Toronto Blue Jays Official Program, Issue 1, 2026

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After years in the Blue Jays system and signed to a new 14- year deal, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. showed much more still lies ahead with a historic showing in the postseason

IF HE SAID it once, he said it a million times.

“I was born ready.”

It became a common refrain for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. last October. Every day came with a brand-new challenge, the Blue Jays’ first deep postseason run since the Canadian-born kid with a Hall of Fame name joined the big league club. This city – and the country –watched him grow for years before he even arrived, clinging to the promise of magic. He

Whocanforgetthat homerinGame1of theALDSagainstthe NewYorkYankees, Guerrero’sfirstat-bat ofthepostseason?

delivered from the start, but there was something else waiting to be unleashed.

The legend of Playoff Vladdy had to be earned. Guerrero almost dared you to doubt him, to believe you already knew everything that he was capable of. Then he’d pull off a new feat, each historic moment instrumental in lifting Toronto to its first World Series appearance in 32 years.

The potential and talent had always been there, evidenced by seven big league seasons among the best hitters in the game. But that magical playoff run brought out something more, a killer instinct that looked as laid-back and fun as anything else we’d seen Guerrero

do. It had been in there all along. Easy to believe he really was born ready.

“I’m focused on one thing only, and that is to win,” Guerrero said in Spanish before Game1of the American League Division Series. “It doesn’t matter how we do it.

That’s what I’m focusing on.”

It’s a fine needle to thread, staying true to your essence while finding a new gear. That’s what the Blue Jays got from Guerrero all through October, though. He was still Vladdy, the 26-year-old kid having a blast while playing ball. But the focus was relentless, as was his preparation. The result was one of the best postseason performances in the history of baseball.

Through18 games, Guerrero hit .397with a1.289 OPS,15 RBIs and

eight home runs -- a new franchise record in the postseason (Joe Carter and Jose Bautista each had six).

Guerrero’s 29 hits tied Randy Arozarena for the second-most by a player in one playoff run (Ernie Clement, who had 30 hits last Fall, is now the all-time leader).

All those numbers went hand in hand with a barrage of iconic moments.

Who can forget that homer in Game1of the ALDS against the Yankees, Guerrero’s first at-bat of the postseason? Or the grand slam in Game 2, which featured a bat flip reminiscent of Bautista himself? When the Blue Jays had their backs against the wall in the AL Championship Series, Vladdy put up four hits and fell a triple shy of the cycle in a Game 3 win. His

BY JULIA KREUZ

performance at first base was instrumental throughout. The homer that gave him the franchise record came against Shohei Ohtani in the World Series.

In hindsight, none of it should have been that surprising. It was all so... Vladdy. At the end of every win, that contagious smile would rush right back, as Guerrero flipped his cap and untucked his jersey. With each loss, though, the killer

Vladdy will always be the superstar. But he carries the belief that nothing in this game can be accomplished individually.

“We’ve been grinding, we’ve been through ups and downs,” Guerrero said on the podium after receiving his ALCS MVP trophy, staring at the raucous Rogers Centre crowd going ballistic for their superstar. “We believe in everybody here. I love this team,

instinct was still in his eyes, along with the conviction that the job was not finished.

That attitude begins to explain why manager John Schneider likes to say that “as Vlad goes, we go.” It wasn’t just talent the Blue Jays were looking at when they signed Guerrero to a14-year extension last April.

“Vladdy understands that he’s the leader of this franchise,” Schneider told Blair and Barker. “For now and for a long time coming.”

Guerrero hasn’t shied away from how much that means to him, either. He was at the forefront of the movement that swept across the Blue Jays’ clubhouse last season, embodying the group’s collective mindset and the belief in the power of pulling in the same direction. Yes,

man, I love my teammates. When you believe in your teammates and you believe in God, something like this can happen. I feel so happy, it feels so good to win here in Toronto.”

It’s something he always spoke about doing. The emotions were palpable when it finally happened.

Guerrero didn’t try to hide his tears when the Blue Jays secured the final out of the Championship Series. As his teammates swarmed the field in an explosion of euphoria, Vladdy peeled himself away and put both his hands on his head, looked around the frenzied ballpark as if trying to remember every detail about that fateful night.

“We enjoy every moment,” Guerrero said ahead of the World Series. “We enjoy every moment and we have a good time no matter

what. Win or lose, we have fun.”

There were no tears after the cruellest of losses. For the first time in forever, Rogers Centre fell silent as the LosAngeles Dodgers got the final out in extra innings of Game 7.

Afterward, the devastation of the Blue Jays’ clubhouse was about so much more than just losing the World Series, but rather about having to walk away from a year filled with love and magic. And there was Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the face of the franchise, standing by his locker fielding questions with the poise of a seasoned veteran.

“We went out there and showed them the type of team we are.”

“I told each of my teammates individually that I am very proud of them,” Guerrero said in Spanish, stonefaced and serene. “And I told them to keep their heads held high. We didn’t win, but I feel super, super proud of them.”

Spoken like a leader.

It rings true when Guerrero says that he was born ready. Still, he did plenty of growing before reaching the level of excellence on display in the postseason. Once again, it all happened before the eyes of eager fans, including that painful growth spurt after the final game of the season. And it may prove to be invaluable. Losing has a way of teaching you how to win.

“It didn’t end the way we wanted it to, but we have to be grateful for everything,” said Guerrero. “We can lose the battle, but not the war. I’m proud not only of what I did, but of the whole team. There were so many people who counted us out right away. And we went out there and showed them the type of team we are.” l

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Summers will sound a little different now. Buck Martinez, the iconic broadcaster who first joined the Blue Jays as a player in 1981 and later managed the club before moving into the booth, has stepped away from the microphone.

Martinez retires as one of the most beloved figures in Blue Jays history, someone so synonymous with the organization that everyone from10-year-old fans to those who remember Opening Day at Exhibition Stadium know him only as “Buck”. Over the years, such a special relationship develops with that unmistakable voice playing in your living room for three hours each night.

Martinez wasn’t just the voice of baseball in Canada. For Blue Jays fans, he came to feel like an old friend.

Right up to his final day in Sportsnet’s broadcast booth, when he called Game 7 of the World Series against the Dodgers, Martinez has voiced some of this organization’s most memorable moments over the years. How it all began, though, wasn’t nearly as glamorous.

It was the spring of 1981 and Martinez felt like he might be at the end of the line in his playing career. He was 32 years old then and had spent his career in Kansas City and Milwaukee, sometimes as a backup, sometimes splitting the catching duties. He had a .594 OPS in 595 career games, and by the time the season began, he was riding the bus as the Brewers’ fourth catcher.

Soon, the Brewers designated Martinez for assignment, so he and his wife, Arlene, went back to his parents’ house in Sacramento,

unsure whether or not that phone would ring again. On May10, he returned home from a run to find Arlene waiting for him at the door with a bottle of champagne on the table. Pat Gillick had just called. He’d been traded to the Toronto Blue Jays.

In 1981, that meant something entirely different than it does in 2026. The Blue Jays were still the new kids in town, just entering their fifth season and still playing at Exhibition Stadium, which Paul Beeston has lovingly called not only the worst stadium in baseball at the time, but the worst stadium in pro sports. Martinez’s first thought was disappointment. Was that really the best they could do?

All these years later, though, Martinez calls it one of the best things that ever happened to him. His life changed that day, and so did Canadian baseball history. We just didn’t know it at the time, but Martinez still remembers every detail.

“I went to Toronto and I landed on a cold, May night,” he remembered. “Rick Amos picked me up at the airport and it was raining, miserable. You know how Toronto is when it’s raining in May? I thought, ‘What have I gotten myself into?’ I thought I’d be there for a year. I thought that was the end of the line for me. It doesn’t get any worse than coming to Toronto.’”

Buck Martinez was Manager of Team USA at the 2006 World Baseball Classic

Martinez always laughs at those memories, at the sense of doom that came with his ticket to Toronto. Gillick made it clear that he’d been brought in to help manage the pitching staff and to work with Ernie Whitt, who was just establishing himself as a full-time catcher in the big leagues.

What he feared would be the last

stop on the line turned into six seasons with the Blue Jays. Martinez was behind the plate to witness the growth of those great teams in the mid-80s, catching franchise icons Dave Stieb and Jimmy Key. The Blue Jays had that young outfield of Jesse Barfield, Lloyd Moseby and George Bell coming up together, plus a young Tony Fernandez at short. Buck was the veteran, but for most of Blue Jays history, he ’s had the best seat in the house.

These were some of Martinez’s best seasons, especially at the plate, and included the famous Broken Leg Double Play, one of the most memorable moments in Blue Jays history. The end finally came, though, and after an emotional meeting with Gillick, Beeston and then-manager Jimy Williams, there

was an idea.

Martinez’s full name is “John Albert Martinez”. Beeston, the man with his fingerprints on every inch of this franchise’s history and always an eccentric, has always called him “Albert”.

As that meeting wrapped, Beeston asked: “Albert, do you want to do TV?”

Martinez declined on the spot. He was a ball player and that’s all he’d ever known. By the time he got home and told Arlene this, she had him on the phone ri g ht away, calling Beeston back.

away from the booth for “a little while”. When his doctor suggested that Martinez would miss the full season, Martinez suggested that the doctor do his job, and he’d do his. Besides, this was the guy who pulled off a double play with a broken leg and dislocated ankle.

The scene at Rogers Centre when Martinez returned a few months later, midway through the season, was something those watching will always remember.

Martinez was Manager of the Blue Jays in 2001-2002

“So once again, she made the right decision,” Martinez said.

In those early days of broadcasting, Arlene teased her husband’s “TV voice”, saying he sounded like Ted Knight from the Mary Tyler Moore show with the big, booming voice. She encouraged him to work with a speech pathologist and Martinez even took acting classes to help him “be himself” in front of the camera.

It’s hard to imagine Martinez being anything other than a natural on-screen. He’s crossed paths with so many people in the broadcasting industry over these four decades, including his time at TSN, Sportsnet, ESPN and MLB International. He’s broadcast over 4,000 games in his career, a stunning number.

Just imagine how many times Martinez has heard the crack of the bat a nd bellowed, “Get up, ball! Get up!”

Martinez has given fans so much over the years, but he’s also gotten to experience moments where that love is returned.

In 2022, Martinez was diagnosed with cancer and announced in April that he could be stepping

“When I got back in the booth, it was the second inning and it f elt like a regular game, it felt great,” Martinez remembered. “Then, I noticed that we weren’t going to commercial. I started to look around, then I looked up at the scoreboard. I get emotional thinking about it, but it was special because my son and his family was there. Then, when I saw the players come out of the dugout, that’s when it really hit me. I thought to myself, ‘Wow, you must be doing something right.’”

“It was a great moment, one I’ll never forget. The fans have been incredible to me.”

They have been, but Martinez has also done so much for those around him.

“Buck has connected generations of fans with his passion, insight, and unparalleled storytelling. His legacy extends far beyond the microphone, an d he will always hold a special place in the hearts of Canadian baseball fans," said Blue Jays president and CEO Mark Shapiro.

On the field and in the clubhouse, Martinez can connect to players and coaches because he’s been in their shoes and still holds such a deep respect for the game.

“You’re not going to find a finer human being,” said former manager John Gibbons. “Buck always brings a smile to my face. He’s always positive. He’s just one of

those guys who, when he comes around, you feel good. When you see Buck, you feel better. He’s a legend. He’s done it on the field and in the broadcast booth. He’s really a special man.”

Around the stadium, Martinez is a celebrity. There’s so much love and familiarity from every generation of Blue Jays fans. You can’t miss him, either, with that trademark hair and voice. He’s one of a kind.

Dan Shulman, who was once the young new “radio guy” auditioning for a job alongside Martinez and later grew into his longtime partner, has seen it in cities across Canada and the United States.

