NEW YORK – People following the Blue Jays wondered if outfielder George Springer was going to survive the 2025 season.
George Springer Looked Cooked In 2024 Season
Last year, Springer, 36, had a season to forget, hitting .220 with an OPS+ of 91. Spring Training in ‘25 wasn’t any better. In 15 games, he was 4-for-37 [.108] with a homer and four RBIs.
“Everyone thought he was going to get booed off the field and maybe retire in April, but he was working on something,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said about Springer.
Springer spent the winter and Spring Training on his mechanics in the batter’s box and tried to figure out what opposing pitchers were trying to do against him. He received a lot of help from former Astros teammate Michael Brantley.
“[Brantley] felt I needed to get back to the basics of being me, understanding who I am and what I do well and that’s being in a good position to hit. I wasn’t in a good position to hit.” Springer said. When you start to chase results a little bit, things can compound and tend to be a little harder than they are supposed to be. Human nature tells you to try to fix things. I was probably doing too much and ended up in a position you don’t want to be in.”
MLBbro George Springer Was Reinvigorated As Elite Player In 2025
It turned out that everything Springer did in ‘25 was just right. It was a season to remember and one of the reasons the Blue Jays are currently in the postseason. In 140 regular season games, Springer had a slash line of .309/.399/.560 with an OPS+ of 161 and 32 homers. It is his best season since 2019 when he was with the Astros.
“I got back to the foundation of who I am as a player,” he said. “I developed a lot of good habits. I’ve been able to trust Lou, Pop and Hunter [hitting coach David Popkins and assistant hitting coaches Lou Iannotti and Hunter Mense] and take it from there.”
Springer is more than just a productive player. Younger players on the Blue Jays look up to him. In fact, his teammates and Blue Jays fans refer to him as Uncle George because of his easygoing personality and the mentor he has become to the younger players.
“[He is] somebody to look up to,” teammate Vladimir Guerrero Jr. said about Springer. “George, for me, is like my older brother here. He’s been in [in the postseason] many times. I have a lot of respect for him. I’m very proud of what he has done in his career. … He’s a leader too.”
Said shortstop Andrés Giménez, “He’s a great leader in the clubhouse. He’s one of those leaders that is really vocal, and he shows it on the field as well. I’m really glad to play with George. In the postseason, he’s a different beast. So I’m happy to play with him.”
Can George Springer Get Toronto Past Yankees?
Let’s see how the rest of the American League Division Series goes between the Blue Jays and Yankees. Toronto has a 2-1 lead in the series and need one victory to advance to the A.L. Championship Series. In three games, Springer is 2-for-13 [.154] with a homer and three runs scored.
