Fri Oct 24 | Rogers Centre
Game 1
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10/24/25 20:16Blue Jays fans opt to assuage Canada-America anthem war during Game 1
– Cathal Kelly
A general view of the interior of the Rogers Center during the playing of the national anthem before Game 1 of the 2025 World Series.Emilee Chinn/Getty Images
Given the current headlines, Toronto Blue Jays fans must have felt tempted to reignite the Canada-U.S. anthem war ahead of Game 1 of the World Series.
They didn’t. The Star-Spangled Banner – sung by an American choir – was greeted with polite cheers. The addition of a human American flag on the field, populated by dozens of people in red and white robes, was a weird touch.
O Canada, and the switch to a human Canadian flag, got a warmer reception.
To start with, anyway, the jingoism risk of this World Series appears to be low. Your move, Los Angeles.
Up to this point in the playoffs, Jays fans have kept the anthemic peace.
When the playoffs opened in Toronto three weeks ago, The Star-Spangled Banner went unmolested. When the series switched to Yankee Stadium, O Canada was pretty resoundingly booed by New York fans. On the second night, the booing seemed to increase.
If the Jays hadn’t been slapping the Yankees around like a bad idea, Canadians in general might have taken more offence. Had that series made it back to Toronto, some booing would have been inevitable. But it didn’t. Beating the Yankees cleared the slate.
The Toronto-Seattle series was peaceful. Toronto didn’t boo them. They didn’t boo Canada.
That détente seems to be holding.
10/24/25 20:06How Toronto restaurants are gearing up for tonight’s Jays game
– Bianca Thompson
People dine in the restaurant at Toronto Marriott City Centre Hotel in downtown Toronto on October 22, 2025.Laura Proctor/The Globe and Mail
Restaurants and bars across the GTA are gearing up for tonight’s Blue Jays game with extra staff, expanded seating and special promotions. At Left Field Brewery’s Liberty Village location, all 310 seats are fully booked, with 95 per cent reserved and the rest held for walk-ins, says co-owner Mandie Murphy.
The brewery also released a limited-edition World Series beer, “Tarps Off, Let’s Go!” to mark the occasion. While all beers are brewed in-house, Murphy says, they have increased production to keep up with demand.
Miss Ivy, a modern Asian-fusion restaurant on Queen Street West, is joining the Jays buzz with game-day specials and high energy. Co-owner Sumeet Jouhal says the city feels “alive again,” comparing the excitement to the 2019 Raptors NBA championship.
The venue is offering a free shot for every home run, half-price appetizers until 10 p.m., and a new featured cocktail called “Royal Blue” – a blueberry sour made with Hendrix gin, elderflower liqueur and fresh mint.
RendezViews, one of Toronto’s most popular outdoor sports venues, has reopened for the Jays’ World Series run. The patio bar, which usually closes by September, is operating tonight at full capacity of more than 600, with more than 2,000 signed up on the guest list.
“It’s a lot of work,” general manager Vince Farago says, adding that he had just four days to staff the bar and kitchen and restock inventory. “But the energy in the city makes it worth it. We’ve never had the Jays go this deep since we’ve been open, so it brings a few extra good days for us, our staff and the city’s morale.”
10/24/25 19:58Blue Jays greeted by cheers, Dodgers booed as they line up on field
– Globe staff
The Toronto Blue Jays players are introduced before Game 1 of the 2025 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Rogers Center.Patrick Smith/Getty Images
Both teams are lined up on the field as gospel group Voices of Fire prepares to perform O Canada and The Star Spangled Banner to open the World Series.
The Jays roster was met by raucous cheers from the crowd as each of their names were announced in Rogers Centre. Beside and above them, the stands are packed and filling up even more as fans find their seats in the final minutes before the game begins.
But as Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers ran onto the field, most of the players were greeted with loud boos from the crowd.
10/24/25 19:53Watch: Jays fans from as far as Mexico City flock to Toronto for World Series
Hear from the supporters from all over North America who travelled to Toronto to watch the Blue Jays battle the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series – including some from Winnipeg and Mexico City.
