"History tells us the Toronto Blue Jays shouldn't be in this position, preparing to host their first World Series in 32 years. And yet, here they are. After finishing last in the AL East with only 74 wins last season, most expected the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and Baltimore Orioles to finish ahead of the Blue Jays in 2025. Heck, some even had the Tampa Bay Rays slotting in ahead of them. Boy, were those people ever wrong."
"The two other times this happened also involved AL East clubs, too. One year after winning just 69 games in 2012, the Red Sox perfectly threaded the needle with their off-season moves and went from worst to first during the following campaign, winning their third of four World Series titles from 2004-18. The Rays also enjoyed a similar fate while capturing their first-ever AL East crown in '08, but lost to the Cole Hamels-led Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series."
"For the Blue Jays, they had previously reached an impasse with their competitive window, given that both Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, the franchise's two cornerstone pillars, were set to reach free agency after this season. Management could've opted to blow up this roster last winter. But they didn't. Instead, after inking Guerrero to the richest contract in franchise history (14 years, $500 million), they decided to push forward in hopes of returning to the post-season,"
Toronto advanced to the World Series in 2025 after finishing last in the AL East with 74 wins in 2024, an unexpected turnaround. Only two other franchises this century reached the World Series after a last-place season, both AL East clubs: the 2013 Red Sox and the 2008 Rays. Management faced potential roster disruption with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette approaching free agency but instead signed Guerrero to a 14-year, $500 million contract and pursued postseason competition. The team avoided a teardown, made significant offseason moves, and navigated an improbable path to the Fall Classic while the Los Angeles Dodgers remained the other team left standing.
Read at BlueJaysNation
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