“It’s unbelievable. I’m often the guy people ask to take a picture of them and Buck, and that’s totally fine. I am happy to be back her e . It’s just unbelievable. There’s something about Buck. Without even consciously trying to, he makes connections. I don’t even know what the right word is, but he has this way about him. He touches people. There have been times walking with Buck, and I’ve had a lot of these over my career. I worked with Dick Vitale for 20 years and if I walked in wearing a clown suit, nobody would even notice. I’ve seen it with a few

It’s hard to imagine Martinez being anything other than a natural on-screen

people, but Dick and Buck are something completely different. He deserves it. They only do it for people who deserve it. He got to Toronto in 1981, and outside of those four years in Baltimore, he’s been here ever since. It’s amazing. It really is amazing.”

Paul Beeston has called Mar t inez “a leader in spreading the gospel of baseball across the country.” He’s touched every corner of Canada.

“To the fans specifically, I will miss the ‘selfies,’ the handshakes and the welcoming smiles. I will never forget any of those, nor the unwavering support and generosity, which has meant more than words can say,” Martinez said. “I look forward to continuing to root for the Blue Jays along with you, and you’ll always be in my heart. My sincere appreciation to all of you.”

Buck is hanging it up now. The old catcher got more than he ever dreamed of that day in 1981. We’re all just lucky to have been along for the ride. l

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QUESTIONS

1 Daulton Varsho hit the longest Blue Jay home run of the 2025 season with a 467-foot blast at Colorado on August 5. Who hit the second longest?

A George Springer

C Davis Schneider

B Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

D Addison Barger

2 In 2025, Trey Yesavage, at 22 years 88 days, became the second youngest Game1starter in a World Series. Who was the youngest?

A John Lackey

C Ken Brett

B Ralph Branca

D Livan Hernandez

3 Carlos Delgado is the Blue Jays franchise leader in being hit by pitches at122. Who is second?

A Reed Johnson

C Shannon Stewart

B Ed Sprague

D Lloyd Moseby

4 Dave Stieb is the Toronto franchise leader with 30 shutouts. Who is second?

A Jim Clancy

C Pat Hentgen

B Jimmy Key

D Roy Halladay

5 Vladimir Guerrero Jr. reached base safely in132 games in 2025, fourth in the American League. Who led the league?

A Cal Raleigh

C Bobby Witt Jr.

B Aaron Judge

D Julio Rodriguez

6 George Springer’s three-run homer in Game7of the 2025 ALCS against Seattle gave Toronto the lead in a 4-3 victory. How many go-ahead postseason homers in the seventh inning or later have there been in franchise history?

A Six B Four C Five D Seven

7 Nathan Lukes finished fifth in the AL (minimum 400 plate appearances) in contact rate at 86.1%. Who led the AL?

A Chandler Simpson

C Chase Meidroth

B Jacob Wilson

D Steven Kwan

8 Alejandro Kirk batted.270 with two strikes in 2025, the best among qualified AL hitters. Who led the majors?

A Kyle Schwarber

C Shohei Ohtano

B Luis Arraez

D Francisco Lindor

9 Shane Bieber allowed seven walks in his first seven games with the Blue Jays. He is tied for the third fewest in that span (minimum 35 IP) for a pitcher’s first seven games with Toronto. Who allowed the fewest walks in his first seven games with the team?

A Kevin Gausman

C David Price

B Doyle Alexander

D Dave Stieb

10 The Blue Jays had a 94-68 record with a plus-77 run differential. What team had the best run differential in the majors?

A New York Yankees

C Los Angeles Dodgers

BLUEJAYS TRIVIA

BY LARRY MILLSON

B Philadelphia Phillies

D Milwaukee Brewers

TREY YESAVAGE

ANSWERS

1 C Davis Schneider launched a 454-foot blast at Colorado on August 6.

2 B Ralph Branca at 21 years 267 days pitched Game1of the1947World Series for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

3 A Reed Johnson was hit by pitches 80 times.

4 D Roy Halladay is second in the franchise with 15 shutouts followed by Jim Clancy with11and Jimmy Key with10.

5 B Aaron Judge reached base safely in 136 games in 2025.

6 C Five. Ed Sprague (1992), Joe Carter (1993), Jose Bautista (2015), and Edwin Encarnacion (2016) were the others.

7 D Steven Kwan led the AL in contact rate at 91.3%. Jacob Wilson was second at 90.4%

8 B Luis Arraez led the majors among qualified hitters in batting average with two strikes at.287.

9 A Kevin Gausman allowed two walks in his first seven appearances as a Blue Jay (min.35 IP) followed by Doyle Alexander with six.

10 D The Milwaukee Brewers had the best run differential in the Major Leagues in 2025 at plus-172 and were 97- 65.l

DAVIS SCHNEIDER, AUGUST 6TH

One of the biggest names available out of Japan found a home in Toronto this offseason. Here’s why the Blue Jays were set on acquiring Okamoto

BY JULIA KREUZ

On and off the field, Blue Jays find great fit in KAZUMA OKAMOTO

THERE’S PLENTY LEFT TO learn about Kazuma Okamoto. What he ’s shown in a short span warrants high expectations.

The Blue Jays will do well to keep a peeled eye after winning the Okamoto sweepstakes, a big splash that landed the club one of the top names available out of the Japanese market. It was clear from the start that his strengths fit in well with Toronto’s identity. Following the announcement of a four-year deal with Okamoto in early January, the Blue Jays now have time to get acquainted with his personality and work ethic.

“He’s been great,” manager John Schneider told reporters of Okamoto in the early days of Spring Training.“I think just getting to know him, really, you can see the tools right away. You can see the swing, you can see the bat speed, you can see, just talking to him, his game IQ. … But what I’ve seen is he’s a really funny guy, and I think he’s going to fit in with this group really well.”

That much was clear from the moment Okamoto was introduced.

“Thank you very much for this opportunity,” Okamoto said in English, donning a sensible suit as a Blue Jays hat and jersey sat in front of him in the Rogers Centre media conference room.“I am very happy to join the Blue Jays. I will work hard every day and do my best for the team. Thank you for your support.

Nice to meet you. Go Blue Jays.”

What a perfect way to endear yourself to a new fanbase, over 10,000 kilometres away from home. The rest of Okamoto’s introductory press conference was conducted through an interpreter, but saying those first words in English clearly meant a lot to him. And if the part about working hard for the team sounds familiar, it’s likely because you heard it echoed a thou-

Players from Japan aren’t your typical rookies. The 29-year-old Okamoto will enter the big leagues with11 years of experience in the Nippon Professional Baseball League under his belt. That gave him plenty of time to build up his maturity and hone the game IQ Schneider spoke about. It’s no coincidence that those traits were some of the first things Okamoto’s new teammates and coaches picked up on.

But before they got to know the character and smarts, the Blue Jays already knew a lot about the talent.

Keeping the winning philosophy that led them all the way to the World Series last year, the Blue Jays were drawn to Okamoto for obvious reasons. His hitting profile of discipline, contact and power is

sand times in the Blue Jays’ clubhouse last season. For this club, unity is as important as the on-field work, and Okamoto followed suit right away.

“I love the city of Toronto and the team is very strong,” Okamoto said through an interpreter, switching back to his native Japanese during his introduction. “So I thought that there was a lot of support there.”

This seemed like a good match from the start.

“I love the city of Toronto and the team is very strong,” - KAZUMA OKAMOTO

exactly what Toronto cultivated in a successful 2025 campaign.

Over his time with the Yomiuri Giants, Okamoto hit 248 home runs –including six consecutive seasons with 30 home runs or more and a 41-homer showing in 2023 –sporting a.277 batting average and an.882 OPS. The

right-handed swing is smooth and steady, in control, and it should work well in the big leagues as well even as Okamoto adjusts to a new environment and game style.

Pair all of that with defensive versatility, and you’ve got a player who’s every manager’s dream.

Okamoto will likely get most of his reps at third base, but he can also slide in at first, depending on how Schneider wants to configure his lineup on any given day. The Blue Jays are known for mixing and matching, valuing flexility as a way to maximize matchup advantages. It pays to add a player who has done that at a professional level for over a decade.

“It’s been exciting to watch him over the years,” said Blue Jays gen-

KAZUMA OKAMOTO

eral manager Ross Atkins. “He’s had an incredible career thus far. The impact on both sides of the ball, the offensive ability as dynamic as it comes, it fits us very well.”

That skill set would have fit a number of teams very well.

Okamoto didn’t lack suitors when his name was posted for Major League clubs in November, but the Blue Jays emerged as a strong contender (with an assist from Okamoto’s daughter, who’s said to have pointed at Toronto when her father put all 30 MLB logos in front of her and asked her to pick one). There’s a reason why the Blue Jays have worked for years to establish their presence on the Japanese market. It’s paying off for them in different ways.

The impact is already showing on the field, too. Okamoto needed just three at-bats in Spring Training to show off what his powerful swing can offer. His first home run in a Blue Jays uniform was a towering blast straight into the batter’s eye, which travelled a Statcast-projected 431feet to score two runs against Clay Holmes and the Mets. He followed that performance with a double in each of his next two Grapefruit League games before joining Japan for the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

This isn’t his first time representing Team Japan, either. In 2023, Okamoto was part of the championship team, batting .333 with a 1.278 OPS and seven RBIs in seven games. That included a

solo home run off Kyle Freeland to help Japan win the final over the United States.

Far from the only Blue Jays player on a WBC roster, Okamoto should have no shortage of opportunity to build chemistry and confidence with his new teammates.

Okamoto didn’t lack suitors when his name was posted for Major League clubs in November, but the Blue Jays emerged as a strong contender (with an assist from Okamoto’s daughter)

“We’re just trying to make him as comfortable as possible and make sure he’s getting everything he needs to get ready for the season,” said Schneider. “This group is cool, because they have a very good knack of accepting guys when they’re new and really making them feel comfortable. So far so good .”

Some adjustments and growth are still expected despite Okamoto’s professional experience. This is a completely new environment and a different style of baseball, against opponents he has never faced before. But Okamoto is up for the challenge, and his new team believes he can find the road to success.

“This is obviously the biggest stage,” Okamoto told reporters through an interpreter in the spring. “It’s the big leagues. It’s the best league in the world. So I wanted to come over and give it a try. Obviously, changing environments [is a challenge]. I was born and raised in Japan and it’s my first time coming over to [North America] and living here. I’m just getting used to the lifestyle here, but I think I’ll be okay.” l

Ernie Clement emerged as one of the postseason’s most compelling stories

BY ETHAN DIAMANDAS

AYEAR ago, the Toronto Blue Jays rallied a nation, pitch by pitch. The journey began with modest expectations – a club looking to bounce back and re-establish itself among the game’s best. But as summer tightened into September and September gave way to October, the noise inside Rogers Centre no longer belonged to Toronto alone. It carried across provinces, across time zones, across generations. By the end of the ride, this was Canada’s team again, and it felt unmistakable.

The 2025 Blue Jays played with electricity and edge, winning the AL East and excelling

beyond. This club was not flawless, but it was relentless. And when the season reached its final breath, Toronto stood one game short of a World Series title. Close enough to feel it. Close enough to believe it.

Now, as a new season begins, the 2026 Blue Jays return changed by what they lived through. This squad – stacked with familiar faces and new talent – is hungrier than ever. The Blue Jays return this spring carrying belief, with a fan base ready to pick up exactly where it left off.

LEARNING FROM OCTOBER

October strips a team down. If a club is vulnerable in any one area – starting pitching, clutch hitting, or defense – the postseason will expose it. For the Blue Jays, the journey to Game 7 of the World Serie s revealed strength in all facets of the game. That high-octane performance is primed to continue into 2026.

fall, he commanded the batter’s box, hitting for a 1.289 OPS with eight home runs and15 RBIs. The Blue Jays first baseman also picked up his fifthstraight All-Star nod for regular-season excellence and was named ALCS MVP.

The 2025 playoff run pushed Guerrero to new heights, and the Jays superstar believes that momentum can carry straight into 2026.