Fans from all over North America travelled to Toronto to watch the Blue Jays battle the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series – including some from Winnipeg and Mexico City. (Oct. 24, 2025)
The Canadian Press
10/24/25 19:51Blue Jays’ Trey Yesavage to pitch in World Series opener
– Rachel Brady
Trey Yesavage warms up before Game 1 of the World Series at Rogers Center.Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Tonight’s starter, Trey Yesavage, progressed this season from the Jays’ Single-A affiliate, through High-A, Double-A and Triple-A, and was called up to the big-league club just last month. At 22 years old, he is set to become the second-youngest Game 1 starting pitcher in World Series history. The all-time youngest was Ralph Branca (at 21 years and 267 days old, back in 1947, for the Brooklyn Dodgers).
Toronto GM Ross Atkins was asked when, along his progression through the minors, he believed Yesavage could be part of the Jays’ postseason: “I would say probably in that transition from Vancouver to New Hampshire. That A-ball Double-A transition, as you could see, he was moving pretty quickly. The strikeout rate is just undeniable, the weapons and the unique nature of them was undeniable, and he just made the decision for us.”
10/24/25 19:46Calgary’s 17th Avenue is abuzz as if the Flames were playing
– Matthew Scace
Hi, this is Matthew Scace. I normally cover Alberta politics for The Globe, but tonight I’m in downtown Calgary popping into bars along 17th Avenue, which earned its nickname as the Red Mile during the Flames’ 2004 Stanley Cup run. The Jays are rarely a hot topic in Alberta, but everyone makes exceptions for the World Series. Even so, it’s still disarming to feel the buzz of playoff excitement in Calgary at this time of year. I’m about to head into Trolley 5, the well-known sanctuary for Oilers fans during their last two Cup runs. Wish me luck!
10/24/25 19:38Canadian fans go ‘Elbows Up’ for Jays amid Trump trade outburst
– Reuters
Max Babson and his wife Sarah, are both fans of the Jays in Winnipeg.Ed White/Reuters
Canadians hope baseball can bring them some joy on Friday night, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump abruptly cancelled U.S.-Canada trade talks.
Fans in Winnipeg say the success so far this year of the country’s only MLB team has taken on new meaning amid months of political struggle with the U.S.
“They definitely are Canada’s team,” said lifelong fan Kirsty Crawford, who was wearing a Jays jersey while picking up a coffee at Tim Hortons downtown on Friday morning. “It’s amazing. There’s people in my office who have never watched a baseball game in their life and they’re watching it.”
For Max Babson, a Winnipegger proudly wearing a Jays jersey while walking to lunch with his wife, Sarah, seeing the team in the World Series is uplifting in the fraught Canada-U.S. climate.
“It’s an American-dominated game. There’s one Canadian team. It means more,” Babson said.
10/24/25 19:25Watching the World Series with Canada’s last Minor League Baseball team
– Mike Hager
Hi, I’m Mike Hager, a reporter in The Globe’s B.C. Bureau. I’m headed to the ballpark of Canada’s only remaining Minor League Baseball team: the Vancouver Canadians. The Jays’ High-A affiliate is hosting a special gathering of diehard fans to root for Toronto, especially for starting pitcher Trey Yesavage, whom they were watching in Vancouver as recently as this spring.
10/24/25 19:16Sold-out Rogers Centre will be packed to the gills
– Jamie Ross
Fans head into the sold-out game at Rogers Centre.Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail
With a capacity of more than 41,000, Rogers Centre will be full to the brim for the World Series. The Blue Jays averaged 35,185 fans at home this season (the ninth highest in Major League Baseball), for a total attendance of 2,850,025. The roof is closed for Game 1. Toronto’s record with the dome closed this year: 24-14. Opponents hit 55 home runs, 11 more than the Blue Jays’ 44, in those games.
10/24/25 19:09‘Crazy ride’: Gausman excited to pitch in World Series for first time
– The Canadian Press
The Blue Jays’ Kevin Gausman will pitch in the World Series for the first time when he starts Game 2 on Saturday.Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press
Kevin Gausman’s years of waiting are finally over: He will pitch in a World Series.
