The Blue Jays asked their home run jacket to wake up. It did

AL EastBlue JaysOriolesRaysRed SoxYankeesAL CentralGuardiansRoyalsTigersTwinsWhite SoxAL WestAngelsAstrosAthleticsMarinersRangersNL EastBravesMarlinsMetsNationalsPhilliesNL CentralBrewersCardinalsCubsPiratesRedsNL WestDiamondbacksDodgersGiantsPadresRockiesScores & ScheduleStandingsPodcastsThe Windup NewsletterFantasyMLB ProspectsMLB OddsMLB PicksPower RankingsFans Speak UpTop ProspectsThe Blue Jays asked their home run jacket to wake up. It didRookie catcher Brandon Valenzuela, just five games into his MLB career, drilled a ball into the Twins' bullpen Friday, ending the Blue Jays' home run drought. Mark Blinch / Getty Images Share full articleTORONTO — A note hung on top of the Toronto Blue Jays’ bedazzled home run jacket in the dugout Friday. It was a plea for the club’s celebratory blazer to break its slumber. “Dear Jacket,” the note read. “Would you please wake up. We need Homers.” With two homers in a 10-4 win over the Minnesota Twins later that night, Toronto’s jacket — and bats — woke up. The Jays hadn’t homered in their last four games entering Friday, losing three of four contests in that stretch. Toronto’s lineup had been held to four or fewer runs in its last seven games, too. The @BlueJays asked their home run jacket to "wake up" after not hitting a homer in their last 4 games. Brandon Valenzuela and Daulton Varsho reaped the rewards tonight! pic.twitter.com/OcXNY4V9Zu Toronto’s celebratory jacket sits on a hanger in the dugout, taken off only when the Jays hammer a home run. In Friday’s fourth inning, Brandon Valenzuela finally gave it a reason to appear. The rookie catcher, just five games into his MLB career, slashed at a hanging splitter. He drilled the ball to right field, earning the Jays a lead as it bounced into Minnesota’s bullpen. “Hard to describe it,” Valenzuela said. “I knew I got it well, but I didn’t know if I got it high enough. It was an amazing feeling when I realized it was getting over the wall.” The backstop, called up when Alejandro Kirk went on the injured list with a fractured thumb, was greeted at Toronto’s dugout with a wide-armed hug from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Jesús Sánchez, standing behind Guerrero, held up the jacket for Valenzuela to put on for the first time. An inning later, as the Jays expanded their lead, Daulton Varsho jogged around the bases and was greeted by the jacket, too. The two deep drives helped Toronto post its largest offensive output of the season, breaking the lineup’s cold streak with 10 runs. “Good at bats, up and down,” manager John Schneider said. “Kind of everyone doing their part.” Toronto’s homer jacket was introduced in 2021 and has stuck with the team ever since, except for a brief retirement during the 2023 season. The design has changed slightly over the years, with new sparkles and country names added, but it continues to capture the diverse nature of Toronto’s roster and the city as a whole. Mainly, though, it represents Blue Jays home runs and is worn by every hitter who blasts one over the fence. After a four-game lull, the Jays finally hit those homers. The jacket, as requested, woke up. “For the bullpen to put up those zeros there and offence to score 10,” new starter Patrick Corbin said, “those are always fun games to be a part of.” Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Mitch Bannon is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the Toronto Blue Jays. Before joining The Athletic, he covered the Blue Jays for SI.com and wrote for MLB.com in a freelance capacity. He is a graduate of McGill University and the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. Follow Mitch on Twitter @MitchBannon