The Toronto Blue Jays had their best year in 2025 since 1993, making it to Game 7 in the World Series, and coming just a few inches away from winning it all – though ultimately falling to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
For many Canadians, as the sting of defeat begins to fade, what’s left are the good memories of this year’s playoff run. Earlier this week, we asked Globe readers what the 2025 Toronto Blue Jays World Series has meant to them. From lifelong fans to enthusiastic newbies, here are some highlights from their responses.
Toronto Blue Jays' Bo Bichette hits a three-run home run in the third inning of Game 7.Kevin Sousa/Reuters
Neil Morse, Halifax
“The Jays are a joy to witness. Bo Bichette’s three-run homer in Game 7 was so electric it gave me full body goosebumps. Ernie Clement’s joyous slide into home for his run touches the pure enjoyment of playing a sport in all of us. The players and staff’s obvious respect and care for each other was fully evident throughout this season. Thank you Jays for a great season & an unforgettable 2025 World Series.”
Opinion: Congrats on the loss, Toronto. It was a masterpiece
Laurie O’Donnell, Vancouver
“I enjoyed every minute of these last series. It was the exceptional teamwork that drew me in. Young guys given chances to shine, names we know pulling through tough moments. Forty-one million people were aligned, proud and grateful for a team that really showed the Canadian way. Victory was not ours on the last score but what an amazing victory of leadership.”
Andy Powell Williams, Mexico
“The Jays showed how a group of individuals, each talented and skilled, can come together and show what a real team can do by supporting each other and relishing each other’s success. I loved watching [them] enjoy each other, chatting in the dugout, laughing and joking especially when things got tough. Having fun playing ball! What a great model for young kids. What a great example for world peace. Win or lose, it was a treat to watch.”
Bruce McQuade, St. Albert, Alta.
“The Jays showed us what professional sports could be like when players play for the love of the game and each other. I wish they could preserve this team and the team spirit they demonstrated forever. At 70 years old, I cried silent tears when the final out came, not only for the loss, but even more so for the end of this remarkable team and time. Thanks from the heart to every Blue Jay. I have never been so proud to call this team ‘Canada’s team,’ for they showed all of us what a true Team Canada spirit should look and feel like – something bigger than oneself! Bless every one of them!”
Blue Jays fan Tadziu Krawiec waves a team flag outside of the Rogers Centre before the start of Game 6.Duane Cole/The Globe and Mail
Michael Bowering, Hamilton, Ont.
“I don’t typically follow baseball. The last few weeks, however, have felt like meeting a stranger on a bus, becoming best friends, spending many nights hanging out, and then suddenly they’re killed in a car accident. I’m stunned, but more so in realization of how much love can materialize in such short a time. And how much pain you can feel for someone you were barely aware of a month ago.”
Mark Friedman, Toronto
“The outpouring of support for the Jays, and the collective hug we are giving them and each other, would not have happened if they had won. Sure, elation and victory are more fun, but the widespread expression of gratitude their loss has ignited is in many ways more profound. Instead of basking in glory, I instead taught my young son about persevering against the odds, being gracious in defeat, and facing triumphs and disappointments together as a team. Is there anything more important? And is there anything more Canadian?”
Opinion: The Blue Jays and the power of love
Toronto Blue Jays fans celebrate first-inning homers at the start of Game 5 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.Barbara Davidson/The Globe and Mail
Avina Gupta, Atlanta
“I’ve lived in the U.S. for over 20 years – nearly half my life – and I miss Canada so much. The Blue Jays playoff run lit my heart on fire. Even here in the Deep South, I got so many comments and ‘Go Jays’ cheers from virtual strangers. That rare delicious moment of crossing paths with another Blue Jays-adorned Canadian was electric. It was like every Canadian the world over, regardless of current address, was united in one unifying tide of hope. I’ve always been proud to be Canadian, but this Blue Jays run reunited me with my fellow Canadians and the country of my birth. In our world today, to me, it was everything.”
‘Totally, utterly obsessed’: Blue Jays spark a surge of interest in baseball from a new generation
Joanna Polley, Toronto
“What this team gave us meant so much more than a World Series. My son is a ball player – he and I have always been fans – but we barely missed a game this whole season. This team taught him that hard work and playing for each other is better than being a superstar and that’s what he aspires to now. Watching the beautiful way this team played the game and the fun they seemed to be having doing it set this country on fire. We got to know and love all the guys on the team and we’ll never forget what they’ve done for all of us. We wanted them to win only because we wanted to see these guys laugh and celebrate one more time. It was heartbreaking watching them look so sad, but other than that, we couldn’t care less that they didn’t bring home a trophy. They were magic.”
Fans cheer for Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer as he leaves the field during Game 7.Brynn Anderson/The Associated Press
Jay Tewari, Toronto
“I came to Canada as a young immigrant from India soon after the Blue Jays won the World Series in ’93. Cricket and baseball are similar, so I quickly understood the nuances and differences, caught the fever and moved on with life. Today, 32 years later, Canada has given me a lot – I thrive and make a living, met my wife and have a family. I can’t quite put it in words, but this year took me back both to my young days as well as my time before I came here. It made me reflect on my life. I also saw my son, now eight, catch the same baseball fever. He imitates the pitchers and constantly asks me to play with him.
I remember watching Vladdy’s father playing on the Expos. On July 7, 2001, when he threw out Alberto Castillo at home plate, I was watching the game. He was a legend. All these memories came gushing back this summer. Thank you, Blue Jays, for taking me back.”