He was named the Toronto Blue Jays starter for Game 2 of the best-of-seven championship series, facing the formidable Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday. The 13-year veteran who has played for five Major League Baseball teams was excited to finally play on the game’s biggest stage.
“Every year you go into the season with the hope that you’re one of the last two teams playing. That just hasn’t been the reality for me,” Gausman said in a news conference before Game 1. “I’m just really excited for this group and for myself.
“It’s been a crazy ride and now we are here, and we’re excited to kind of show the world what the Blue Jays are all about.”
10/24/25 18:55Before Schneider went to the World Series as the Jays’ manager, he went as a fan
– The Canadian Press
Jays manager John Schneider, pictured on Thursday, said his first World Series experience in 2003 was as a fan.John E. Sokolowski/Reuters
Blue Jays manager John Schneider’s first World Series experience came as a fan in 2003.
In his first full season at the minor-league level at the time, Schneider and Brendan Fuller, a teammate on the Single-A Charleston AlleyCats, went to the Bronx to watch the Yankees play the Florida Marlins.
“We talked about going to the World Series no matter where it was,” Schneider said Friday before Game 1. “And it happened to be in New York, so we both held true to our promise. So it was pretty cool.”
10/24/25 18:36Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins on Bo Bichette’s return
– Marty Klinkenberg
Toronto GM Ross Atkins on Bo Bichette’s return to the lineup in Game 1, after a long absence because of a knee injury: “The decision on Bo was relatively straightforward, just based on talent and health, and that he felt like he was in a good enough position to help our team and make us better.”
10/24/25 18:34Where to watch the Blue Jays face the Dodgers tonight
– Globe Staff
As baseball fans line up outside the Rogers Centre, here’s how to watch or listen to tonight’s game from home.Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail
Whether you want to beat the World Series crowds or the crowds beat you in the Ticketmaster race, there are plenty of options to watch Game 1 tonight at 8 p.m. ET.
Canadians can watch on television on Sportsnet or CityTV, or stream it online on Sportsnet+.
And if you’re on the move or want to listen on the radio, you can tune in to CJCL/Sportsnet 590 The FAN (590 AM) in Toronto. For fans outside the GTA, find your local Blue Jays Radio Network station here.
10/24/25 18:30This Blue Jays fan quit her job to be at Game 1
– Colin Freeze
Hanna Templeton says she quit her hospitality job in Calgary to come to Toronto for the Jays’ Game 1 after her employer refused to give her time off.DUANE COLE/The Globe and Mail
Hanna Templeton, 25, quit her hospitality job in Calgary just to be at the World Series Blue Jays game Friday night.
Speaking outside Rogers Centre, she said that after the Jays’ thrilling Game 7 win Monday, she asked her bosses for time off so she could travel to Toronto.
“They didn’t approve it,” she said. So she just quit, got a ticket and hopped on a red-eye flight that landed in Ontario on Thursday.
“Jobs come and go,” Ms. Templeton said. But, she added, World Series memories last forever.
10/24/25 18:27Blue Jays show off game-day fits as they arrive at Rogers Centre
– Globe Staff
The boys are in the building. Players from the Toronto Blue Jays, including Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Trey Yesavage and George Springer, have started to make their entrances ahead of tonight’s game.
10/24/25 18:22Fans descend on downtown Toronto to join pregame crowd
– Colin Freeze
A general view of fans approaching the Rogers Center before Game 1 of the World Series between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers.Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
“Let’s go Blue Jays,” two-year-old Ian Peters says in the shadow of Rogers Centre.
It’s been a big day. The toddler already took his first GO train ride into downtown Toronto to be part of the pregame crowd. And his father is seeing about getting into the stadium, if he can find a deal.
“We’re still looking at if we want to get tickets,” said Tim Peters, 44. “But as a new family it’s a little bit outside our price range.”
Tickets to Game 1 officially went on sale Tuesday morning, with the cheapest seats as of Thursday priced around $1,300 apiece. Premium field-level seats near the dugout went for as much as $10,000.
