For the first time in 23 years, the Toronto Blue Jays will be playing in the World Series, aiming to bring baseball’s most prestigous prize north of the border.
It’s been a long time coming for baseball fans from across Canada, as many weren’t alive the last time the Jays won an American League pennant.
Director of Operations with the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame Scott Crawford says sport often unites people, which is what’s happening right now.
The Jays flirted with the World Series in 2015, eventually losing to the Kansas City Royals in the ALCS, a team that also had much of Canada rallying behind it.
Crawford said there’s a big difference with the 2025 Blue Jays compared to ten years ago: defence.
When it comes to the impact the Jays have outside of the Greater Toronto Area, Crawford says that’s felt at the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, which is located in St. Mary’s.
There are a number of top-tier Canadian baseball players in the MLB today, including the Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman, who won the World Series MVP in 2024.
Crawford says often times, there’s a pattern between the Jays doing well and a fresh crop of Canadian talent appearing a few years later.
The Jays will kick off the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night at Rogers Centre, with first pitch scheduled for 8:08pm.
(Matt Latour)