“The beauty of baseball is that it goes on.”

– JOHN SCHNEIDER

“We lost one battle, but we haven’t lost the war,” Guerrero said through a translator at the end of last season. “We’ve got to go forward. I’m very proud of myself and my teammates. We’ll be back.”

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. remains the centrepiece of the club. In18 playoff games last

For a roster bui l t around its core star, Guerrero’s confidence sets the tone entering a season where expectations are no longer theoretical. Watch for John Schneider’s decisive presence this season. The Blue Jays manager is primed to lead his squad once more after navigating a busy postseason. Lineups shifted and

“The biggest part really was being able to be a part of a championship team,” Dylan Cease said at his introductory press conference.

matchups changed during the craze of Toronto’s end-of-season run. Yet Schneider trusted his veterans, challenged his youngsters, and no decision felt reactive. More importantly, those choices reinforced a culture that now carries into 2026.

“The beauty of baseball is that it goes on,” Schneider said after Game 7 last year, emphasizing his belief in a bright future for his Jays club.

As Schneider alluded to, that continuity gives Toronto an edge as it opens a new season comfortable operating under pressure.

BREAKOUT STARS

Last season, several young Blue Jays broke through late in the season to become undeniable impact players, and their ascension figures to be a major storyline in 2026.

Ernie Clement emerged as one of the postseason’s most compelling stories. Known for his glove and versatility, Clement became a cons tant at the plate, recording 30 playoff hits, the most ever in one MLB postseason. He batted .411 with six doubles, a triple, a home run, nine RBIs, and13 runs scored, all while playing every inning of the run.

Clement’s playoff moxie, highlighted by10 multi-hit contests, frustrated opposing pitchers and

endeared him to fans, who embraced his toughness and background as a former hockey player from New York state.

On the bump, rookie Trey Yesavage brought a whirlwind rise that few could have predicted. After starting 2025 in Single-A, Yesavage climbed to the Major Leagues, making his debut in mid-

Cody Ponce comes armed with a smooth delivery and explosive strikeout stuff

September. He hit his stride in the heat of the playoff run. Yesavage posted a 3.58 ERA across 27.2 innings, struck out 39 batters – an ML B rookie postseason record –and delivered a historic World

Series Game 5 performance versus the Dodgers with 12 strikeouts and zero walks.

Then there’s Addison Barger, who flashed his powerful lefthanded cut and cannon arm at key moments. In17 playoff games, Barger slashed .367/.441/.583 with three home runs and a pinchhit grand slam – the first in World Series history – providing some massive thunder in the Blue Jays order.

Together, Clement, Yesavage, and Barger give fans a glimpse of what’s next. Their October growth ensures they will play larger roles across a full season in 2026, adding more firepower to a roster that already proved it can handle the moment.

NEW FACES

The Blue Jays front office did not hesitate to bring in new talent this o ffseason, starting with former AL Cy Young finalist Dylan Cease. The right-hander agreed to a seven-year, $210 million contract, the largest free-agent deal in franchise history. His landing in Toronto aligned with his desire to compete for a title.

“The biggest part really was being able to be a part of a championship team,” Cease said at his introductory press conference.

Cody Ponce

TORONTO BLUE

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The right-hander brings a powerful arm capable of racking up strikeouts and eating innings, qualities that make him a strong pillar atop a rotation that already includes standouts like Yesavage, Shane Bieber, and Kevin Gausman.

For a pitching staff hungry to build on its October performance, Cease’s presence strengthens both the day-to-day grind of the regular season and the intensity of postseason stakes. As a franchise, Cease’s signing represents the kind of investment teams make when the window is open and a World Series berth is possible. And that’s why Toronto didn’t just stop there.

These main additions show the Jays understand the battle that lies ahead

In another splash move, the Blue Jays added pitcher Cody Ponce. Ponce arrives after dominating overseas, where he posted a stellar ERA and earned MVP-level recognition before making his return to the majors on a thre eyear, $30 million contract. He’s a beast on the mound, armed with a smooth delivery and explosive strikeout stuff.

Submariner Tyler Rogers joins Toronto’s bullpen as a seasoned reliever whose command and deception disrupt timing to keep hitters off balance. Rogers owns a career 2.76 ERA, and his experience in critical moments gives the relief core a steadying heartbeat when games tighten.

These main additions show the Jays understand the battle that lies ahead. Cease, Ponce, and Rogers offer a sharp boost to an already deep roster ready to push for a playoff run.

As the club turns toward 2026, the lessons of October linger. The Blue Jays now understand what playoff baseball demands, and more importantly, they know they can meet the challenge. That clarity, forged und e r the brightest lights, is what fuels the hunger that follows.

This new season opens with a sense of purpose shared from the clubhouse to the stands, where fans arrive knowing what this group is capable of. The window is open, the core is intact, and the pursuit is clear. For a team that came within one win of the ultimate prize, 2026 offers a chance for the Blue Jays to finish what they started last October.

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IN THE SYSTEM

TORONTO BLUE JAYS' 2026 TOP PROSPECTS: AN

INTRIGUING GROUP OF TALENTED YOUNGSTERS

The Toronto Blue Jays have a deep and varied pool of prospects, but any mention of this stable of youngsters has to begin with Trey Yesavage. He’s the now-famous wunderkind pitcher whose prodigious rise from A-ball all the way up to starting both Games1and 5 of the 2025 World Series as a 22year-old was nothing short of miraculous.

Yesavage is now the benchmark for future prospects, as rare and special as his ascension was.

Two other young players were key contributors in the Blue Jays’ march to their first World Series in 32 years. Righty reliever Braydon Fisher seemingly came out of nowhere, pitching in 52 games while fashioning a 2.70 ERA and 11.2 K/9 en route to a 7-0 record that even saw him g et some downballot Rookie of the Year recognition as he finished10th in voting.

On the other side of the ball, fellow youngster Addison Barger completed his first full MLB season that saw him crank 21 home runs with a 105 OPS+ while showing defensive versatility, playing both third base and right field. The bigswinging Barger also did his part to produce memorable marquee moments – who can forget the first pinch-hit grand slam in World Series history, which he clobbered in Game1?

Yesavage, Fisher, and Barger are just three of the young players

who are destined to contribute to what’s sure to be an exciting 2026 season, but there are plenty of other prospects to keep our eyes on, such as:

JoJo Parker (SS)

There’s a lot to be excited abo u t regarding this 6-foot-2, 200-pound

19-year-old. Despite his young age, Parker’s advanced hit tool is something that may just put him on the fast-track to the majors. A first rounder from the 2025 draft (8th overall), Parker has a strong arm and is perhaps more suited for second or third base as opposed to shortstop, the position for which he was drafted, but it’s his high-upside bat that front offices salivate over.

Arjun Nimmala (SS)

Another intriguing middle infielder in the Blue Jays’ system, Nimmala had a bit of an up-and-

BY ANDREW BARRON

down season in 2025, but he still showed a lot of the offensive potential that made him a 2023 firstround pick. Likely a couple of years

away from a major-league debut, Nimmala has the type of defensive chop s , including a plus arm and premium athleticism, to stay at shortstop. If the 20-yearold keeps working hard as he climbs the minorleague ranks, he has the potential to be a star for years to come.

Ricky Tiedemann (LHP)

The future is n o w for Tiedemann. Still only 23 years old, the lanky lefty was seemingly on the cusp of an MLB call-up in July 2024 when disaster struck and he required Tommy John surgery. He spent the 2025 season rehabbing and is surely looking to pick up right where he left off. Standing 6-foot-4,

Tiedemann‘s fastball sits at 94-96 mph and can touch 98, but his impressive repertoire also boasts a slider and changeup. If he can limit or mitigate his walks and harness his skills, Tiedemann has top-of-therotation potential.

Jake Bloss (RHP)

Ano t her starting pitcher who’s com i ng back from arm surgery, Bloss’ solid fastball, curveball, and work-in-progress off-speed pitches make him an intriguing depth starter for a team with World Series aspirations. Bloss had a taste of major-league action with the Astros before joining the Blue Jays at the 2024 trade deadline, and the 24year-old 6-foot-3, 223-pounder has all the markings of a mid-rotation mainstay.

Yohendrick Pinango (OF)

After reaching Triple-A Buffalo in 202 5 , some pundits had the leftyhitting Pinango potentially being selected in the 2025 Rule 5 draft thanks to his impressive hitting

skills, but the Blue Jays brain trust is likely pleased that he slipped through. Thanks to Pinango’s solid contact rates with limited defensive

value, the 23-year-old projects as a corner outfielder who could see action in a platoon role.

Gage Stanifer (RHP)

Sta n ifer, a19th- r ound draft pick by the Blue Jays in 2022, had a major breakout in 2025 thanks in part to increased velocity that now sees him hit 94-96 mph. That fast-

ball is perfectly complemented by an 83-86 mph slider, which Stanifer used to effect across three levels last season, finishing the campaign at Double-A New Hampshire, combining to post a 2.86 ERA with a 35.5% strikeout rate. At just 22 years old, could Stanifer follow in Yesavage’s footsteps and make a meteoric rise to the big-league club in 2026?

JAKE BLOSS

IN THE SYSTEM

RJ Schreck (OF)

The 25-year-old Schreck has almos t been aged out of being considered a “prospect.” Already boasting MLB-ready defensive

chops and outfield versatility, a bigleague call-up could happen early in the 2026 season if needed by the Blue Jays. Through four minorleague levels in 2025, Schreck has been putting up good power numbers while showing the high onbase and bat-to-ball skills the Blue Jays seem to look for.

Johnny King (LHP)

Anot her in the Blue Jays stable of big , young, exciting pitchers, King

put up better than15 K/9 ove r18 games and 61.2 innings through Rookie ball and Single-A Dunedin in 2025. A third-round pick in 2024, King is a lefty whose future is likely tied to his ability to develop secondary pitches to play off his dominant fastball, and at only just19 years of age, he has plenty of time for that repertoire to develop.

Landen Maroudis (RHP)

Mar o udis features the type of pit c h selection – an average fastball with upside, an advanced

changeup, and a slider-curveball mix – that big-leaguers require for prolonged success. The tall 21-yearold had elbow surgery in 2024 that cost him most of that season and the early part of the 2025 season. Now that he’s healthy, Maroudis – a fourth rounder from 2023 who projects as a mid-rotation starter or possibly a high-leverage reliever –is ready to once again start climbing the minor-league ladder.

2025 DRAFTEES/SIGNEES TO WATCH FOR:

Juan Sanchez (INF)

Keep your eyes on this very

r aw i nternational free agent signing from 2025. Sanchez is only 18 but has all the tools to be a future building block for a big-league franchise. Likely position projections are either as a third baseman or shortstop due to his strong arm.

Jake Cook (OF)

Cook was a third rounder in the 202 5 draft and is a very speedy outfielder who checks a lot of boxes the Toronto Blue Jays like, such as having high contact skills

and rarely striking out. A converted pitcher who still has to work on driving the ball, Cook has the types of off-ball skills – defence, base-running – that can make him very valuable in the future of the organization.

Tim Piasentin (3B)

A l e fty-hitting, big-armed thirdbas e man, Piasentin was a 2025 fifth-round pick. Still just18 years old, Piasentin’s bread and butter will be his power, so a path to the majors is heavily dependent on his ability to cut down on his swingand-miss tendencies. Interestingly, Piasentin is a Canuck, born in Maple Ridge, British Columbia, the same hometown as Hall of Famer Larry Walker. l

BY JULIA KREUZ

TALENT AND PREPARATION have always been a staple of Andrés Giménez’s game. Now, the Blue Jays’ new everyday shortstop is poised to show what he can do with a full season and a clean bill of health.

Acquired from the Guardians ahead of the 2025 season as a glove-first infielder, Giménez showed his worth brilliantly at second base all year long, strengthening the position while also flashing his potential as an offensive contributor. But a pair of injuries -- first to his right quad and later to his left ankle -- caused Giménez to miss roughly two months of the regular season, each time requiring him to rebuild his rhythm as well as his physical strength.