10/24/25 18:19Blue Jays hitters to face Dodgers starter Blake Snell in Game 1
– Jamie Ross
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell will be up against Toronto Blue Jays hitters during Game 1 of the World Series.Brynn Anderson/The Associated Press
Blue Jays hitters will be in tough when they face Dodgers starter Blake Snell in Game 1. Snell’s numbers through the postseason to date are impressive.
The left-hander and winner of two Cy Young Awards is 3-0 with an ERA of 0.86 in three starts.
He’s no stranger to the Blue Jays or Rogers Centre, having spent the first five years of his career playing in the American League East as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays.
Snell has made eight career starts at Rogers Centre, posting a 2.63 ERA over 37.2 innings. Overall versus the Blue Jays, he’s made 16 starts with a 2.39 ERA.
10/24/25 17:55Seven tips to help calm your Blue Jays game-day nerves
– Gayle MacDonald
Blue Jays fan Marcy-mat Gucci wears a sequined jacket outside the Rogers Centre in Toronto on Friday ahead of Game 1 of the World Series.Wa Lone/Reuters
Planning to watch the World Series through your fingers? Across the country, fans are riding every pitch and hit as if they were on the field themselves. For some, the anticipation is exhilarating. For others, it’s almost unbearable.
From pregame prep to mental and physical strategies, here are seven ways to relax as the Blue Jays and the Dodgers take the field for Game 1 tonight.
10/24/25 17:47Words of advice from a young Blue Jays fan in Toronto
– Ann Hui
Students cheer after attending a rally in support of the Toronto Blue Jays at Kew Beach Junior Public School in Toronto.Laura Proctor/The Globe and Mail
Five-year-old Joey Pullinger was sitting crisscross-apple sauce on the floor of Kew Beach Junior Public School, in the front row of the pep rally. A giant necklace bearing the Blue Jays logo on a hot pink medallion hung around her neck.
I asked her what she knew about the Blue Jays, and she displayed a pretty impressive understanding for a kindergartener.
“They’re baseball players,” she said, before adding, “tonight is their last game.” She continued: “Whoever wins gets the medal or trophy.”
10/24/25 17:35Listen: OK Blue Jays! A bandwagoner’s guide to the World Series
– Globe staff
This monumental moment isn’t just for the diehard Blue Jays fans — everyone seems to be getting in on the baseball fun. If you’re new to the team, or even baseball in general, The Decibel producer and lifelong fan Madeleine White talked through some baseball 101, including the lingo, superstitions, weird stats, what makes this season’s team so special and whether she thinks we’ve got a shot against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
And if reading is more your thing, here’s a beginner’s guide to everything you need to know for the World Series.
10/24/25 17:28Blue Jays’ GM Ross Atkins on the long road to playoff success
– Jamie Ross
It’s been a long road back to playoff success for the Blue Jays, who are playing in their first World Series since 1993. Their appearance in the American League Championship Series against the Mariners was nine years in the making. General manager Ross Atkins, who was hired after the 2015 season, has seen a lot of down years with this team.
“We have had some crash landings that have been very difficult for us all, the fans, us in the organizations, to stomach,” Atkins said. “But I’m exceptionally happy for our players and our staff to be sitting where we are today.”
10/24/25 17:22Toronto police planning increased security for World Series
– Colin Freeze
There will be an increase in security measures, say police, for the World Series at Rogers Centre.Sammy Kogan/The Globe and Mail
Hello, I’m Colin Freeze, and I report on crime, justice and security issues – including a story today on a stepped-up police presence at the Jays’ stadium as the World Series begins.
Currently, I’m outside the arena and will be talking to people as they filter in for the big game.
10/24/25 17:17Bo Bichette on returning to the lineup in Game 1: ‘Looking forward to the challenge’
– Marty Klinkenberg
Bo Bichette of the Toronto Blue Jays speaks to the media on Thursday in Toronto.Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images
Bo Bichette, who had not played in a game since incurring a knee injury in early September, returns to the lineup in Game 1 versus the Dodgers, on bats cleanup and second base. “It’s crazy but I’m looking forward to the challenge,” said Bichette, who led the Blue Jays with a .311 average during the regular season. “This is something I have worked for all of my life so I am excited.”
