When George Springer stepped to the plate last night, MLBbro.com’s  X account was ready for the moment. Anybody who has been watching this MLBbro, who is one of the greatest leadoff hitters of all-time and a legendary postseason performer, knew that Seattle was in trouble when he stepped to the plate in the seventh-inning with two men on. The entire country of Canadad had been waiting for that “Toronto Blue Jays Moment” since Springer arrived in 2021 on a six-year/$150M deal.

George Springer’s 7th-Inning Blast Was His Moment Toronto Fans Were Waiting For

After a rough 2024, Springer turned the clock back this season and was the support that Vlad Jr. needed to get the Blue Jays past the NY Yankees in the AL East and past a formidable Seattle Mariners squad with the likely 2025 AL MVP Cal Raleigh and MLBbros Josh Naylor and J.P. Crawford.

“You feel so many emotions, mainly for him and the season he’s had, but what it meant for this country with one swing of the bat,” said Blue Jays manager John Schneider. “He’s the heart and soul of our team. Him and Vlad are just the heavy lifters. It’s so cool that they both got their moments tonight.”

“I had a headache from screaming,” Springer said. “I remember just how loud the stadium was, obviously watching the Bautista moment over and over again. It felt like it was that loud. I wasn’t there for that, but it’s an incredible moment.”

 

 

Vlad Guerrero Was ALCS MVP, But Why Not Springer?

Springer should have been named ALCS MVP for his heroics but franchise superstar Vlad Guerrero has tied Joe Carter and José Bautista for the most in Blue Jays postseason history with six already. He hit .385 with a 1.330 OPS and struck out just two times in the ALCS. Total lock in. It takes more than one superstar performance to make it through baseball’s gauntlet of teams and reach a World Series. Springer added the extra sauce that was intended when the Blue Jays signed him after winning a World Series with the controversial Houston Astros in 2017.  Springer hit a record-setting five home runs in that World Series.

Vlad, however, is the toast of Toronto and the second-generation hitting machine that signed a 14-year, $500 million contract extension with the Toronto Blue Jays that runs through 2039.

“He’s the face of the franchise,” said manager John Schneider. “I remember a conversation, it was me and Max [Scherzer]. This was back in April in [my office]. We talked about, ‘Hey, you’re the standard now for this team’ and what comes with that, how you have to act, how you have to talk. He’s been great. He’s just been very, very aware of everything that’s going on, which is very hard to do when the spotlight is on you.”

Can Toronto Blue Jays Muster Spirit Of Joe Carter, Beat Dodgers? 

Speaking of  legendary Blue Jays moments, Joe Carter’s Game 7, World Series-ending walkoff against the Phillies in 1993 will forever remain as the biggest blast in that franchise’s history. It also punctuated a back-to-back championship experience. Jose Bautista’s go-ahead, three-run homer in Game 5 of the 2015 American League Division Series that he famously punctuated with an emphatic bat flip was not a walkoff, But it led to a victory that eliminated the Texas Rangers and sent the Blue Jays to the ALCS. Springer’s blast to get into the World Series will surpass Bautista’s in Blue Jays lore.

Anything is possible, but the LA Dodgers are locked, loaded and ready to repeat. Toronto will have to play flawless baseball, aggressive baseball and hope that Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman simultaneously slump. That’s going to be a tough task, but never say never. George Springer proved that on Monday night in Game 7. His 23 postseason homers place him third on the all-time list, behind only Manny Ramirez (29) and Jim Thome (25).