Now consider that, even through the lost time and the injury hurdles, Giménez was still one of the most valuable defenders in Major League Baseball last year. A three-time Gold Glove Award recipient and onetime Platinum Glover, the Venezuela native contributed with11Outs Above Average and nine Defensive Runs Saved in 101 games during the regular season. Fifteen of those games came at a position he hadn’t played since 2022.

When an injury to Bo Bichette caused the Blue Jays to look elsewhere for a shortstop in early September, Giménez emerged as a true godsend for a club in the thick of the race for the American League East title. The 27year-old had virtually no time to prepare for the position change, but he still delivered excellent defence, providing manager John Schneider with some much-needed stability.

“I've said this before: I think Andrés is the best infielder in Major League Baseball, no matter where he’s standing,” Schneider said during the Blue Jays’ postseason run. “I think he's that talented. He's been great. He's made unbelievable plays. He makes tough plays look easy. Stepping in [at shortstop], he's making it look pretty easy. He's been steady.”

He continued to be steady in October, making just one error while turning nine double plays in18 postseason games.

Giménez now has sole possession of the shortstop role, with a full offseason of preparation for the position.

The Blue Jays are also certain that there’s more to uncover in his offensive game, which would pair nicely with his basestealing abilities. Giménez stole12 bases last year, but he had swiped 30 bags in each of the previous two seasons. That’s another area of his game that will certainly benefit from a healthy fresh start.l

Giménez stole12 bases last year

BY JULIA KREUZ

BELIEVE HIM when he says that he has never felt stronger. If anyone in the baseball world still had doubts about Alejandro Kirk’s value on both sides of the ball, they were quickly silenced last year. The Blue Jays’ catcher started his postseason with a bang, a two-homer performance against the Yankees that proved a continuation of a great regular season and a sign of things to come in the playoffs.

Simply put, Kirk looked in control of himself all year

Kirk looked in control of himself all year long

long. After signing a five-year extension with the Blue Jays prior to the 2025 campaign, the Tijuana native set out to reward the club’s trust right away. Kirk retrieved the offensive prowess that earned him a Silver Slugger Award in 2022, batting .282 with15 home runs and 76 RBIs over 130 games last year. The five-foot-eight, 245-pound speedster also nabbed his first career stolen base -- a moment that went down as nothing short of iconic in the midst of a fabled Blue Jays season.

That production continued in October, when Kirk recorded an.842 OPS with13 RBIs over18 games. Two of his five home runs came in the World Series.

But those numbers only tell half the story. Kirk’s value to the Blue Jays is tightly linked to his defensive work. Known as an elite framer and an ever-growing gamecaller, Kirk shined in his first full season as Toronto’s primary backstop, posting a Fielding Run Value of 22 -- the second-best mark by any catcher or defender in the big leagues.

Ask any pitcher on the roster, and they’ll tell you how much they appreciate working with “Kirky.” Earning the trust of an entire staff is no easy task, especially considering the wide gamut of experience and personalities the Blue Jays displayed last season. From 41year-old Max Scherzer to 22 year-old Trey Yesavage, the commitment and preparation never changed. Every bit of it was necessary in the quest to lead his team all the way to the World Series.

The recognition didn’t just come from inside the Blue Jays’ clubhouse, though. After starting the year stating that he had found a new gear to his game -- both physically and mentally -- Kirk saw his hard work pay off in a second career All-Star nod and a nomination for the AL Gold Glove Award as catcher. No one is sleeping on Captain Kirk this time around.l

TORONTO BLUE JAYS

BY JULIA KREUZ

FRESH OFF ONE of the most impressive bounce-back seasons in recent memory, George Springer is once again ready to command the role of leader and offensive focal point for the Blue Jays this year.

The 36-year-old Springer looked like a new version of his talented self in 2025, rediscovering his dominance and reaffirming his joy for the game of baseball. That led to a stellar season and a revival of his postseason greatness, with each performance proving instrumental to the Blue Jays’ run to the World Series.

In over140 regular-season games last year, Springer hit .309 with a .959 OPS, 32 home runs and 84 RBIs, a booming jump from his 2024 stats and perhaps the most substantial improvement ever by a player 35 or older. He was rewarded with a Silver Slugger Award as a designated hitter and a seventh-place finish in American League MVP voting.

It didn’t happen out of nowhere, though. Amid a12-year career in the big leagues, Springer understood the need to make adjustments to his preparation and workload in order to keep himself fresh throughout a long season. He had his share of outfield reps last year, but he truly shined at DH, going so far as to rebrand the position entirely.

At a certain point last summer, the lineup cards in the Blue Jays’ clubhouse no longer had Springer listed as DH, but rather as OP: offensive player. That was a key aspect of Springer’s road back to stardom: understanding that there’s more to the game than hitting, even when you don’t play the field every day. As Toronto’s primary OP, Springer not only had more time to focus on keeping his body healthy, but he also put added emphasis on his work on the basepaths, swiping18 bags and becoming one of

his team’s most valuable baserunners.

He kept hitting in the playoffs, too, bringing back the clutch quality that earned him a World Series MVP Award with the Astros in 2017. Last year in October, Springer added to his fame and made history in the process. His pennant-clinching three-run homer against the Mariners in Game 7of the American League Championship Series instantly went down as one of the most iconic home runs in franchise history. That was one of Springer’s four homers last October, which brought him to 23 postseason home runs in his career -- the third-highest total of alltime, tied with Kyle Schwarber.l

Springer looked like a new version of his talented self in 2025

BY JULIA KREUZ

IT TAKES A SPECIAL player to earn praise as high as “best outfielder in baseball,” and that’s precisely how Blue Jays manager John Schneider has come to refer to Daulton Varsho. Those who follow this team closely know not to doubt Toronto’s centre fielder, whose knack for making big plays has landed him on highlight reels consistently since he joined the Blue Jays in 2023. A gifted athlete with a sharp mind for defence, the

There’s no shortage of iconic moments to assign as Varsho’s calling card

29-year-old Varsho doesn’t flash the biggest personality in the clubhouse. He lets his game do the talking. His teammates and manager are quick to follow.

If you’re more of a visual learner, just Google his name. Varsho’s collection of iconic plays includes homerrobbing over-the-wall grabs, full-speed collisions with the wall at centre field, triumphant dives and perfect routes. Nothing is impossible for the five-foot-eight Wisconsin native, who grew up playing football and other sports in addition to baseball.

There’s no shortage of iconic moments to assign as Varsho’s calling card, but perhaps the most impressive part of his work in the outfield is the focus on the fundamentals. That’s what helped Varsho earn his first career Gold Glove Award in 2024, and it’s what kept him in the upper echelon of league defenders last year, even though he was held to just 71 games as he recovered from injuries. In his limited time, Varsho still found a way to contribute with nine Outs Above Average and a Fielding Run Value of six last year. Both marks were way above league average in a162-game season.

And then there’s the pop on the bat.

It’s no secret that the Blue Jays are a better team when Varsho is on the field, but last year they also got a valuable boost from his offence. Though he was available for less than half the season, Varsho made the most of his power when he was healthy, launching 20 home runs and driving in 55 runs for an OPS+ of122 (meaning he was 22 points better than league average). That type of production can sway not just one game, but a whole stretch of the calendar -- a difference maker for a contending club.

Varsho found his share of success in October as well, hitting three home runs with10 RBIs while maintaining his known level of defensive excellence all the way to the World Series.l

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BLUE JAYS UPDATE

HOWTOSCORE

Take home a record of today’s Blue Jays action by marking the scorecard found in the centrespread. Here’s one method of scoring a game:

1 Every defensive position on the field has a number, as seen above - the shortstop is number 6, the catcher number 2, first baseman number 3, etc.

2 When a batter grounds out to shortstop, he is retired “63”, i.e. the shortstop throws to first base for the out. A batter grounding into a double play - hitting a ground ball to the second baseman, who throws to the shortstop to retire the runner at second, the shortstop then throws back to first to retire the batter - is said to have grounded into a “4-6-3” double play.

3 Using these play codes below, coupled with the defensive position numbers at right, will allow you to record the results of each batter’s at-bat, every inning throughout the game. A line drive out to right field, would be L9; a pop up to the third baseman would be scored P5, and so on.

4 The bottom of the diamond shape should be considered home plate. Proress is counterclockwise with advance to first base indicated in the lower right corner, to second base in the upper right corner, to third base in the upper left corner, and to home in the lower left corner.

In the example shown at right, the batter reached first on an error by the second baseman, stole second and went to third on a wild pitch. If the run scores the diamond is filled in.

HB Hit Batsman

SAC Sacrifice Bunt

BB Base on Balls

IBB Intentional Walk

PB Passed Ball

KS Struck Out

In the example shown below, the players are listed in the order in which they take their turn at bat. The number after their name is their defensive position when they’re in the field, except for Springer, the designated hitter (DH).l

SAMPLE INNING

Springer leads off and flies out to centre.Varsho singles to right. Guerrero Jr. walks. Kirk hits a home run to left.

Okamoto is hit by a pitch, then advances on a wild pitch with Barger at bat. Barger gets an infield hit to third (Okamoto holding at second).

Giménez grounds to the shortstop and reaches first base on an error. Bases loaded.Clement strikes out. Lukes grounds out to the shortstop to end the inning.Three runs; three hits; three runners left on base.

6 SPRINGER DH VARSHO 8

5

9 GUERRERO JR. 3 LUKES 7 KIRK 2

4

VISITORS

TOTALS

PITCHERS IP H R ER SO BB

SPOTTHE DIFFER ENCES

There are 5 differences between the original top pic and the bottom pic of Andrés Giménez turning the double play against Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers. Can you spot them?

ANSWERS

EAGLE EYE: There’s an extra button on Ohtani’s jersey.

HARD: The World Series crest on Ohtani’s left chest is gone. HARDER: The number ‘7’on Ohtani’s jersey has been flopped.

EASY: Giménez’s belt is now turquoise.

EASIEST: The ball has been repositioned.

VISITORS UPDATE

A tower built for what’s next.

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By Julia Kreuz

The Blue Jays’ path back to the World Series was paved by unity, soundness and a special focus on the little things

ADDISON BARGER WAS A KEY PLAYER DURING THE BLUE JAYS PLAYOFF DRIVE

LAST YEAR , taking a peek at the Blue Jays’ dugout right after a home run was a spectacle all its own.

Chances were you’d find everyone on their feet, banging on the ledge, jumping up and down, laughing and clapping as their teammate rounds the bases. From the top of the stairs, someone would have the Home Run Jacket ready, draping it over that day’s hero after he touched home plate.

It didn’t really matter who hit that home run. Maybe it was Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the face of the franchise who will call Toronto his home for the next 14 years. Maybe it was George Springer, the 35year-old in the midst of an improbable career renaissance.

Perhaps it was Nathan Lukes, Myles Straw, Ernie Clement, or any of the several contributors in a lineup that emerged as one of the most wellrounded units in the game. There was no shortage of heroes on the team. That’s a huge reason why they made it all the way to the World Series.

“Everybody loves each other,” Springer said during the regular season. “I know it's really a cliché, but I feel like everybody's very selfless. Everything is done for the good of the team. That's whether you give yourself up and get somebody to third so somebody can get the hit, or whatever the case. That goes a long way in the clubhouse.”

You’ll still hear that sentiment echoed in all corners of the Blue Jays’ clubhouse. This is a club built on unity and the knowledge that the ultimate goal can only be achieved if everyone plays for each other.

“We're never out of the game. It's so much fun to play for a team where that's the feeling.”

– ERNIE CLEMENT

That’s how Toronto became one of the best stories in Major League Baseball last season, overcoming a frustrating 2024 to win the American League East, make it back to the Fall Classic and enter this season as the team to beat in the AL. But maybe it shouldn’t have been that shocking to see the Blue Jays bounce back the way they did – and do so with much of the same cast from recent years. They’re the comeback kids. Their biggest comeback was the season as a whole.

