Before the Jays can turn the page to a new baseball year, it was time to reflect one more time on the special season that was in 2025. Toronto won the American League East and advanced all the way to Game 7 of the World Series.
After sitting by idly on Thursday, the Toronto Blue Jays finally began the 2026 season on Friday night by hosting the Athletics at Rogers Centre.
However, before the season could get under way, the Jays had to properly celebrate the 2025 campaign one more time. The Blue Jays raised the American League East champions banner to the rafters and George Springer and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. thanked the crowd for their support.
Springer said: "Toronto, Canada, on behalf of everybody, we love you, we thank you for your all support, everything you do, and I promise you that we will give you everything we have, every single day, until the season is over, whenever that is."
Guerrero also said that the team loves the fans and couldn't have achieved success in 2025 without them.
As the Blue Jays begin their 50th season, the expectations have never been higher for the franchise. After the World Series trip last season, the Jays went out and spent nearly $350 million in guaranteed money on Dylan Cease, Cody Ponce, Kazuma Okamoto and Tyler Rogers.
Of course, this team is missing a big part of last year's identity as Bo Bichette has moved onto sign with the New York Mets. Despite that, the Jays remain one of the biggest favorites in the American League.
Cease is slated to start the second game of the season on Saturday while Ponce will pitch on Monday in game four. Okamoto was in the starting lineup at third base on Friday, hitting seventh.
Toronto Blue Jays right fielder George Springer (4) takes batting practice before a game against the Athletics at Rogers Centre. Nick Turchiaro-Imagn ImagesAlso in Blue Jays news
--Though they are both starting the year on the injured list, right-handers Trey Yesavage and Jose Berrios both got positive injury updates on Thursday. Berrios is out with a stress fracture in his right elbow and Yesavage has a right shoulder impingement. This is just par for the course for the Jays right now, who also have Yimi Garcia, Shane Bieber and Bowden Francis on the IL. Francis is out for the season with Tommy John surgery.
--It was interesting to note that the Jays elected to go with Nathan Lukes in left field in the opener rather than the recently-acquired Jesus Sanchez. We'll see if that remains the norm throughout the remainder of the season.
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