ORLANDO, Florida. Earlier this week New York Yankees Head coach Aaron Boone gave a thoughtful answer when asked about how to close the gap between his team and the team. Toronto Blue Jays.
“Well, I mean, playing better against them is a really simple answer,” Boone told New York reporters at the winter meetings. “At the end of the day, we tied the knot with them. But head-to-head, they kicked our ass, especially during those summer months. In that stretch where we fought a little bit, they beat us, including a four-game sweep, and that obviously hurt us in the end.
“Two of the three we got houses at the end of the year when we were in a better place,” Boone continued. “And obviously they were against us in the playoffs. Look, it comes down to matchups against other good teams, execution, execution, game plan and everything else, because the difference against other great teams is not significant.”
When the regular season ended, the Blue Jays and Yankees had identical records of 94–68, but the Blue Jays won the AL East because they won the season series 8–5. Then, at the end of the season, the Blue Jays won the ALDS in four games en route to an eventual World Series matchup against the Dodgers.
This was a season where every advantage mattered, no matter how small. And under these circumstances, it is notable that, according to industry sources, the Blue Jays picked up at least one Yankees on-field tip during the ALDS – an observation that helped the Blue Jays hitters en route to a four-game series win.
The sources were not authorized to speak on the matter or share details of what the Blue Jays saw because the information was confidential and could affect future games. But this much is already clear: When the Blue Jays and Yankees competed for the AL East title in September, the teams looked closely at one of them for possible clues.
On September 5, Cam Schlittler allowed four runs in just 1.2 innings against the Blue Jays. Afterwards, he said he voted to serve against Toronto. Two days later, Aaron Judge and the Yankees hit Max Scherzer, throwing him out of the game in the fifth inning.
“Yes, they passed,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said at the time. “They're good at it. Max has to get a little better. That was obvious from the changes.”
“And it's fair game.”
As Schneider said in September, such sightings are legal and have been part of the game since the game has been played. They run every October from the wild card round through the World Series, and it doesn't mean the Yankees were sloppy or that the same lead will continue into 2026.
Ultimately, the responsibility for execution lies with the players, regardless of what information they receive. In this case, the Blue Jays' players performed at an extremely high level, batting .338/.373/.601 as a team against Yankees pitchers. Whatever small advantage their information may give, it only makes a big difference in matches against Max Fried, Luis Gil, Carlos Rodon and Schlittler.
Blue Jays hitters still had to execute in the ALDS—and they did.
However, this example illustrates the improved internal cohesion of a Blue Jays team that finished last in the American League East in 2024. Not only did Toronto's staff learn some key details about the Yankees, but they were able to relay those observations to players who trusted the messages conveyed by those around them. The most important thing is that the players performed then, advancing to the ALCS and beyond.
While this may be surprising to outside observers, those involved in the game know that these kinds of observational trade-offs are part of everyday life at the field level. Every advantage matters, no matter how small, especially when the stakes are high. In the end, the players will determine the outcome, and ideally information helps.
In the World Series, sources say the Dodgers kept a close eye on the Blue Jays, believing Toronto might have something on them as well (again, allowed under MLB rules). It's unclear whether the Blue Jays did it or not, but the mind games were definitely real during October.
And when the new season begins in a couple of months, the task of observing, communicating and ultimately using these small details will begin all over again.