“It feels different,” Clement said after coming up clutch during a

come-from-behind win. “We're never out of the game. It's so much fun to play for a team where that's the feeling. Our pitchers are amazing, so if we can scratch some runs across, we're going to win a lot of ballgames.

... Even when you're down five, six runs early, you can always come back. It's a really special group.”

The special qualities of this group were built like everything else they accomplished in that magical year: one day at a time.

It started long before Opening Day, too. With the addition of guys like Andrés Giménez, Jeff Hoffman and future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer, the Blue Jays’ roster started to shape up. Shortly ahead of the start of the regular season, catcher Alejandro Kirk agreed to a five-year contract extension. In early Apr i l, Guerrero signed an extension of his own, a 14-year deal that went down as the largest contract in franchise history.

“I was born here, you know?” Guerrero said in his contract announcement back in April. “This is my second home. I spend a lot of time here in Toronto, and in Canada. When the country gives you love, you gotta give the love back. That’s what I’m doing now, giving them all the love they give me.”

That love is also felt by Vladdy’s teammates, newcomers and longtime friends alike.

As new faces joined the Blue Jays’ group of returning players, a new identity emerged – led in large part by new hitting coach David Popkins, along with assistant coaches Lou Iannotti and Hunter Mense.

“It’s nine versus one every day,” said Joh n Schneider, last year’s runner-up for the AL Manager of the Year Award.

The messaging changed from “make good swing decisions” to “find a pitch you know you can drive.” Rather than trying to get their hitters

to fit into a mold, the Blue Jays empowered them to trust their strengths.

In doing so, they became one of the peskiest teams in the league. The Blue Jays’ strikeout percentage was the lowest in the league at the end of the season, and while it took a bit for the power to show up, their hitters remained focused on the process rather than the results, trusting that things would fall into place in due time.

Fall into place they did. When the homers and doubles started to come – aided by b i g seasons from Springer and Daulton Varsho – this offense started to look like the well-rounded unit everyone had envisioned. There was small ball mixed into the big game-winning blows, each game

GEORGE SPRINGERhits a three-run home run to take the lead in the seventh inning during Game Seven of the ALCS

presenting an opportunity to come through in a different way.

The pitching staff worked to hold up its end of the bargain, too.

A steady and veteran rotation led by Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt and José Berríos had plenty to gain from the additions of Scherzer and Shane Bieber, the former AL Cy Young winner who joined the Blue Jays at the Trade Deadline in the final stages of his recovery from Tommy John surgery.

“You can allow yourself to get pretty excited when you’re adding a guy of that calibre,” said Schneider.

TORONTO

BLUE

JAYS

GETTY IMAGES

“Once you get to know him, he’s the definition of a pro. He fits right in with the guys that we have already in our rotation. He’s really, really smart. He understands what he’s good at and what he’s trying to do. He’s confident right now.”

There was more to see as you peeked into that dugout during a game. Amid fun and preparation, you’d likely find two or more of the Blue Jays’ starters sitting together, talking ball and watching attentively as another pitch was thrown from the mound. That’s part of what made Bieber such a seamless fit within that group. In the bullpen, with the likes of Jeff Hoffman, Yariel Rodríguez, Seranthony Domínguez, Eric Lauer and Brendon Little, you’d see a similar scene.

When the Blue Jays preached that it takes everyone – and everyone pulling in the same direction – this is what they meant. It’s more than diligence and selflessness. It’s a complete buy-in that goes beyond the active roster.

“That's one of the cool things about this team in general, is that it's not cliquey,” said Lauer, who contributed in a variety of roles throughout the regular season. “It's not the starting rotation, the bullpen, the hitters, the outfielders, the infielders. Everybody's very cohesive and just together. We're all friends. There's nobody who's an outlier, which is cool.”

Every bit of that cohesiveness was necessary in a division as tough as the AL East, where even the teams with a losing record pose a significant threat on any given night.

“Everybody in here has a job to do, and everybody in here loves to do what they're doing,” said Springer. “For me, nobody is above

the team. ... I know this team has kind of embraced each other, embraced the city, the fan group. Everybody wants to give the fans something to be proud of. That starts in the locker room.”

As the Blue Jays built their rhythm, their confidence shot up and the wins started piling on. Something shifted at the ballpark too, spreading all the way through the city of Toronto and beyond. That special feeling that was born in the clubhouse was now felt by

ALEJANDRO KIRKhits a three-run home run in game three of the World Series

an entire country.

There was plenty to be proud of from March to September. Then came October, when the intensity dialed up a tick every day, each new moment becoming the biggest moment of all. The Blue Jays were ready for that too. Living in the moment is what they’d done all year long.

“For me, the only thing that’s important is to win,” Guerrero said in Spanish ahead of the AL Division Series against the Yankees. “I’m not really worried about how I’m feeling or anything like that. I’m focused on one thing only, and that is to win. It doesn’t matter how we do it. That’s what I’m focusing on.”

The discourse was similar across the clubhouse. Toronto was set on winning and losing together, even if individual playoff heroes were destined to emerge. Perhaps the

status of underdog, which would follow the Blue Jays through most of their postseason run, had something to do with it too.

After claiming the AL East over the Yankees on the last day of the regular season, Canada’s team was still viewed as a dark horse for the ALDS. The baseball world was skeptical of that magical run, overlooking so much of what had been conquered day by day all season long.

The Blue Jays had to go and prove them wrong.

There was no ignoring this team after a 10-1 rout of the Yankees in Game 1, starting with Guerrero’s first of many iconic moments of the playoff run. Vladdy’s first-inning solo shot didn’t just shake the foundations of Rogers Centre, it also opened the floodgates for five multi-hit performances, including two homers from Kirk.

Then came Trey Yesavage, fresh off three regularseason appearances in the Major Leagues, six months

after his professional debut, ready to start Game 2 against Aaron Judge’s Yankees.

“I’m built for this,” said Yesavage. “I've experienced a lot this year. This is my fifth team I've been with. I've met the entire organization. But being here in this spot, I couldn't have drawn it up any better.”

More than excel, he made history. Yesavage stunned the Yankees and

Yesavage stunned the Yankees and the rest of the baseball world, dealing 5 1/3 no-hit innings with 11 strikeouts

the rest of the baseball world, dealing 51/3 no-hit innings with 11 strikeouts – a then franchise record in the postseason – .

Underdogs no more, the Blue Jays kept on slugging, up-and-down contributions leading to a series win at Yankee Stadium and a date with the Mariners in the AL Championship Series. It was time for the comeback kids to show up once again.

It didn’t start the way the Blue Jays would have hoped, with a 2-0 series

deficit before the series shifted to Seattle. The odds were once more against them, but that was almost an advantage at that point.

“These guys don't want the season to end, you know what I mean?” Schneider said after that tough10-3 loss in Game 2. “... They have shown they're good at moving on to the next thing, which is hard to do. They're well-equipped to just say, ‘OK, what's important now?’”

Offence was the clear answer. The Blue Jays had managed just four runs through the first two games, but they were ready to pick up Bieber in Game 3. Behind stellar performances from Springer, Guerrero and Kirk, Toronto found its form in a13-4 win to get back into the series. With one more victory on the road, the Blue Jays were down 3-2 with the series heading back to Toronto. They needed one more heroic moment from Mr. October before claiming their spot in the World Series.

Springer’s playoff fame isn’t new. He’s familiar with the stage, tends to thrive on it. So when the Blue Jays found themselves trailing by two runs all the way into the seventh inning of Game 7, they were glad to see their grizzled, banged-up vet turn back the clock once again. Playing through a knee injury he suffered on a hit-bypitch in Game 5, Springer still delivered, clobbering a three-run shot that challenged the structural soundness of the ballpark.

“It’s exactly why we love playing here,” Springer told Ken Rosenthal of the fans’ reaction to his homer. “Unbelievably electric. We love every single one of these fans. Such an unbelievable moment.”

It instantly entered franchise history as perhaps the biggest home run since Joe Carter in 1993, certainly the biggest since Jose Bautista in 2015 or Edwin Encarnación the following year. It also punched Toronto’s ticket to the World Series.

TORONTO BLUE JAYS

By this point, the whole “David and Goliath” narrative didn’t really feel right to anyone following the Blue Jays’ trajectory. On the national stage, though, that’s how the Fall Classic between Toronto and the Dodgers was sold. Addison Barger was the first to have something to say about that.

Much like they had done with the Yankees, the Blue Jays shocked the Dodgers in Game1at Rogers Centre. Barger helped by launching the first pinch-hit grand slam in World Series history, lifting his club to an 11-4 victory that had pundits changing their narrative once again.

“That’s the epitome of our offence,” Clement said of Barger’s big moment and the win. “It’s a collective effort, everybody just doing their job.”

But this was still the almighty Dodgers, the superteam of MVPs and new stars in the making. Shohei Ohtani was just the start of it. The Blue Jays also had to worry about the likes of Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernández. On the other side of the ball, Yoshinobu Yamamoto was the ultimate pebble in their shoes.

And so it carried on, a series in which Toronto matched L.A. blow for blow, refusing to give up even if a contest seemed lost, even if it carried on for18 innings. By the first pitch of Game 7, it was truly anyone’s game. Play that hand one hundred more times, you’ll probably still end up close to 50/50.

That’s what made it all the more heartbreaking. The Blue Jays came within two outs of winning it all before allowing the Dodgers to tie it up in the ninth and win it in extras. When all was said and done, the dejection of losing was inextricable from the sheer sadness of watching a magical season come to an end.

“I just could not wait to come to the field every day. I love these guys so much,” Clement said through tears

in the Blue Jays’ clubhouse. “That’s all I care about. We gave it everything we had.”

Individual accomplishments were little consolation. Never mind that Guerrero and Clement had just entered the record books for most hits in a playoff run (Ernie now the alltime leader with 30 and Vladdy tied for second at 29). Never mind that Yesavage continued to make history as the second-youngest pitcher to start a Game 1 of the World Series. All these players could think about was the bitter taste of saying goodbye.

“Of course, I’m sad,” Guerrero said in Spanish. “But, like I told the guys, I could not be more proud of them.”

That’s the thing about

NATHAN LUKEShits a two run double in game one of the Division Series against the New York Yankees

magic: it doesn’t just die out. That pride and that love aren’t going away. Much of this same cast will get another chance to nurture it this season.

“It's not very often you get a group together that genuinely likes one another and genuinely cares about one another,” said Schneider. “And I'm talking about their wives, their kids and them. It's a special group. I think Blue Jays fans for generations are going to remember this team.” l

TORONTO

Total bases recorded by VLADIMIR GUERRERO JR. to lead the 2025 postseason and set a franchise mark for a single postseason. He also led postseason hitters with a 1.289 OPS,15 RBIs,18 runs and13 extra-base hits. He tied for first with eight home runs, a franchise postseason record. His 29 hits were tied for the second most in an MLB postseason, one behind Ernie Clement.

BLUE JAYS

BY LARRY MILLSON

Pinch-hit grand slams in World Series history. It belongs to Blue Jay ADDISON BARGER, whose slam came in Game1of the 2025 Fall Classic.

1

ADDISON BARGER SLAMS IT IN GAME1

1’3’’

Release height in feet for TYLER ROGERS, lowest in the major leagues. The right-hander had a1.98 ERA in 81games in 2025. Since 2020, he leads the Majors with 403 appearances and tops all relievers with 4061/3 innings.

BYTHE NUMBERS

Postseason home runs by GEORGE SPRINGER, tied for third all-time in the Major Leagues.

Strikeouts by TREY YESAVAGE in six postseason appearances in 2025, a Major League rookie postseason record.

Postseason hits by ERNIE CLEMENT in 2025, the most hits in a single postseason in Major League history. Clement went 30-for-73(.411) with six doubles, one triple and one home run with nine RBIs and a.978 OPS. He had10 multi-hit games, a record for a single MLB postseason. He also had a13-game hitting streak, a franchise record for a single postseason.