10/24/25 17:12The full World Series schedule and game start times
– Globe staff
The World Series logo is placed on near home plate as ground crews at the Rogers Centre prepare the field on Thursday.Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail
Baseball fans, mark your calendars! The World Series kicks off in Toronto tonight and could take up several of your evenings in the coming week or so. Here’s a look at the full schedule as the Blue Jays and Dodgers battle it out:
Game 1 – Friday, Oct. 24 at 8 p.m. ET in TorontoGame 2 – Saturday, Oct. 25 at 8 p.m. ET in TorontoGame 3 – Monday, Oct. 27 at 8 p.m. ET in Los AngelesGame 4 – Tuesday, Oct. 28 at 8 p.m. ET in Los AngelesGame 5 – Wednesday, Oct. 29 at 8 p.m. ET in Los Angeles (if necessary)Game 6 – Friday, Oct. 31 at 8 p.m. ET in Toronto (if necessary)Game 7 – Saturday, Nov. 1 at 8 p.m. ET in Toronto (if necessary)10/24/25 17:04Young fans channel ‘OK Blue Jays’ school spirit at Toronto pep rally
– Ann Hui
(L to R) Teddy Vernon, Axel Lupkemoricz and Theodore Raine hold blue pom-poms at a rally in support of the Blue Jays at Kew Beach Junior Public School in Toronto.Laura Proctor/The Globe and Mail
Performing at Kew Beach Junior Public School’s pep rally this afternoon was the school choir, which consists of about two dozen students from Grades 4 to 6. Standing at the front of the gym, they led the school through the song OK Blue Jays not just once but twice, waving blue pompoms throughout.
The choir had just three boys in it, Teddy Vernon, Theodore Raine and Axel Lupkemoricz, all nine years old.
They’re all huge Jays fans, Theodore said. Their favourite players are Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (“because he hits so many balls into the crowd”) and George Springer (“because he got us into the World Series”).
The team’s games often continue well past the kids’ bedtimes, but they all said they’d been granted special permission to stay up late tonight. Teddy and Axel plan on watching it at a Halloween party.
Theodore, meanwhile, said he’s going to watch it with his family at a bar.
A bar?
“It’s an age-appropriate bar,” he said.
10/24/25 16:51Alessia Cara, Bebe Rexha to sing national anthems in Game 2 of World Series
– The Canadian Press
Alessia Cara is set to sing Canada’s national anthem for Game 2 in the World Series on Saturday.Jordan Strauss/The Canadian Press
Alessia Cara is set to lend her voice to Canada’s national anthem for Game 2 in the World Series on Saturday night, while pop singer Bebe Rexha will take on the Star-Spangled Banner.
In addition to Cara and Rexha, the Jonas Brothers were due to perform partway through Saturday’s game as part of a partnership with Stand Up to Cancer.
Mississauga, Ont.-born Cara is due to join a short list of Canadian singers who have performed O Canada during the World Series.
American gospel group Voices of Fire was the listed performer for both anthems ahead of Friday night’s Game 1 in Toronto, along with “a local ensemble of vocalists” joining for O Canada.
10/24/25 16:42Blue Jays icon Cito Gaston to throw first pitch in Game 1
– Rachel Brady
Cito Gaston, manager of the 1992 and 1993 World Series-winning Toronto Blue Jays teams, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch during Game 1.Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press
Legendary Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston will throw out the ceremonial first pitch tonight.
“I’m catching his first pitch, which is pretty cool,” said current Jays skipper John Schneider. “To be mentioned in the same sentence as Cito is so humbling to me. I’ve known him throughout the years, and he’s quietly always fired a text, or I see him golfing in Florida in the off-season sometimes too. I’ll make a point to see him before I’m on the field.”
Gaston led the Blue Jays to their back-to-back World Series in 1992 and 1993. In the process he became the first Black MLB manager to win a World Series title.
Joe Carter, two-time champion and 1993 Game 6 hero, will throw out the first pitch before Game 2.
