The Toronto Blue Jays put together an impressive run last season, rising from a last place finish in the American League East in 2024 to 94 wins, the top seed in the junior circuit and their first AL pennant since 1993.
Unfortunately for Toronto, they were two outs away from closing out the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 7 of the World Series before their lead vanished, and they ultimately lost the game and the series in heartbreaking fashion.
But after the heartbreak wore off, the Blue Jays made some big moves to boost their pitching staff, re-signing Max Scherzer while also adding Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce.
Stephen J. Nesbitt of The Athletic conducted surveys from every fanbase in Major League Baseball, and 96.2 percent of Blue Jays fans are feeling pretty good about the team at the start of the 2026 season.
“Having our hearts ripped out in front of the world wasn’t great,” one fan said. “But after some time, you realize an unexpected playoff run is one of the best experiences you can have as a fan. We’ll slay the giant this year.”
Toronto Blue Jays Fans Riding High in 2026
Clearly, the World Series loss hurt the fanbase. The team was two outs away from “slaying the giant” for all intents and purposes, and it watched its hopes completely disappear with one swing of the bat by Miguel Rojas.
However, that hasn’t dampened the optimism of the fanbase. While the World Series defeat still stings for many, there is renewed hope for 2026 after the Ponce, Cease and Scherzer signings. Tyler Rogers was also added to the bullpen on a three-year deal.
One adjustment they will have to make is constructing a lineup without Bo Bichette. He signed a three-year contract with the New York Mets last offseason, but the signing of Kazuma Okamoto should help boost the offense a little bit.
“I can’t expect as much offensive power as in their magical 2025 season, but I can expect better run prevention with the additions of Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce in the rotation and Tyler Rogers in the ‘pen, as well as better infield defense with Bo Bichette’s absence,” another fan said.
Blue Jays Should Be in Good Shape
The rest of the American League East, save for the Baltimore Orioles, didn’t make a whole lot of noteworthy moves in the offseason, so Toronto is easily still the favorite to win the division, and that has their fans excited for another year of baseball.
The moves they made should set them apart from the rest of the pack. In the American League, there don’t appear to be any teams better equipped to handle the Dodgers in the World Series than Toronto and possibly the Seattle Mariners.
It will be interesting to see if the Blue Jays can actually finish the job this year and finally slay the giant that is the Dodgers. Time will tell if they have a team good enough to beat the mighty Dodgers in the World Series this coming October should a rematch take place.
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