A FRANCHISE TAKES FLIGHT:

On April 7,1977 , 44,649 fans — bundled in coats and blankets t o combat the merciless wind — packed t h e converted football ground on the shores of Lake Ontario to witness something brand new. Blue Jays baseball had arrived in Toronto just as snow coated the Exhibition Stadium grounds on Opening Day. BY

ETHAN DIAMANDAS

Groundskeepers scrambled across the field with a Zamboni borrowed from Maple Leaf Gardens, clearing snow between innings while the crowd cheered nearly every play. Professional baseball had arrived in Canada’s largest city, and the people who braved that snow wanted everyone to know they were there first.

That was then. And what a ride it has been since.

The 2026 season marks 50 years of Blue Jays baseball. That’s five decades of a franchise that grew from an expansion squad into a cultural institution — one born in the beautiful, restless city of Toronto and

beloved across the baseball world. From the earliest days of lovable grit to back-to-back World Series titles, from José Bautista’s bat flip to Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s October coronation, the Blue Jays have giv e n this country a permanent seat at baseball’s table. And as last fall’s thrilling World Series run proved, the best chapters may still be ahead.

The story begins before the snow. In1976, Toronto won the rights to an American League expansion franchise, and the city buzzed with the kind of anticipation that only comes from something truly new. Toronto needed a name for its team, so it did the most Canadian thing possible: it asked the people. More than 30,000 entries poured into a name-theteam contest, and the winner nodded to a bird every Ontarian knows well: the blue jay. Bold, loud, and

JOE CARTER

ROY HALLADAY

50Years ofBlueJaysBaseball

stubborn enough to stick around through Canadian winters when more sensible creatures head south, the blue jay was perfect. Early on, this franchise would need every bit of that stubbornness.

The early years tested the faithful, but they also forged them. Exhibition Stadium was cold, loud, and wonderful—a place where a brand-new fanbase learned the rhythms of the game and fell in love with a brand-new team. The front office built smartly and patiently, and by the mid1980s, Toronto had become a genuine contender. The Blue Jays won the AL East in1985 for the first time. The foundation was set, and the fans who packed the Ex could feel something special taking shape on the lakefront.

Then came the glory years. The1992 Blue Jays

were a powerhouse with a roster sta c ked full of names that still echo through the halls of this franchise, including Joe Carter, Devon White, and John Olerud. Toronto rolled through the American League and beat the Atlanta Braves to capture the franchise’s first World Series title. The city erupted. An estimated two million people flooded the downtown streets for the victory parade, a sea of blue stretching from SkyDome to City Hall. Toronto was a baseball city, and the whole world knew it. For many Canadians, it was a defining sports memory — a moment when the country’s lone MLB club stood at the summit and carried an entire nation along for the climb.

They came back and did it again in1993, defending the title against the Philadelphia Phillies in a Fall Classic that will live forever in C a nadian sports lore. The defining moment arrived in Game 6 at SkyDome. Bottom of the ninth, two runners on. Carter stepped to the plate and launched a three-run homer over the leftfield wall to clinch the championship. Carter leapt around the bases, arms pumping, as the stadium shook with a roar that seemed to rattle the

JOSÉ BAUTISTA VLADIMIR GUERRERO JR.

retractable roof. That swing remains frozen as the single greatest moment in franchise history.

In the years that followed, individual brilliance kept the Blue Jays’ flame burning bright. Roy Halladay became the franchise’s greatest pitcher — a workhorse who threw with mechanical precision and fierce pride in the Blue Jay on his chest. Season after season, he took the ball and gave Toronto a reason to watch, even when the wins were harder to come by. Halladay’s legacy endures as a testament to the calibre of talent this organization has always cultivated and the kind of loyalty that defines what it means to wear this uniform.

The return to October baseball arrived with a moment that will never be forgotten. In 2015, Bautista ripped a three-run homer in Game 5 of t he ALDS against the Texas Rangers and flipped his bat with a fury that became the defining image of a new era. Playoff baseball was back in Toronto. The seats were full. The country was watching. A new generation of fans discovered what October energy felt like inside Rogers Centre, and the Blue Jays reached the ALCS in consecutive seasons to announce that this franchise had rediscovered its swagger.

The next wave arrived in the form of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the son of a Hall of Famer who carried his father’s name and then built his own legend. Guerrero became the face of the franchise with soft hands, thunderous power, and an easy smile that made him a fan favourite from the moment he arrived. Guerrero’s long-term extension in 202 5 one of the most lucrative deals in MLB history marked his commitment to a full career of Blue Jays baseball.

Guerrero delivered right away. The 2025 Blue Jays captured the AL East crown for the first time

in a decade and steamrolled through October. They dispatched the Yankees in the Division Series, survived a gruelling seven-game ALCS against the Seattle Mariners, and rode a wave of momentum all the way to the World Series for the first time in 32 years. Guerrero was sensational throughout the postseason. A strong supporting cast, including clutch performer George Springer, provided trademark October magic. The entire roster played with an unshakeable belief and a vibrant attitude that drew Canadians in.

The World Series against the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers became an ins t ant classic. Toronto seized a 3–2 series lead heading back to Rogers Centre, and for one electric week, this city pulsed with a championship energy it hadn’t felt since 1993. Flags hung from balconies across the downtown core, and fans high-fived outside the stadium. The Blue Jays pushed the mighty Dodgers to the absolute brink, delivering the kind of October run that bonds a team to its city forever.

And so, 2026 marks fifty years, from the snow to SkyDome, from Carter’s leap to a World Series stage that proved this franchise belongs among baseball’s elite. The Toronto Blue Jays belong to this city, to this country, and to the millions of fans who have filled the seats across five decades. They belong to the kid catching her first foul ball, to the father explaining the infield fly rule, to the season-ticket holder who remembers the Ex and still gets chills walking through the gates.

Generation after generation, the Blue Jays and their beloved fans keep showing up, just like they did on that cold April afternoon in 1977. This season, we celebrate every last chapter. And we look ahead to the ones not yet written. l

SKYDOME ( NOW ROGERS CENTRE ) OPENED ON JUNE 3,1989

SEVENTH INNING STRETCH

BY LARRY MILLSON

THE DRAFT BEFORE THE STORM

Before the great snowflake shake at the mistake-by-the-lake turned the Blue Jays’ first game into a winter classic, a team had to be assembled.

So, we take you back to Nov. 5,1976, at the elegant Plaza Hotel in New York where the Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners filled out their rosters in the American League expansion draft.

To add some historical context, Jimmy Carter had narrowly defeated incumbent Gerald Ford in the U.S. presidential race three days earlier.

In New York, Yankees fans were still dealing with the Cincinnati Reds’ World Series sweep of their team two weeks earlier.

Now baseball’s focus shifted to the historic Plaza Hotel that was designed in a style reminiscent of a French Chateau and sat across the street from Central Park where horse-drawn buggies were parked.

Inside the hotel, the draft was

conducted in the elegant Terrace Room that had crystal chandeliers and has been the site of anything from wedding receptions to fashion shows and even a Woody Allen press conference.

Montreal Expos owner Charles Bronfman, for example, was

married14 years earlier in the Terrace Room.

The Blue Jays and Mariners were to pick 30 players each from a pool of players left unprotected by the existing12 AL teams. It cost the Blue Jays and Mariners $5.25 million (U.S.) each.

“We’ve put in1,300 manhours,” then Blue Jays chief operating officer Peter Bavasi said entering the draft. “I estimate our scouting staff has been going 14

hours a day for the past three months.”

On the day of the expansion draft, the two new teams occupied tables at the lower level of the Terrace Room. Representatives of other clubs sat at surrounding tables.

Above a dais at the front of the room was a large screen that posted the names and statistics of the selected players.

Entertainer Danny Kaye, one of six partners in the Mariners’ first short-lived ownership, was a draftday star, scurrying between the club’s upstairs suite and Terrace room table.

He posed for pictures before the draft with commissioner Bowie Kuhn. “It’s like picking a cast for a show,” he gushed. “You know, who will fit best here? Who will fit best there.”

It was calmer at the Blue Jays’ table, where public-relations director Howard Starkman was stationed at the telephone. Scouts and executives that included Pat Gillick, Bobby Mattick and Al LaMacchia worked from the upstairs suite studying available

...IN THE BEGINNING

players. The lone ownership representative was R. Howard Webster, then 45% owner, who attended to accept the charter for the new franchise. He sat beside Starkman during the draft, noting some of the team’s early choices. He did not stay for the complete draft that took 7 hours15 minutes.

THE FIRST PICK WAS NO TURKEY

The Mariners selected first in the expansion draft and grabbed outfielder Ruppert Jones from the Kansas City Royals. Gillick said he would have been Toronto’s first choice.

Instead, the Blue Jays took Orioles’ 25-year-old shortstop Bob Bailor, a native of Connellsville, Pa., with their first pick.

Bailor, known as Buzz to his teammates, was not following the draft, however. He was hunting turkeys in the Pennsylvania woods with his brother and two friends. They stayed at Bailor’s log cabin, which had no electricity and no radio. They used Coleman lanterns at night.

“I knew the draft was going

on,” Bailor said. “But I was kind of involved in the hunting.” When he arrived home later on draft day with two turkeys, he was greeted by his father, who was standing on

the porch yelling that Toronto had selected him.

Back at the Plaza, Starkman prepared press releases after each round. Starkman’s first-round release quoted Gillick on Bailor: “Bob Bailor will be a key player. He is young, aggressive, a real team player as well. He has outstanding speed and range. He’s an ideal choice and we’re very delighted to

have him at this key position.”

The selection with Toronto’s first pick surprised both Bailor and the Orioles. He had been hampered by a shoulder injury picked up in winter ball in Venezuela that limited him to nine games with Baltimore and 36 at Triple-A Rochester in1976.

When the season ended, Bailor did notice Gillick observing the Instructional League in Florida. LaMacchia studied Bailor both at bat and in the field. “I watched his eyes,” LaMacchia said. “That’s how you know if someone is hurting –his eyes. If a ballplayer has to make a tough throw, he’ll wince if it hurts.”

Bailor passed the test and Bavasi paid him $38,000 for his rookie season, twice the majorleague minimum at the time. Gillick and then administrator of player personnel Elliott Wahle were not happy. “Pat and I were just miffed beyond belief how Bavasi could be that extravagant,” Wahle said a few years later. “In retrospect, it’s kind of comical, isn’t it?”

Bailor batted .310 with15 stolen bases in122 games in1977, playing shortstop, all three outfield positions and DH. Appropriately, he wore uniform No.1.l

2026 BLUEJAYS COACHES

Mark Budzinski #53

First Base Coach

Sam Greene #88

Assistant Pitching Coach

Eric Duncan #85

John Schneider #14

Manager DeMarlo Hale #15

Pete Walker #41

Pitching Coach

Carlos Febles #51

Third Base Coach

Lou Iannotti #80 Assistant Hitting Coach

Drew Butera #83

David Popkins #79

Hitting Coach

Graham Johnson #82

Bullpen Coach

Cody Atkinson #81

Bullpen Coach

John Lannan Major League Mental Performance Coach

CUPE’s 800,000 members are on the front lines keeping your community strong.

FAN SERVICES GUIDE

ACE

ACE is the Official Mascot of the Toronto Blue Jays and loves spending his time meeting fans! You can always find him dancing on the dugouts and entertaining fans throughout the stadium. ACE is a free bird and roams the ballpark, however loves taking photos with fans when possible! ACE often makes appearances throughout the community when the Blue Jays are out of town, pending availability. Whether it’s a private party, corporate function, charitable event or birthday party, booking ACE can ruffle the feathers of any event! Inquire about ACE bookings please email acethemascot@bluejays.com.