10/24/25 16:28The youngest generation of Jays fans gear up for Game 1
– Ann Hui
Students cheer at a rally in support of the Toronto Blue Jays at Kew Beach Junior Public School in Toronto.Laura Proctor/The Globe and Mail
Hey, I’m Ann Hui, the generations reporter at The Globe. Today, I’ll be sending updates from the youngest generation of Jays fans – the littlest kids across Toronto who are watching a Blue Jays World Series for the first time.
Those who happened across the loud shrieking near Queen Street East and Woodbine Avenue this afternoon might be forgiven for thinking they’d witnessed something terrible – a crime scene, perhaps, or a supernatural event. Instead, what they were witnessing was the collective screaming of more than 300 students at Kew Beach Junior Public School getting excited, amped and totally pumped ahead of tonight’s Jays’ game.
The school held a pep rally in the gym just before 3 p.m., to give the kids a chance to celebrate the teams at the World Series. Principal Jill Kearns, wearing a Springer jersey and a Jays cap, stood in front of the children, many of them also decked out in Jays gear and holding handwritten signs.
“We want to be so loud that they hear us down at the Rogers Centre!” she shouted into the microphone. The absolute frenzy that ensued – the shrieking and screaming, the Grade 5 boys moshing – was so loud that many of the kindergarteners in the front row covered their ears.
10/24/25 16:21Kevin Gausman announced as Blue Jays’ starting pitcher for Game 2
– Rachel Brady
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman speaks during a World Series baseball media day on Thursday.Brynn Anderson/The Associated Press
Kevin Gausman will be Toronto’s starting pitcher in Game 2 of the World Series on Saturday. The starters for Games 3 and 4 are still TBD.
10/24/25 15:50Blue Jays starting lineup for Game 1
– Rachel Brady
Hi, I’m Rachel Brady, a sports reporter in Toronto. I’ve been covering the Jays throughout the postseason. I’ll be inside Rogers Centre before, during and after tonight’s game, reporting from the press conferences, the Jays clubhouse and up in the press box.
Bo Bichette will make his long-awaited return in Game 1 of the World Series Friday night, starting at second base. With Daulton Varsho and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. also starting, the Jays line-up makes World Series history as the first time three sons of former MLB players started for one team. Here’s the full line-up:
DH George SpringerLF Davis Schneider1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr.2B Bo BichetteC Alejandro KirkCF Daulton Varsho3B Ernie ClementRF Myles StrawSS Andrés GiménezStarting pitcher: Trey Yesavage10/24/25 15:41From ticket prices to uniforms, here’s what’s changed since the Jays’ last World Series in 1993
– Moira Wyton
Former Blue Jays star hitter Joe Carter celebrated after his World Series-winning three-run home run in 1993, 32 years before George Springer cheered his own three-run home run that clinched the ALCS and sent the Jays to their third-ever World Series.The Associated Press
The last time the Blue Jays won a World Series, you had to line up or mail a cheque to buy tickets, Rogers Centre was still called the SkyDome and more than three-quarters of the team’s 2025 ALCS roster hadn’t even been born.
The 1993 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies was the team’s second World Series win in a row, and holds a special place in the hearts of Blue Jays’ fans across Canada. But so much has changed for the team, its supporters and Toronto in the 32 years since.
From player salaries to uniforms and the price of hot dogs, take a look back at what’s changed since 1993.
10/24/25 15:26Covering Game 1 from inside a packed press box
– Jamie Ross
Hey, I’m Jamie Ross, the Globe’s sports editor. I’ll be reporting from inside Rogers Centre for Game 1 of the World Series. There is a huge contingent of domestic and international journalists and broadcasters here in Toronto, as many as 300 – about 40 from Japanese outlets – according to the seating charts in the Rogers Centre press box. That number doesn’t include the personnel here for rights-holder broadcasters FOX Sports and Sportsnet, or for the MLB Network.
10/24/25 15:16Rogers set to give out World Series tickets to 500 fans at watch parties
– Bianca Thompson
Some Toronto Blue Jays fans could be in for a surprise tonight. As Game 1 kicks off, Rogers will surprise fans at bars, restaurants and watch parties across the GTA to give away 500 free tickets to Game 2 of the World Series set for tomorrow.
