Being a Blue Jays fan these days is truly a labor of love. What started with high hopes for the 2025 MLB season began with a bang but ultimately turned to whimpers, much like the previous year. However, with Vlad Jr. peaking at the right time, as an Eternal Blue Jays fan, I’m hoping they make the playoffs.
They are currently in the Wild Card hunt, three games back in the AL East, which has sports betting in Canada buzzing with excitement. With my optimism returning, I couldn’t help but think back about the back-to-back Blue Jays champions and those bleak years.
Learning How to Fly: Toronto’s Introduction to MLB
Before 1977, the only MLB team outside the United States was the Montreal Expos, now known as the Washington Nationals. 1977 was also the first year of the Seattle Mariners. Like Toronto, Seattle was awarded an expansion team in 1976.
Initially, the Blue Jays were known as the Toronto Giants because the San Francisco Giants were nearly relocating to Toronto. Due to a court order, the Giants remained in San Francisco. As a result, the new Toronto team settled on its current name, The Blue Jays.
Also, like any expansion team, the Toronto Blue Jays struggled in their early years. The Blue Jays’ first stadium was Exhibition Stadium. In the early years, the Blue Jays had their wings clipped, and they finished at the bottom of the AL East standings.
The 80’s: The Blue Jays Learn How to Fly
It was through these tough and lean years that the Blue Jays developed their devoted fan base. It wouldn’t be until 1983 that the Blue Jays finished with their first winning season.
Finally, in 1985, the Blue Jays made their first playoff appearance under first-year manager Bobby Cox. If that name sounds familiar, Bobby Cox was the long-time manager for the Atlanta Braves, a powerhouse in the 1990s and also a World Series challenger to the Blue Jays in 1992.
As the 80s pressed on, new Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston would be the manager who helped the Blue Jays soar into the golden era. The road to the World Series began with back-to-back AL East Division titles. Then, in 1992, the Blue Jays claimed their first World Series title against Bobby Cox’s Atlanta Braves in six games. And dramatically, they won their second-straight World Series in 1993 with a dramatic walk-off home run by Joe Carter against the Phillies.
The Obscurity Era Begins
With Blue Jays fever running high in 1994 for a third-straight championship, hopes soon faded. The Blue Jays got off to their worst start since 1982. To compound matters, the 1994 MLB strike ended any chance of a Blue Jays three-peat.
When the MLB season resumed in 1995, the Blue Jays had a new general manager. However, the change would begin several years of futility. The Blue Jays would finish last in the AL East in 1995, a startling 30 games behind the Boston Red Sox.
Despite having a CY Young winner, 1996 would be another dismal year for the Toronto Blue Jays. In 1997, the Blue Jays signed Roger Clemens. Despite having a banner year, the Blue Jays again failed to make the postseason in 1997.
After another losing season, before the start of the 1998 season, longtime manager Cito Gaston was replaced with Tim Johnson. The Blue Jays would finish with their first winning season since 1993. The Blue Jays barely missed the Wild Card playoffs. For the rest of the 1990s, the 2000s, and most of the 2010s, the Blue Jays underwent new ownership, new managers, and trades, yet still fell short of their goals.
The Road to Redemption – The Blue Jays Fly Again
More than twenty years since making the playoffs, 2015 would have the Toronto Blue Jays back in the chase. Through a flurry of trades and off-season signings, including Troy Tulowitzki, the Blue Jays made it to the ALDS. However, they lost to the Kansas City Royals in six games. The Royals ultimately won the 2015 World Series, ending one of the most prolonged droughts.
The 2016 season ushered in a new president, Mark Shapiro. The Blue Jays finished the season strong and made it to the Wild Card round, where they outlasted the Baltimore Orioles in extra innings. Giving fans hope, the Blue Jays made it to the ALCS. However, their wings were clipped in five games against the Cleveland Indians. Hope, however, turned to several more losing seasons.
So, What Now?
2023 saw a brief glimpse of hope with a brief playoff birth. After missing the 2024 playoffs, the Blue Jays reloaded for the 2025 season. Currently, the Blue Jays are in third place in the AL East for the 2025 season.
The free-agent season began with a bang, with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. signing a massive contract worth $500 over 14 years. Other key free-agent signings included Anthony Santander and Max Scherzer. Despite a slow start and a boatload of injuries, the Blue Jays seem to be regaining their form, hopefully for a playoff run.
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