TORONTO -- If one image could capture the 2025 Toronto Blue Jays, it’s George Springer rounding third base, grinning and howling and full of hope.
Springer is the heartbeat of a team reborn. His stunning resurgence has launched the Blue Jays to the top of the American League East, ground they haven’t known in late July for nearly a decade. Springer looks so alive again. The Blue Jays look alive again.
In Wednesday night’s 8-4 win over the Yankees, the Blue Jays took the series and a four-game lead in the division their way. Even as New York played Yankee Ball, leaning on home runs for every run, Toronto proved that its brand of baseball can hold up in a heavyweight tilt. And Springer was right in the middle of it all, burning down that third-base line.
Springer’s signature moment opened the scoring for the Blue Jays when the 35-year-old was standing in one of his favorite spots: first base with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at the dish. When Vladdy pulled in his hands to somehow yank an inside pitch down the left-field line, Springer’s eyes started to bulge out of his head. He was off.
"I loved it,” Springer said. He couldn’t even wait for a question to come. “It’s entertaining. It’s just fun. It’s not easy to go from first to home, but there’s just something about effort and guys giving it their all."
By the time Springer had turned around second and locked eyes with third-base coach Carlos Febles, his helmet was already bowling across the infield and into foul territory like he was a race car that had just lost a tire at the turn. Springer gritted his teeth, dug his right foot into the bag and then yelled into the night air as he pumped his arms through the first few strides home. Springer poured his soul into this run, every ounce of it, and by the time he slid across home plate, he’d earned a moment to exhale and lay face-down in the dirt.
Springer breaks into another big grin when he looks at the photos of himself rounding third.
He has a deal with Febles. Springer is going to force Febles to stop him, but give him every reason possible to crank him around third. He knew he had a shot when the crowd’s roar began to build, and by the time Febles had to make a decision, Springer let it all out.
"When he tells me to go, I knew it was going to be a play, so I just told myself I had to get there. I hit third base, I yelled, I slid into home plate and I was gassed,” Springer said.
Even Febles’ style is part of the experience. This isn’t the traditional, one-armed windmill. Febles is moving and shaking, deep in his crouch with both arms wheeling. It looks like he’s trying to tread water in a storm.
"I don’t know what I enjoyed more on that one,” said John Schneider, “whether it was George’s face or Carlos’ footwork. He has a little … it was Salsa Night. It all starts with intent. That was a line drive. George had to freeze on it, then kick it into gear. I wish more people could be in our dugout as plays like that are unfolding.”
This is who the Blue Jays are and who the Blue Jays can be. The Yankees did everything big and loud -- from Aaron Judge’s two-run homer to Aaron Boone’s ejection that had a runtime longer than a Marvel movie -- but Toronto played airtight baseball while New York booted it around every chance it got. By the time Bo Bichette launched a two-run shot to pad the Blue Jays’ lead in the seventh, it felt like the sellout crowd at Rogers Centre was standing right on top of the Yankees. October has come early.
Springer’s moments were small moments, that’s the Blue Jays way. This has all been so shocking, but it’s happened so subtly.
There’s no superstar with a 1.200 OPS, no MVP candidate chasing a home run crown. It’s just good baseball, top to bottom, with a little bit of that unexplainable magic.
"Everyone feels it. Everyone wants to take the next base. To see the old man round the pillows was pretty awesome,” Schneider said.
This is the Springer the Blue Jays dreamed of when they signed him. He’s energized, and if Springer’s feeling it, so is everyone else.