jays got eight hits, all 11 RBI and nine runs scored from their non-stars. Remember, Giménez hit a pair of game-changing, two-run home runs in the ALCS in Seattle. Davis Schneider, who was quiet for Game 1, has been a regular contributor to the Blue Jays’ success this season. Kirk also had a big game in World Series Game 1. Kirk, a 5-foot-8 man weighing 245 pounds and a squatty build, is not what you would call a professional athlete. However, he is an extremely good player. Kirk went 3 for 3 Friday night with a homer and walk, after a.282/.348/.421 season (111 OPS+). He wasn’t a world-beater, but he was a steady producer throughout the lineup, which made the Blue Jays offense a success in the regular season.
The majors were led by their batting average. But it wasn’t until May 29 that they started to really pour on the pressure. The Blue Jays’ batting average from that game until the end of the year was.279/.342/.455, which is higher than the league average of.245/.315/.404. The average number of runs per game in the league was 4.45. The Blue Jays averaged 5.5 runs per game from May 29 to the end of regular season. In this time period, the Jays were tops in terms of batting, on-base and slugging. Bichette Guerrero and Springer enjoyed great seasons. Springer’s comeback and Bichette’s rebound were crucial. Guerrero’s All-Star season was also important. It was a team with a lot of depth, but not a top-heavy one. It is a strong team. It was evident in the first game of the World Series.
2025-10-25 05:02:25
