Yes, the prevailing sentiment coming out of the Toronto Blue Jays’ dramatic World Series run is one of missed opportunities and coming agonizingly close to glory. But as time helps ease fans’ pain, it is growing increasingly evident how many players improved their legacies over the postseason.
From under-performing stars to aging veterans inching closer to over-the-hill status to relative unknowns who hadn’t established themselves as everyday major leaguers, the Blue Jays saw numerous players seize the moment and redefine themselves.
Let’s take a closer look at who raised their stock along the way to a near World Series triumph.
The Stars
. (27) and Bo Bichette (11) of the Toronto Blue Jays celebrate after defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in game four of the 2025 MLB World Series. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Toronto was always going to be defined by the performance of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, two homegrown, second-generation stars who have served as the heartbeat of the franchise since 2019.
And both had plenty to prove. Guerrero Jr. had work to do in justifying the 14-year, $500 million mega-deal he signed back in April, especially after a pedestrian regular season, while Bichette needed to bounce back from a disastrous 2024 season to secure his own contract.
Guerrero Jr. came up huge for the Blue Jays when it mattered most, crushing opposing pitchers to the tune of eight home runs in 18 games, along with a .397 average and a 1.289 OPS and an ALCS MVP award.
Bichette, meanwhile, set himself up perfectly for free agency, hitting .311 with 18 home runs and 94 RBI in the regular season. A knee sprain robbed the 27-year-old of most of the postseason run, but he delivered in the playoffs with a .348 average and a dramatic three-run home run in Game 7 that would have meant much more had Toronto held on to win.
Now that the dust has settled, Guerrero Jr. has done plenty to live up to his contract and Bichette is already attracting widespread interest on the free agent market.
Aging Veterans
Heading into the 2025 season, there were very real concerns about how the final two years on the contract of George Springer would play out and whether the now 36-year-old was in decline.
Coming off career lows in average (.220) and OPS (.674), Springer responded emphatically to his doubters, mashing 32 home runs and hitting a career-best .309 for a surprising renaissance in his 12th major league season.
In the postseason, Springer continued to offer solid production at the top of the lineup and authored one of the biggest home runs in team history, delivering a ‘Springer Dinger‘ to lead Toronto to victory in Game 7 of the ALCS.
Springer went from potential albatross to arguably the team’s regular-season MVP, becoming a Blue Jays legend along the way. He headlined a group of ‘turn-back-the-clock’ old-timers like Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer who came up big despite being in the twilight of their careers.
Relative Unknowns
Toronto Blue Jays
(47) and
(22) celebrate a regular season victory with a hug. | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images
There are plenty of Toronto players who are now household names after the World Series run that certainly weren’t before.
Ernie Clement set a major league record for hits in a single postseason with 30. Addison Barger posted a slash line of .367/.441/.583 in the playoffs while delivering a pinch hit grand slam in Game 1 of the World Series. Even Louis Varland set a new playoff record with 15 relief appearances.
Of course, no Blue Jay burst onto the scene this postseason, quite like Trey Yesavage. A late-season call-up with just three regular-season appearances to his credit, the 22-year-old dazzled with a 3-1 record, a 3.58 ERA, and 39 strikeouts in 27.2 innings of work. He made three World Series appearances for Toronto, including getting the Game 1 start.
There are numerous questions to be answered before the Blue Jays can set their sights on a return to the World Series, namely, Bichette’s future. Most other aforementioned playoff stars, however, should be back in 2026. And now we know that they can step up in the biggest moments.
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