Accessible Support Entrance

Although fans with accessible needs may enter Rogers Centre through any open gate, our designated accessible entrance is Gate 7, located on the south side of the ballpark, close to Bremner Boulevard. Fans requiring accessible support are encouraged to enter through Gate 7. Elevators are also available at Rogers Centre Gates 3, 9 and 13.

Entrance points may vary from event to event. Fans requiring assistance or information regarding accessibility should contact our Fan Services Team by phone at 416-341-1000 ext. 3 or by email at fanfeedback@bluejays.com at least one (1) business day prior to their planned visit.

Advance

Inside Ticket Window

During any Toronto Blue Jays home game, fans can inquire about potential ticket upgrades for their day-of game seat by visiting our Inside Box Office location at Section130. Please note, our Inside Ticket Window is open from when gates open until the end of the 4th Inning.

Aisles & Aisles Etiquette

For the safety and enjoyment of other fans, Rogers Centre and the Toronto Blue Jays ask that you please do not sit or stand in the aisles. Aisles must be kept clear at all times.

With the addition of netting throughout the ballpark to ensure fan safety, fans are permitted to enter the seating area at any point in time throughout the game. That being said, fans are strongly encouraged to remain aware as they are entering/exiting their seats.

Cashless Payment

Rogers Centre is a cashless facility. Reverse ATMs (Cash input to receive a preloaded debit card) are available inside Jays Shop (Section 110) and at Fan Services Locations at Sections 141, 212, 236, 508 & 532.

Cell Phone Charging Stations

For fan’s convenience, Rogers Centre offers complimentary Rogers Cell Phone charging stations throughout the ballpark near to all Fan Services locations. Locations on Level100 at Sections123 & 141; Level 200 at Section 236; Level 500 at Sections 508 & 532. These stations accommodate both iPhone and Android devices. We kindly ask that fans return the batteries prior to leaving the ballpark.

Fan Assist

Fans are invited to make use of Rogers Centre Fan Assist Program if they have an issue in their seating section or a question related to their experience. The process is quick and simple and by using the Fan Assist Program, fans are able to report issues in a discreet, anonymous and convenient manner.

Simply send us a text to (647) 5590060 using your mobile phone - please include your issue or question and seating section, row and seat number. Operators are standing by and participation in our service is free of charge; however, standard carrier text messaging & data charges will apply. Please note: Cell phone numbers that repeatedly send messages which are deemed inappropriate, fraudulent or irrelevant may be prevented from communicating in the future.

Fan Services

Fan Services booths are located on the 100-Level near Sections123 &141 on the 200-Level near Sections 212 and 236 and on the 500-Level near Sections 508 and 532. Fans can obtain Misplaced ACE Wristbands for their children and receive assistance related to lost persons or items, pass along feedback and make other general inquires at these locations.

50/50 Draw

Blue Jays 50/50 is the largest raffle in MLB, raising over $55 million over the last 15 years. Last year alone, fans won over $25 million!

When fans purchase a 50/50 ticket, half the proceeds will be allocated to the grand prize, while the other half will go directly to Jays Care programming in communities across Ontario and Nova Scotia! Fans18 years of age or older can buy tickets online by visiting bluejays.com/5050 or by finding our friendly sellers in bright red t-shirts located throughout the ballpark. The Jays Care 50/50 draw is regulated by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.

For more information, please visit bluejays.com/5050. Thank you for your support!

First Aid

First Aid rooms are located on each level near Sections140, 238 and 538. Fans requiring first aid assistance are urged to contact any member of Rogers Centre staff or report to one of our Fan Services or First Aid locations. A certified physician and registered nurses are available during all Blue Jays games and Rogers Centre Events. Ascent EMS will ßalso provide paramedics throughout the facility.

Foul Balls, Homerun Balls & Bats

All fans are asked to stay alert throughout the game for foul balls or bats that might leave the playing area before, during and after the game. Fans can to keep any foul and home run balls that are hit into the seats but are asked to be cautious and courteous to others when collecting a ball. Bats entering the stands must be returned if requested by the Blue Jays or visiting team. Fans are prohibited from throwing balls back onto the field. Violators are subject to ejection and possible arrest. Any fan that interferes with a ball in play or the game in any way is subject to ejection from the ballpark and or criminal prosecution.

In/Out Privileges

Security reasons preclude Rogers Centre from allowing in/out privileges to individuals who choose to leave the building. Exceptions can be made in special circumstances through our Fan Services locations. In these situations, a Security supervisor will be called in to assist with your need.

Jays Shop

Fans are invited to shop at Jays Shop, the Official Team Shop of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located beside Gate 5, Jays Shop is the largest team store in all of Canada. Fans can enter from exterior street level between10:00am to 5:00pm, seven days a week (note: hours subject to change on Toronto Blue Jays home game days). Fans attending Blue Jays games can enter the store at Section 110 upon entering Rogers Centre. For more information, please call (416) 341-2904.

Please note: During Blue Jays games, Jays Shop at Gate 5 will not be accessible to the public and is only accessible to ticketed fans attending the game from the concourse inside of the ballpark.

Blue Jays Authentics

Blue Jays Authentics offers one-of-a-kind authenticated Toronto Blue Jays merchandise directly from the field. Items are certified under Major League Baseball’s Authentication Program. Authenticators Inc. handles all in-game authentication and are only able to authenticate items that come directly into their possession that they can100% guarantee the authenticity of. Authenticated products are available for sale include baseballs, jerseys,

bats, bases and much more. Add to your collection or get a unique keepsake from your Rogers Centre experience by visiting the Jays Shop location at Section146.

Jersey Customization

Jays Shop is pleased to provide jersey cresting on location for fans purchasing jerseys at all Jays Shop locations. For more information, please call 416-3412904.

Jr. Jays Club

The Jr. Jays Club presented by Ontario Honda Dealers is designed for kids 14 and under. This membership program gives young fans access to exclusive benefits, fun activities, special experiences, discounts, and prizes. Parents and guardians can register their children for one of two exciting membership options.

There are two Jr. Jays Club Membership options; Jr. Jays Club Memberships (Free) and Jr. Jays Club All-Star Memberships (Paid). Fans can register to be a Jr. Jays Club Member (Free Membership) through bluejays.com/jrjaysclub. Jr. Jays Club AllStar Memberships will be available for purchase at Jays Shop or through bluejays.com/jrjaysclub.

Membership benefits include 50% off Jr. Jays Tickets, Digital games in Ballpark App and Day of In Game Experiences. In addition, Jr, Jays Club All-Star Members will also receive Membership Merchandise, Access to Exclusive Events and more!

If you have any questions, please email our Jr. Jays Club Member Representatives at jrjaysclub@bluejays.com.

Jr. Jays Sundays

Jr. Jays Sundays take place at every Sunday home game (except Fan Appreciation Weekend) and feature games, activities, and prizes for all kids 14 and under.

On Jr. Jays Sundays, kids can visit our Jr. Jays Zones located on the100, 200 and 500 levels. Majority of our activations run until the end of the game. Postgame, Jr. Jays can run the bases just like the pros. Fans are required to register their Jr. Jays who would like to participate into one of four timeslots that occur post-game:15 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, and 60 minutes. Please visit bluejays.com/jrjaysclub to learn more and register for your Run the Bases slot.

Beginning on June 7th and running until the end of August, kids can also take part in our Jr. Jays Sundays Outdoor Program outside of Gates 5/6, 7/8 and 10/11. Outdoor programming begins at10:30 a.m. and runs up until first pitch. Jr. Jays also have the opportunity to be randomly selected by the J FORCE to participate in various in-game activations.

Please note there will be no Jr. Jays programming or Run the Bases on Opening Weekend or Fan Appreciation Weekend.

Lost and Found

Fans who lose an item during a Blue Jays game are encouraged visit any Fan Services location to check if the item has been returned. Fans can also contact our Fan Services department at 416-341-1000 ext. 3. Lost items are held for approximately 30 days before they are donated to local charities.

Roof Opening/Closing

The decision for the roof to be opened or closed during Blue Jays games is dependent upon information obtained from several weather service sources and MLB regulation. If the game begins with the roof open, the roof can be closed at any time if climatic conditions warrant. If the game begins with the roof closed, it may still be opened before the end of the sixth inning if the Umpire Crew Chief and Blue Jays officials agree the weather has turned in a way that will ensure fan comfort, players comfort and enjoyment. The Blue Jays strive to make Rogers Centre an “outdoor” facility by having the roof open as often as possible. However, the comfort of our fans is a high priority and is always taken into consideration. In Toronto, particularly in June, July, and August high temperatures may result in Heat Warnings issued by the City. Unless fluids are appropriately replaced, heat related illness may occur. Fans with cardiac, respiratory or gastrointestinal problems are at higher risk for heat related illness. Heat related problems can usually be prevented by:

• Applying sunscreen15-30 SPF

• Wearing a hat

• Wearing light, loose-fitting clothes

• Drinking plenty of water or sports drinks

• Limiting alcohol consumption

If you become hot, sweaty, fatigued and thirsty, get out of the sun immediately and replenish your fluids. If these symptoms continue or you develop dizziness or muscle cramps, visit one of our First Aid rooms for further evaluation and treatment.

Security Measures

In order to provide our fans with a safe environment, the following security measures may be in effect:

• Searches at all entry gates will include the inspection of all items that are carried into the ballpark. Everyone entering will be subject to full searches of their person, with the use of walk-through metal detectors (WTMD); other methods include handheld metal detectors or pat downs.

• Searches may cause delays in entering the ballpark and we encourage everyone to arrive early. Those patrons who do not carry any items into the ballpark will enter more rapidly than those who bring items. Fans are encouraged to leave belongings in their vehicles or at home when possible.

• Law enforcement personnel will be present at all entrances throughout the facility along with our staff to ensure fan safety. We thank our fans for their patience and

cooperation in making your experience at Rogers Centre safe and enjoyable.

• Please report any suspicious activity in or around Rogers Centre - See Something, Say Something. Call (416) 341-1200.

• Safety is everyone's responsibility - if you see suspicious activity, please report it to any member of our Event staff or uniformed Police personnel.

Multi-Purpose and Universal Washrooms

Multi-Purpose Washrooms are available for all fans requiring a little extra room or privacy. These washrooms are located near Sections142, 238 and 538.

A Universal Washroom is located at Section 119. This washroom has with extra space and an adult change table.

If you have any issues gaining access to either of these areas, please ask a staff member for assistance or visit one of our Fan Services locations to report the inconvenience.

Strollers and Mobility Device Storage

The Toronto Blue Jays and Rogers Centre welcome fans with mobility devices, strollers, and/or wagons but kindly ask that all strollers or wagons be checked at the nearest designated location to their seats. Fans are not permitted to store in their seats, at the top of the aisle, or in not designated areas on the concourse. We encourage fans to limit the size of their strollers or wagons brought to the ballpark. Folding devices are strongly encouraged.

For more information on locations, please visit bluejays.com/bluejays/information.

Trespassing

Any fan venturing onto the playing field or restricted areas before, during or after a game or event will be subject to criminal prosecution under the criminal code. Fans are also prohibited from accessing dugout roofs, bullpens, clubhouses and all other nonticketed areas within Rogers Centre

Video Display Board Messages

Celebrate your special occasion at the ballpark with a Videoboard Celebration, Presented by The Keg! With a $177donation to Jays Care Foundation, you can celebrate your special occasion with your message displayed on the videoboard. Visit jayscare.com to reserve your Birthday, Anniversary or Special Welcome greeting during your selected Blue Jays home game.Your support will help to provide over 50,000 children and youth with access to sport and recreational programming. A tax receipt will be provided for donations. Jays Care Foundation can’t wait to celebrate your special occasion at Rogers Centre this season.l FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT BLUEJAYS.COM

2026 PROMOTIONS AND EVENTS SCHEDULE

JULY

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

BLUEJAYS

BUFFALO BISONS

INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE, EAST DIVISION

Sahlen Field

One James D. Griffin Plaza, Buffalo, NY 14203

Phone

Fax

Website .