Five Rogers teams will hand out 100 tickets each to unsuspecting fans. Rogers says the giveaway is meant to give back to fans and support local businesses as the city rallies behind its home team.
“The Blue Jays unite fans right across the country. They all want the same thing – for Canada’s team to bring the World Series Championship back to Canada,” said Terrie Tweddle, chief brand and communications officer at Rogers, in a statement.
10/24/25 15:06A chance meeting with Nelson Cruz on my way to cover Game 1
– Marty Klinkenberg
Retired MLB slugger Nelson Cruz offered a hopeful statistical tidbit for the Jays on the way into Rogers Centre this morning.David Berding/USA TODAY Sports via Reuters
Hello there. This is Marty Klinkenberg. I am a national sports reporter for The Globe and Mail and part of our team covering the World Series from inside Rogers Centre.
While waiting for the security entrance to the press level to open, I struck up a conversation with a friendly fellow from the Dominican Republic. Eventually he said, “Well, when I played this was one of my favourite parks to hit in.” I had not realized I was talking to Nelson Cruz, a former major league slugger who hit 464 home runs before he retired in 2023. He hit 40 or more home runs in a single season four times including in 2014, his one season with my beloved Baltimore Orioles.
Cruz, who now works as an advisor to Major League Baseball and is covering the World Series for a Hispanic television network, offered me another tidbit. According to him, in a World Series where one team swept its opponent in a division series and the other won in seven games, the team that won in seven games has won all four times. He then bought me a mocha at Starbucks.
10/24/25 14:50Checking in from Jays watch parties around Rogers Centre
– Bianca Thompson
Hi, I’m Bianca Thompson. I usually cover business and personal finance for The Globe and Mail but today I’m taking a break from money matters to hit the streets around the Rogers Centre in Toronto, checking in on restaurants to see how they’re gearing up for Blue Jays World Series watch parties. Wish me luck!
10/24/25 14:35Opinion: The Blue Jays aren’t just playing for themselves. They’re playing for all of Canada
– David Shribman
Prime Minister Mark Carney stops to chat with Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider and President and CEO Mark Shapiro (R) at Rogers Centre on Thursday.Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail
For American baseball fans, the World Series might only look like a series of games. But Canadians would argue that their cultural identity and sense of sovereignty are at stake. And, like seemingly everything else nowadays, that’s the fault of Donald Trump. Americans have little conception of how Mr. Trump’s tariffs and taunts have served to erode centuries of close ties between the United States and Canada and all but negated the warm words about the links between the two countries.
Ironies still abound — most of the Blue Jays are Americans, and the team are champions of an entity called the American League — but in this unusual period where sports and politics converge, all of Canada is deeply invested in hope the Jays prevail.
10/24/25 14:30Pharrell Williams set for pregame performance with gospel group Voices of Fire
– The Canadian Press
Pharrell Williams is set to open the World Series with American gospel group voices of Fire in Toronto tonight.Gregorio Borgia/The Associated Press
Pharrell Williams and the gospel choir Voices of Fire will help open the World Series in Toronto tonight.
MLB says they’ve tapped the U.S. singer, known for his megahit Happy for a pregame performance on Friday alongside the 75-person choir. The organization says the show will celebrate the “unity and togetherness” of baseball.
Voices of Fire will also sing both national anthems. For O Canada, the Virginia-formed group will be joined by an ensemble of Toronto orchestra members and other performers.
10/24/25 14:08The Dodgers’ official World Series roster
– Globe staff
The Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani, a pitcher and designated hitter, hits during batting practice on Thursday.Sammy Kogan/The Canadian Press
Los Angeles has announced its full 26-man lineup for the World Series ahead of Game 1. Here’s a full list of the players that made the cut.
