NEW YORK — In the visiting clubhouse at Yankee Stadium. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was doused with champagne and talked about the biggest victory of his life. Wearing ski goggles and a wet 2025 ALCS Blue Jays T-shirt, he answered question after question as music blasted from the club's speakers.
“The job isn't done yet,” he calmly told one member of the media after the Blue Jays beat the Yankees 5-2 to advance to the ALCS. “We still have eight left.”
As soon as Guerrero Jr. finished the interview, another wave of reporters arrived with more questions, this time in Spanish.
At times he was calm, at times more animated. “Yeah, the Yankees are losing,” a smiling Guerrero Jr. told David Ortiz, Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter live on FOX Sports as Yariel Rodriguez doused him with beer.
After an ALDS performance in which Guerrero Jr. collected nine hits, including three home runs, there was no doubt that he belonged in the spotlight as the Blue Jays celebrated a 3-1 series win over the Yankees. Close, like Bo Bichette while celebrating the victory with his teammates, he reflected on achieving another milestone with his longtime friend and teammate.
“It’s not surprising,” Bichette said. “I think he just enjoys being in those moments. It was amazing to watch.”
“Our whole career we wanted to win the World Series,” Bichette continued. “Obviously we're not there yet, but it's a huge step. It's a real blessing to be part of this group.”
With the win, the Blue Jays did something they hadn't done in nine years: win a playoff series. They return to the ALCS for the first time since 2016 with a matchup against the Tigers or Mariners starting Sunday in Toronto.
Later, as the team celebrated the victory on the field, president Mark Shapiro stood calmly near the visitors' bench, reflecting on what they had just accomplished. He had high praise for the Yankees, praising the overall strength of their roster, including the recent trades for Ryan McMahon and David Bednar. But while the Yankees were a formidable opponent, Shapiro described the 2025 Blue Jays as a model of resilience, determination and team effort.
“And these guys really epitomize that,” Shapiro told Sportsnet.ca. “When you watch a holiday, you hope that you're celebrating, not just winning, but doing it in a way that makes the city and the country – and I was proud of that. That's how it felt.”
Shapiro then paused briefly before adding another thought.
“That and the silence at Yankee Stadium,” he said, smiling. “This is the greatest sound. I've heard it twice in my career. And as much as I've always wanted to celebrate at home, this would be the second best place in the world to celebrate because there's nothing better than hearing complete silence and just 30 guys in the middle of the field. It's incredible.”
The win was emblematic of the 2025 Blue Jays because it featured so many different players and showcased many of the team's strengths: tough batting, strong defense and much improved relievers.
But the significance of this victory goes far beyond this season. It's a release after nine years of disappointment, a new high point for players, coaches and front office staff, and confirmation that the work that goes on behind the scenes really pays off.
On the pitching side, Louis Varland, Mason Fluharty, Ceranthony Dominguez, Eric Lauer, Yariel Rodriguez, Brendon Little, Braydon Fisher and Jeff Hoffman combined to limit the best lineup in baseball to just two runs on six hits.
At the plate, Guerrero Jr. has been the offensive star of the series, but Wednesday's victory was made possible by a team approach that included plenty of contact and aggressive base running. The Blue Jays struck out just twice against powerful Yankees starter Cam Schlittler, who dominated the Red Sox en route to 12 strikeouts in his playoff debut last week.
And on such a day such big names as George Springer and Anthony Santander played relatively quietly, the biggest hits belonged to Ernie Clement, Nathan Lux and Miles Straw, each of whom were considered role players entering the season.
“It’s pretty cool to beat them, man, and the way we did it was pretty cool,” Shapiro said.
Throughout the ALDS, the Blue Jays showed enviable depth, defeating an extremely talented Yankees team that, although built differently than the Blue Jays, had a legitimate chance to return to the World Series if not for their AL East rivals.
The series win moves the Blue Jays four wins away from their first World Series appearance since 1993, but the season is already a success in many ways.
For homegrown players like Guerrero Jr., Bichette and Alejandro KirkThese three wins are the first of their playoff careers. They have now won their first major league series, building on the success they had in the minor leagues under John Schneider back in 2017.
“I'm really happy for them because the last couple of years it's been just bad luck in the postseason,” Schneider said. “For Vlad to get the series he did, hopefully Bo can come back and Kirky being who he's been all year, it would be great to flip the narrative a little bit and go into the ALCS.”
For Schneider and his coaching staff, the win is a reward for the hard work that has gone on behind the scenes all year and proof that the adjustments made after painful playoff runs in 2022 and 2023 are paying off.
“It makes you feel good about the work you do and the support you get from so many different people who don’t get recognition,” Schneider said. “I'm usually scrutinized for good or bad decisions – usually bad. But it gives us a lot of satisfaction if we stick to the process.”
And for a front office that has come under much public criticism as recently as this offseason, the win shows that Shapiro is keeping the organization healthy and that general manager Ross Atkins has built a strong roster by acquiring every player on the 40-man roster except Guerrero Jr.
As Schneider recently noted, baseball can be a brutal game. After Wednesday, the Yankees will certainly be able to confirm that. But while the Blue Jays have endured their fair share of brutal moments in recent years, including playoff wins and painful misses in free agency, others are now having to overcome that pain.
In Toronto, the work pays off. While new challenges await this team, together they have reached heights this franchise hasn't reached in years and have the chance to achieve even more.
“It means a lot. We've had a lot of ups and downs, so it's nice to win with them,” Guerrero Jr. said. “I’ve been playing with them since 2016 and in my opinion we need to continue, believe in each other and try to win everything.”
