How the high-contact, high-octane Blue Jays nearly took down a baseball superpower -- and how it could change MLB

"FOR THE FIRST time in 32 years, the Toronto Blue Jays won the American League pennant. They also came up just short of snapping their World Series title drought, dropping a memorable, tense, 11-inning Game 7 to the Los Angeles Dodgers at a rollicking Rogers Centre on Saturday."

"To push the defending champs as far as they could be pushed, Toronto leaned on a diverse, balanced offense that ranked among MLB's best all season (fourth in runs per game) and somehow got better in the playoffs despite the unforgiving crucible created by October-style pitching staffs. All of this from a team that just a year ago finished last in the AL East and ranked 23rd in scoring."

"This year, at least, splashy overhauls were overrated. "The players that are here, they have continued to get better," Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said at the Series' outset. As the powder-blue dust settles from a magical run that saw the Blue Jays turn an entire nation on its proverbial ear, questions are turning to whether their accomplishment can be replicated."

Toronto won the American League pennant for the first time in 32 years and lost an 11-inning Game 7 to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Blue Jays relied on a diverse, balanced offense that ranked fourth in runs per game and improved in the playoffs against elite pitching. The club rose from last in the AL East and 23rd in scoring a year earlier while keeping largely the same roster. General manager Ross Atkins emphasized internal player development rather than overhauls. The offense led MLB in batting average and was driven by Vladimir Guerrero Jr., making the team entertaining and contact-oriented.

Read at ESPN.com