Pitchers:
Anthony BandaJack DreyerTyler GlasnowEdgardo HenriquezClayton KershawWill KleinRoki SasakiEmmet SheehanBlake Snell (starting game 1)Blake TreinenJustin WrobleskiYoshinobu YamamotoShohei Ohtani (also a designated hitter)
Infielders:
Mookie BettsFreddie FreemanMax MuneyMiguel Rojas
Outfielders:
Alex CallJustin DeanTeoscar HernándezAndy Pages
In and outfielders:
Tommy EdmanKiké HernándezHyeseong Kim
Catchers:
10/24/25 13:35The Blue Jays’ official World Series roster
– Globe Staff
Shortstop Bo Bichette is back on the Jays roster for the World Series after a knee injury sidelined him for more than six weeks.Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press
Toronto has announced its 26-player lineup for the World Series against the L.A. Dodgers. Here’s all the players who made it.
Pitchers:
Chris BassitShane BieberSeranthony DomínguezBraydon FisherMason FluhartyKevin GausmanJeff HoffmanEric LauerBrendon LittleMax ScherzerLouis VarlandTrey Yesavage (starting Game 1)
Infielders:
Addison BargerBo BichetteErnie ClementTy FranceAndrés GiminézVladimir Guerrero Jr.Isiah Kiner-Falefah
Outfielders:
Nathan LukesDavis SchneiderGeorge SpringerMyles StrawDaulton Varsho
Catchers:
Tyler HeinemanAlejandro Kirk10/24/25 13:20The story behind the Blue Jays’ bedazzled home run jacket
– Courtney Shea
Shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa puts the home run jacket on first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. after Guerrero hit a solo home run the New York Yankees during the fifth inning at Yankee Stadium during the ALDS.Brad Penner/Reuters
Throughout the postseason, you’ve seen the Blue Jays’ celebration blazer, a custom design created specifically for the 2025 playoff season. It’s emblazoned with the players’ home countries to reflect the team’s diverse provenances, along with the Jays logo, Guerrero’s “Plakata!” catchphrase and a sparkly Canadian flag running down the sleeve. It’s fun, flashy and unabashed, and recently even caught the eye of Project Runway alum (and proud New Yorker) Tim Gunn.
The jacket is part of a growing baseball trend in the social media era, where teams create their specific rituals that mark the big home run moments of a game. The Mariners have their trident, the Yankees bark like dogs and the Orioles chug from a water-filled beer bong. Starting Friday, Jays fans will likely witness the appearance of the Dodgers’ Samurai helmet during the series – although hopefully not too much of it.
Read more about the Jays’ jacket here.
10/24/25 11:24Bo Bichette is on the Jays’ roster for World Series
– Rachel Brady
Bo Bichette, now back in the roster after a knee injury kept him off the field for more than six weeks, fields a ball during a World Series baseball media day on Thursday.David J. Phillip/The Associated Press
Bo Bichette is part of the Blue Jays’ 26-man roster for the World Series, which was due by 10 a.m. Friday.
He has been sidelined over six weeks with a sprained left knee and was not part of the Jays’ rosters for the American League Division and Championship Series. He’s been working to get healthy all along and has been in the dugout with the team.
During practice on Thursday, Bichette worked largely at second, which he has not played in a game since the minor leagues.
“I’m comfortable with whatever the team needs me to do, so I’ll be ready,” Bichette told reporters. “This team doesn’t need me to be a hero.”
10/24/25 10:24Pitcher Trey Yesavage will start in Game 1 of the World Series
– Rachel Brady
Pitcher Trey Yesavage speaks during a World Series baseball media day, Oct. 23, 2025, in Toronto. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)David J. Phillip/The Associated Press
The Blue Jays have tapped rookie Trey Yesavage to start Game 1 of the World Series. Jays manager John Schneider and pitching coach Pete Walker gave him the news Wednesday.
“Called me into his office, said they had faith in me to run me out there in the first game, and I was fired up,” said Yesavage at a press conference on Thursday. “Got up, hugged him, hugged Pete. I was very excited.”
It’s the next incredible chapter in the remarkable season for the 22-year-old who worked his way up through all the clubs in the Blue Jays minor league system this year before being called up to the big league club just last month.
Yesavage has pitched a total of 15 innings for the Jays over three playoff games this October. He’s 2-1 with an ERA of 4.20.