Captain Kirk
Ten years. That’s how long Toronto baseball fans have waited to say it again: the Blue Jays are AL East champions. The last time was 2015. A whole decade later, the champagne flowed once more — this time at Rogers Centre after Alejandro Kirk’s grand slam lit up Tampa Bay and sealed the title.
This wasn’t just any division crown, though. This one came wrapped in history.
The Summer That Turned the Tide
It started on Canada Day weekend. July 1st through 3rd, with the country in red and white, the Jays pulled off something they had never done before: a four-game home sweep of the New York Yankees. 🇨🇦 For a franchise that has always measured itself against the pinstripes, that moment mattered. Rogers Centre roared, the bats came alive, and the sweep planted a flag in the season.
From there, Toronto never let go of the idea that this year could be different. The team built momentum through the dog days of summer, winning series that in past years might have slipped away.
Tiebreaker Relief
When September arrived, the math got tight. Tampa Bay kept breathing down Toronto’s neck, and the standings were close enough that fans had to dust off the tiebreaker rules. Thankfully, this year, there was no coin flip or extra game needed — just head-to-head records. Toronto’s season edge over the Rays meant the path to the crown was clear.
Still, the clinch didn’t come easy. The Yankees got hot in September, stringing wins together, while Toronto stumbled — losing six of seven in a late-season stretch that made the whole city nervous. It looked like the Jays might let it slip away, and fans were back in that old familiar space of doubt: “Are we really going to blow this?”
Kirk’s Slam and the Release
And then came September 28th. Alejandro Kirk stepped to the plate and sent a grand slam soaring into the seats. Just like that, all the pressure, the decade-long wait, the constant shadow of the AL East’s heavyweights — gone. The Jays were champions again.
The players danced in champagne, but the real party spilled out across Toronto. Fans lined up for postgame beers, and lit up social media like it was New Year’s Eve. Rogers Centre didn’t empty for ages — nobody wanted the night to end. Monday morning was tough — red eyes in offices, coffee cups filled twice as fast — but nobody minded. After ten years, this was the kind of exhaustion you wear with pride.
A Personal Note (Because This Blog is Teacups + Ticker Tape)
When the Jays finally clinched the East, it felt like Toronto was celebrating more than a baseball title. It was history, patience rewarded, and the reminder that sometimes the long waits are worth it.
For me, it carried a little extra sweetness. I turned 40 in September, celebrating in Prince Edward Island with windy sun-drenched beach walks, lobster sandwiches, and crab cakes before the cake and candles. That alone was unforgettable, memories spent with family— but eight days later, the Jays gave me the ultimate cherry on top with their division title. Some people get flowers or wine for their birthday; I got to watch champagne showers on my TV, grinning like I was right there in the room. Honestly, that felt even better
Looking Ahead
Now, the postseason awaits. Tickets are already flying https://www.mlb.com/bluejays/tickets and the city’s heartbeat is syncing to playoff baseball again. However far this run goes, 2025 will always be remembered as the year the Jays took back the East — and gave fans a decade’s worth of joy in one unforgettable season.
GO Jays GO
Want it ALL!!!