The Toronto Blue Jays have captured the attention of Canadian sports fans as they are looking to win their first World Series since 1993.
North Battleford native and former MLB pitcher Andrew Albers told the SportsCage he likes how the Jays are built for a postseason run.
“They do so many of the little things really well, they run the bases really well, they put the ball in play, they play really good defence. They seem to have gelled and gotten along well, I think that goes a long way. It doesn't matter what sport you're playing, chemistry in the locker room, in my opinion, is an important thing," Albers said.
The former Blue Jays pitcher has been keenly watching rookie starter Trey Yesavage, who made his fourth major league start in game two of the American League Division Series against the New York Yankees.
“He has a lot of unique characteristics with his delivery. He has this really high release point, the second-highest in the majors next to [Justin] Verlander's. A huge amount of vertical break on the fastball and then the splitter is outstanding," Albers said.
Albers, whose major league career included stops in Toronto, Seattle, and Minnesota, believes the Yankees unfamiliarity with the right-hander gives the Jays an advantage.
“When you haven't seen a guy with that repertoire, the way that he does it, and he's on, that makes it a tough day for hitters. That lack of sample size and experience, you don't know how he will approach you, all those things play into his favour. Usually, what doesn't is the age and the experience, and there were no signs of him lacking either of those. Big advantage Yesavage”
Analysts across the majors have been impressed by the young pitcher’s release point, which Albers agrees will make him successful.
“When you put together how high he releases the ball, and then the fact that the fastball has so much vertical break to it, you throw the splitter in there, and even if it's average, it looks completely different. The other thing that helps is the swings the guys are taking on it right now and they're not picking it up at all. A lot of bad swings, a lot of swings and misses, and that always makes everything look better," Albers explained.
Offensively, the 40-year-old Albers likes how younger players have stepped up for the Jays in 2025 and play important roles around the veterans.
“If you look at that roster at the beginning of the year, you don't expect to get the production you did out of some of these guys. Seeing guys like [Addison] Barger, [Ernie] Clement, and [Nathan] Lukes, those kinds of guys had years that put them in this position.”
Albers admits despite the younger players on the roster, success likely comes down to $500 million slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
“You need your superstars to be superstars in the playoffs, and so far, he's been just that. Especially without Bo Bichette, Vladdy's carried the load, and that's what you need. You need those guys to come up big in big situations, and hopefully, he can continue to do that. I don't think there's anybody else you'd want up there right now than Vlad Guerrero in a big spot.”
If the Jays can beat the Yankees in the best-of-five ALDS series, Toronto will advance to the American League Championship Series for the first time since 2016.
