This Jays team is going to play in the World Series..! It still hasn't totally sunk in. Division champs, American League champs. I try to be as optimistic as possible about this team but I absolutely did not see this coming earlier in the season.
I was quite surprised to see Gausman used out of the bullpen last night to pitch the 7th. He made it work but I don't think he's suited to the relief role. Bassitt's quick 8th inning on the other hand; I would like to see more of that if he's not being used as a starter in the World Series. Hoffman was nails in the 9th.
I expect most people will be picking the Dodgers to win the World Series. I think that would be the case no matter which team came out of the AL. But I hope the Jays can give LA a good challenge at the very least. LA has very good starting pitching. Toronto, when firing on all cylinders, has a very good lineup that doesn't strike out and can really rack up hits. I like the idea of seeing this strength vs. strength sort of match up, assuming both teams play to the best of their abilities. Let's go Blue Jays!
It's a bummer for Seattle. I hope they come back stronger next year. Many of their core players are in their prime years right now. I'm not sure how many of their guys are coming up on free agency, but assuming they can run it back and/or make some good additions to the roster, they ought to be a really good team again in 2026.