The Blue Jays Are Struggling To Defend Their 2025 American League Title

BusinessSportsMoneyThe Blue Jays Are Struggling To Defend Their 2025 American League TitleByBarry M. Bloom,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Boomskie on BaseballFollow AuthorAug 21, 2026, 12:00pm EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.SummaryThe Blue Jays are experiencing a dramatic collapse, struggling at 62-66 and fourth in the AL East, a stark contrast to their World Series run last year. Despite being 15 games behind the Rays, a weak American League keeps them just one game out of the final Wild Card spot. Former Blue Jay Ty France suggests mental and physical fatigue from their deep postseason run contributed to their struggles. The team experienced a 35% roster turnover, with key players underperforming, and became sellers at the trade deadline. However, a recent 10-4 surge has surprisingly propelled them back into the Wild Card race, defying earlier expectations of a lost season.Show More Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hasn't hit a regular season homer in Toronto' Rogers Centre since Aug. 17, 2025. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images)Getty ImagesLost in the chaos of the current Major League Baseball season is the almost absolute collapse of the Blue Jays in their attempt at defending the American League title.A year ago, the Jays lost to the Dodgers on the last pitch of the World Series in the 11th inning of Game 7 at Rogers Centre when Alejandro Kirk grounded into a double play. The tying run was on third and the winning run on first when Kirk bounced to shortstop Mookie Betts, who quickly stepped on second and threw on to Freddie Freeman at first.The Dodgers won the game, 5-4, and the series, 4-3. The Jays haven’t been the same ever since.The Jays returned home for the final two games with a 3-2 lead and had countless chances in Toronto to win the World Series. But it wasn’t to be.“It just felt like everything that wa...