MINOR LEAGUE AFFILIATES

(716) 846-2000

(716) 852-6530

www.bisons.com

Email info@bisons.com

Owner/Senior Chairman

Chairman/Rich Products Corporation Exec. Chairman, R.E.G

President/Rich Entertainment Group, Senior VP, Finance & Family Office

President, Rich Baseball Operations

Vice President, Operations & Finance

Vice President, Food Service Operations

General Manager

Assistant General Manager

Director, Stadium Operations

Baseball Operations, Home Clubhouse

Head Groundskeeper

Robert E. Rich Jr.

Melinda R. Rich

Joseph W. Segarra

Michael Buczkowski

Kevin Parkinson

Robert Free

Anthony Sprague

Brad Bisbing

Brian Phillips

Scott Lesher

Jeff Smolka

Chief Engineer Mark Blaake

Commissary Manager

Engineer

Engineer

“Voice of the Bisons”/Manager, Baseball Communications

Eugene Steele

Alan Davis

Jonathan Pappagallo

Pat Malacaro

Retail, Licensing & Entertainment Manager Theresa MacDonald

Community Relations/Receptionist

Digital & Social Content Coordinator

Graphic Designer

Entertainment & Promotions Coordinator

Gail Hodges

Marissa Packard

Ally Marcano

Amanda Ballestero

Video & Digital Productions Coordinator C. J. Gates

Assistant Manager, Retail Store

Director, Sales

Director, Ticket Office Operations

Director, Corporate Sales

Account Executive

Account Executive

Account Executive

Chris Michalski

Geoff Lundquist

Mike Poreda

Jim Harrington

Sara Acker

Jarret Gilson

Mark Gordon

Account Executive Burt Mirti

Account Executive

Ticket Office & Sales Fulfillment Manager

Director, Food & Beverage Operations

Food Service Operations Supervisor

Manager, Pub at the Park

Kitchen Manager, Pub at the Park

Accounting Manager

Accountant

Payroll Administrator

Executive Assistant

Visiting Clubhouse Manager

Team Photographer

Shaun O’Lay

Ari Musialowski

Sean Regan

Curt Anderson

Kailey Gyorffy

Dean Williams

Chas Fiscella

Amy Delaney

Tori Dwyer

Tina Lesher

Jordan VanEpps

Jim McCoy

Manager Casey Candaele

Bench Coach

Pitching Coach

Hitting Coach

Asst. Hitting Coach

Asst. Pitching Coach

Position Coach

Athletic Trainer

Athletic Trainer

Head Strength and Conditioning Coach

Asst. Strength and Conditioning Coach

Dietitian

Senior Mental Performance Coach

Technology Assistant

Stadium

Seating Capacity

Cesar Martin

Drew Hayes

Matt Young

Trevor Cho

Henry Leake

Chris Schaeffer

Jason Schwartzman

Roelvis Vargas

Taylor Whitley

Zach Kollar

Stephanie Boville

Tyler Klein

Alec Schulte

Sahlen Field

NEW HAMPSHIRE FISHER CATS

EASTERN LEAGUE, NORTHEAST DIVISION

Delta Dental Stadium

One Line Drive, Manchester, NH 03101

Phone (603) 641-2005

Website www.nhfishercats.com

Email .

Ownership

info@nhfishercats.com

Diamond Baseball Holdings

General Manager Taylor Fisher

Assistant General Manager

Andrew Marais

Business Manager Sara McClennan

Director, Ticket Sales & Services Nate Newcombe Manager, Ticket Operations Derek Dingley

Inside Sales Manager Jackson Cain

Account Executive, Ticket Sales

Connor Young

Account Executive, Ticket Sales Rich Burleigh

Account Executive, Ticket Sales Shaelyn Hanscom

Account Executive, Ticket Sales

Tyler Rolfe

Director, Corporate Partnerships Benjamin Whelan

Coordinator, Partnership Management Courtney Peltak

Account Executive, Corporate Partnerships

Brian Hodlin

Account Executive, Corporate Partnerships John Reed

Manager, Broadcasting & Media Relations Chris Jared Manager, Fan Experience & Creative Services Meagan Ruger-Smith Coordinator, Digital Marketing

Abby Provencal Manager, Community Relations Elsa Edgar

Regional Merchandise Manager Alex Kossakoski

Manager, Guest Services.

Sam Geanacopoulos

Director, Stadium Operations Brady Lachemann

Manager, Stadium Operations Dominic Scott

Director, Field Operations Drew Lorenzo

Assistant Manager, Field Operations Kellen Gelinas Director, Food & Beverage

Brad McClennan

Catering & Premium Manager Erin Young

Chef Jonathan Phillips

Manager

John Tamargo Jr.

Bench Coach Mike McRae

Pitching Coach Austin Bibens-Dirkx

Hitting Coach

Mitch Huckabay

Asst. Pitching Coach Robelin Bautista

Position Coach Luis Silva

Athletic Trainer Katie Reyes

Athletic Trainer Matt Beauregard

Head Strength and Conditioning Coach

Bailey Forst

Asst. Strength and Conditioning Coach Edwin Ortiz

Dietitian Sabrina Weissman

Chef

Geoffrey Soriano

Senior Mental Performance Coach Tyler Klein

Technology Assistant Nathan Sarro

Stadium Delta Dental Stadium Capacity

Outfield Distances

VANCOUVER CANADIANS

NORTHWEST LEAGUE

Rogers Field at Nat Bailey Stadium

4601 Ontario Street, Vancouver, BC V5V 3H4

Phone (604) 872-5232

Fax

(604) 872-1714

Website www.canadiansbaseball.com

Email staff@canadiansbaseball.com

Operated By

Diamond Baseball Holdings

Chairman, Vancouver Canadians Jake Kerr

Chairman, Canadians Baseball Foundation Jeff Mooney

General Manager Allan Bailey

Financial Controller Brenda Chmiliar

Vice President of Sales & Marketing.

Walter Cosman

Director, Sales & Marketing Rob Fai

Manager, Ticket Operations

Manager, Marketing Services

Senior Coordinator, Sales

Coordinator, Sales

Coordinator, Sales

Coordinator, Sales

Jacob Nakhleh

Rosemary Alberts

Cooper Misic

Drew Howson

Ben Letwin

Dietitian.

Stadium.

Capacity.

Outfield Distances.

Dale

TD Ballpark

Zachary Mahaffy Coordinator, Sales

Associate, Sales

Associate, Sales

Coordinator, Accounting

Manager, Broadcasting & Media Relations

Head Groundskeeper

Manager

Bench Coach

Dawson Marchand

Chris Georges

Matthew Reyes

Charlene Yaroshuk

Tyler Zickel

Levi Weber

Jose Mayorga

Matt von Roemer

Pitching Coach Eric Yardley

Hitting Coach

Asst. Pitching Coach

Position Coach

Athletic Trainer

Athletic Trainer

Jonathan Davis

Thomas Caulfield

Petr Stríbrcky

Dalton Holemo

Callista Tsangarakis

Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Joe Cardona

Asst. Strength and Conditioning Coach

Mental Performance Coach

Dietitian

Technology Assistant

Home Clubhouse Manager

Stadium

Noah Or

Juan Garcia

Kat Musial

Owen Ruddock

Glenn Hall

Nat Bailey Stadium

Capacity 6,013

Outfield Distances

DUNEDIN BLUE JAYS

FLORIDA STATE LEAGUE, WEST DIVISION

TD Ballpark

373 Douglas Ave., Dunedin, FL 34698

Phone

FCL BLUE JAYS

FLORIDA COMPLEX LEAGUE, NORTH DIVISION

Toronto Blue Jays Player Development Complex 3031 Garrison Road, Dunedin, FL 34698

Phone

Fax

Manager.

Bench Coach.

Pitching Coach.

Asst. Pitching Coach.

Hitting Coach.

Hitting Coach.

Position Coach.

Athletic Trainer.

Athletic Trainer.

Athletic Trainer.

Head Strength and Conditioning Coach.

Asst. Strength and Conditioning Coach.

Dietitian.

Mental Performance Coach.

Technology Assistant.

(727) 733-9302

Fax (727) 734-7661

Website

www.dunedinbluejays.com

Email dunedin@bluejays.com

Vice President, Florida Operations

General Manager

Head of Florida Security

Finance & Office Admin. Manager

Project Manager

Supervisor, Ticket Sales & Operations

Community Relations & Group Sales Specialist

Coordinator, Ticket Sales & Business Operations

Manager, Merchandise & Retail Sales

Coordinator, Retail Sales & Operations

Coordinator, In-Game Entertainment & Promos

Supervisor of Stadium Operations

Senior Building Operator

Electrician

Ballpark Operations

Ballpark Operations

Administrative Assistant

Head Superintendent

Assistant Head of Grounds

Florida Ops Clubhouse Manager

Home Clubhouse Coordinator

Visiting Clubhouse Coordinator

Manager

Bench Coach

Pitching Coach

Hitting Coach

Position Coach

Asst. Pitching Coach

Athletic Trainer

Athletic Trainer

Head Strength and Conditioning Coach

Asst. Stength and Conditioning Coach

Mental Performance Coach

Shelby Nelson

Matt Woak

Jason Weaving

Holly Larsen

Mary Anderson

Mitch Albright

Charles Henderson

Kayla Nussbaumer

Kathi Beckman

Zakk Netzel

Alexis Pennell

Justin Williams

Joe Ferrentino

Daniel Van Vaerenbergh

Evan Kaminski

Riley Ring

Nick Riccione

Patrick Skunda

Chris VanHorn

Bobby Walker

Brett Goldstein

Steven Morris

Ryan Casteel

Ashley Stephenson

Brett Kennedy

Nash Knight

Andy Fermin

Antonio Caceres

Luke Greene

Rob Shifrin

Zane Hunt

Abimael Lebron

Caitlin Haworth

(727) 734-8007

(727) 734-8162

Danny Canellas

Dimas Ponce

Yoel Hernandez

Sawyer Bridges

Jacob Caples

Jesus Azuaje

Angel Guzman

Alain Pacheco Vidal

Katelynn Parks

Blake Wood

Cadin Maynard

Jesus Viera

Stephanie Tavel

Erika Monsalve

Tobias Coker Home Field.

DSL BLUE JAYS - BLUE

DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE D.R. Academy Boca Chica, Dominican Republic Manager.

Player Development Complex

Ashley Ponce Bench Coach.

Jose Ferrer Pitching Coach.

Victor Ramos Hitting Coach.

Ricardo Nanita Position Coach.

Jose Mateo Asst. Pitching Coach.

Ramon Marte Athletic Trainer.

Ysidro Reyes Athletic Trainer.

Katelynn Parks Athletic Trainer.

Blake Wood Head Strength and Conditioning Coach.

Imbewer Alvarez Asst. Strength and Conditioning Coach.

Sebastian Aveledo Nutritionist.

Jaditchinie Ritza Francois Asst. Nutritionist.

Ana Haddad Mental Performance Coach.

Erika Monsalve Technology Assistant.

TOR DR Academy

Bryhan Matos Home Field.

DSL BLUE JAYS – RED

DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE

D. R. Academy

Boca Chica, Dominican Republic Manager.

Deiferson Barreto Bench Coach.

Branden Gonzalez Pitching Coach.

Rafael Monsion Hitting Coach.

Asst. Pitching Coach.

Reed Lavallee

Mark Ossanna Position Coach.

Juan Nunez Athletic Trainer.

Ysidro Reyes Athletic Trainer.

Blake Wood

Katelynn Parks Athletic Trainer.

Asst. Strength and Conditioning Coach.

Marcos Sierra Asst. Strength and Conditioning Coach.

Natalia Arcos Rivera Nutritionist.

Jaditchinie Ritza Francois Asst. Nutritionist.

Ana Haddad Mental Performance Coach.

Erika Monsalve Technology & Coaching Assistant.

TOR DR Academy

Diego Colon Home Field.

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