One thing shook unfastened for the Toronto Blue Jays’ lineup in late Might. They became an offensive drive. And whereas the star energy was there with Vladimir Guerrero Jr., a Bo Bichette bounce-back and in a renaissance season from George Springer, what actually made this group hum was the supporting solid. 

The principle characters had been nice, in fact, however the contributions from the remainder of the roster is what actually made the Blue Jays a scary offense, high to backside. 

That was on full show in Recreation 1 of the World Collection, an 11-4 blowout victory over the defending champion Dodgers.

The large blast of the sport was a pinch-hit grand slam from Addison Barger, the primary in World Collection historical past. What illustrates depth higher than one thing like this taking place? 

Barger entered the season with solely 225 profession MLB plate appearances and he was a .197/.250/.351 (68 OPS+) hitter. He took 502 plate appearances within the 2025 common season, hitting .243/.301/.454 with 32 doubles and 21 house runs. He hit 20 house runs in 377 at-bats towards right-handed pitchers, however normally struggled towards lefties and commonly prevented seeing them. Right here, he got here via with one of many largest blows in World Collection historical past towards a left-hander in Anthony Banda.

“To be trustworthy with you, I do not even keep in mind,” Barger mentioned after the sport when requested what he was fascinated about whereas rounding the bases. He mentioned it was a “blackout second.” 

Nathan Lukes had pinch hit earlier within the inning and drew a bases-loaded stroll after falling behind on an 0-2 rely. He fouled off 4 pitches throughout that plate look. His stroll made it 4-2 Blue Jays. It actually sums up the Blue Jays depth that they used two pinch hitters in one of many largest innings in World Collection historical past.

Lukes was not a high prospect. He wasn’t ever actually even a prospect. A seventh-round decide in 2015, Lukes spent 10 years within the minors. He was nearly to hold up the cleats for good earlier than lastly getting a shot. He is now 31 years previous. In 135 video games this season, he hit .255/.323/.407. Within the playoffs, he is discovered a house within the second spot within the batting order, hitting between Springer and Guerrero. Within the ALDS and ALCS, Lukes hit .333/.381/.410 with seven RBI in 11 video games.

The Blue Jays really trailed Recreation 1 of the World Collection Friday night time, 2-0, heading to the underside of the fourth inning. Daulton Varsho — named after his dad’s former teammate Darren Daulton, who was the catcher throughout Joe Carter’s 1993 World Collection walk-off house run on this ballpark — clubbed a two-run shot. 

That was the primary house run Blake Snell allowed to a lefty since June 2 of final season and that was to the nice Juan Soto. Snell hadn’t even given up a single hit to a left-handed hitter to this point within the 2025 playoffs.

Varsho, whose father Gary hung out as a fourth outfielder with the Cubs, Pirates, Phillies and Reds and transitioned to an MLB scouting position, was a second-round select of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2017. He got here up via the minors principally as a catcher and was traded to the Jays by the Diamondbacks in trade for Gabriel Moreno and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. At this time, Varsho is among the greatest defensive heart fielders in baseball, a tremendous feat for a minor-league catcher. Varsho was damage for quantity of the 2025 season, however he hit 20 house runs in simply 71 video games, slugging .548. He was a monster towards the Yankees within the ALDS, going 7 for 16 with three doubles, two homers, 4 RBI and 7 runs in 4 video games.

Two innings after Varsho tied the sport, Ernie Clement’s bases-loaded single within the backside of the sixth gave the Blue Jays the lead for the primary time in a World Collection sport since Carter’s house run in 1993. That single kickstarted the all-time nice, nine-run inning; solely two innings in World Collection historical past (the 1968 Tigers and 1929 Athletics) have ever seen a staff rating extra runs.

Clement was a fourth-round decide in 2017. He was claimed off waivers by the A’s from Cleveland after which launched within the spring of 2023 earlier than signing a minor-league take care of the Blue Jays. This yr, he put collectively a quiet 4.3-WAR season, serving as a utility infielder. Within the first two rounds of the playoffs, he hit .429/.444/.619 with seven RBI and 10 runs in 11 video games. 

Between Barger, Varsho, Clement, Lukes, catcher Alejandro Kirk — he is a two-time All-Star, however I feel he nonetheless qualifies as “supporting solid” on this staff — and shortstop Andrés Giménez, the Blue Jays received eight hits, all 11 RBI and 9 runs scored from their non-stars. 

Bear in mind, Giménez hit a pair of game-changing, two-run house runs within the ALCS in Seattle. Although he was quiet in Recreation 1, Davis Schneider is one other supporting solid man who has come via typically for the Blue Jays this season.

Right here in World Collection Recreation 1, Kirk hit a two-run house run after the sport was in all probability already in hand, however he must be spotlighted as nicely. A squatty 5-foot-8, 245 kilos, Kirk definitely would not appear to be a contemporary skilled athlete, however he is an excellent participant. He went 3 for 3 with a stroll and residential run Friday night time, following a .282/.348/.421 (111 OPS+) season. Very similar to the remainder of the supporting solid, he wasn’t setting the world on fireplace or something, however having regular producers all through the lineup is what made the Blue Jays an ideal offense within the common season.

In actual fact, they had been the most effective offenses in all of 2025, main the majors in batting common. It was Might 29 after they actually began to pour it on, although. From that sport via the top of the season, the Blue Jays hit .279/.342/.455, in comparison with the league common this season of .245/.315/.404. The league common runs per sport was 4.45. From Might 29 till the top of the common season, the Blue Jays scored 5.5 runs a sport. In that point span, the Jays had been first in batting common, second in on-base proportion and first in slugging proportion. 

Bichette, Guerrero and Springer had nice years. The aforementioned bounce-back from Bichette and renaissance from Springer had been integral, as was the All-Star season from Guerrero. This was not, nevertheless, a top-heavy staff. It is a deep staff. And it was on show in Recreation 1 of the World Collection.