TORONTO — Kevin Gausman was walking up the steps to the left field bullpen at Rogers Centre this week when it crossed his mind.
Myles Straw was stretching on the outfield turf when Davis Schneider reminded him of the last time they were here.
Meanwhile, manager John Schneider sat on the stage in the media conference room and was asked on Thursday if the memories were still impacting his sleep.
“Yeah, unfortunately,” Schneider responded. “Let’s get to 7:07 p.m. tomorrow.”
Every person who was a member of the Toronto Blue Jays last fall carries some form of heartbreak caused by the extra-innings loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 7 of the World Series. And while the winter provided some time to process and heal, the collective wound was reopened this week as the club arrived in Toronto ahead of Friday’s opening-day contest against the Athletics (Blue Jays Central begins at 5:30 p.m. ET, broadcast begins at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT).
It’s one thing to carry out their work during spring training far away in Florida. Most players hadn’t been back to Rogers Centre since their lives changed 146 days ago. However, being back home where the reminders are everywhere has forced them to confront some feelings.
In Gausman’s case, walking on the field and going about his daily preparation just like he did last October was an interesting experience.
“It feels like we never left, to be honest,” Gausman said. “It feels like we’re getting ready for Game 8. Obviously, there’s no Game 8, but yeah, it was kind of a nostalgic feeling. I threw my bullpen yesterday and it was weird for me to play catch before that. And then, going up the steps to the bullpen, just remembering the last time I did this.
“It’s unique,” he added. “It’s the first time I’ve ever experienced this. And a lot of guys in there, all we can do is kind of talk about it. Be like, ‘Man, it’s weird to be back here. It feels like we never left.’ Quick turnaround for sure, but as a player, that’s what you want. You want to be one of the last two teams playing.”
The right-hander will get the ball on Friday in what will be the third opening-day assignment of his career and first with the Blue Jays. Once Gausman delivers that initial pitch, the conversation will finally and fully move toward 2026.
Yet, even before that can happen, the World Series will again be in focus with a banner-raising ceremony to celebrate the 2025 American League champions.
“The emotions are going to be there,” Vladimir Guerrero Jr. said through interpreter Hector Lebron. “They’re going to be great emotions when you see that banner going down.”
That’s as much reminiscing as the first baseman will allow for himself, though.
“I’m not thinking of the post-season last year anymore,” said Guerrero Jr. “I mean, obviously it was great. But right now I’m really focused on this season, starting tomorrow.”
Straw holds a similar mindset.
“At the end of the day, we’ll always remember it. I’ll never forget the good and the bad moments,” Straw said. “But it’s time to turn the page and look forward to where we’re at in the present. I’m a big believer of living in the moment where we are at.”
Where the Blue Jays are at is undoubtedly a strong position. FanGraphs projects the club to win 85 games, while PECOTA has them finishing first in the AL East with 88 wins. Bo Bichette and Chris Bassitt are gone, but general manager Ross Atkins spent the off-season bolstering the roster with the likes of Dylan Cease, Kazuma Okamoto, Cody Ponce, Tyler Rogers and Jesus Sanchez.
-
MLB on Sportsnet
Watch the Toronto Blue Jays, Blue Jays Central pre-game, marquee MLB matchups, Jays in 30, original documentaries, the wild card, divisional series, championship series and entire World Series on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+.
Broadcast schedule
Those players will join a clubhouse that Atkins believes has been strengthened by what its players went through last year. When asked about the extent to which he carries the Game 7 loss, the GM pointed to how players have internalized it.
“I think about what I saw and what I still see in that level of cohesion, that level of intensity and desire that is just alive in our clubhouse and that’s what I focus on,” Atkins said. “And then, it’s easy to turn the page. Albeit very difficult, the way things ended. I’m fortunate enough to be able to see that connectivity in our clubhouse and how that turns into their routines and their work ethic and how genuinely they are pulling for one another.”
Schneider joked that the nights he spent awake in the off-season annoyed his wife, Jessy, but noted the restlessness has come with some perspective.
“I think it’s just until you get back there, until you win one, it’s just part of you, right?” said the manager. “And what I’ve realized is it’s not going to define us. It’s not going to define me, Vlad, anyone. That last year is not gonna define us. What will is how we handle ourselves, how we played and what that does for us going forward. That should be the definition of what we take out of 2025.
“Was it fun? Hell yeah. Did it suck? Hell yeah. But how we handled it and what we got out of it is what is going to define us going forward. I’ll sleep a little better, hopefully soon.”
