Springer named AL player of week after Blue Jays sweep homestand
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The 35-year-old hit .429 (12-for-28) with five homers, 13 runs batted in, four walks, nine runs scored, a stolen base, a .964 slugging percentage and a .500 on-base percentage.
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He proved instrumental as the Blue Jays swept a four-game series with the New York Yankees at home for the first time in franchise history and moved into first place in the American League East.
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The Jays followed that by taking all three games against the visiting Los Angeles Angels over the weekend.
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Springer was named player of the week for the sixth time in his career and first since 2021, when he earned the honour three times with the Blue Jays. His previous two awards came with the Houston Astros.
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Toronto was on an eight-game winning streak overall heading into a game against the White Sox in Chicago on Monday.
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Chicago Cubs first baseman Michael Busch won the National League player of the week award.
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CTV News
11 hours ago
- CTV News
Springer named AL player of the week after Blue Jays sweep seven-game homestand
Toronto Blue Jays' George Springer (4) celebrates in the dug out after hitting a two run home run off Los Angeles Angels pitcher Jack Kochanowicz (41) during third inning MLB baseball action in Toronto, Saturday, July 5, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young NEW YORK — Toronto outfielder/designated hitter George Springer has been named the American League player of the week after his dominant stretch at the plate helped the Blue Jays complete a perfect seven-game homestand. The 35-year-old hit .429 (12-for-28) with five homers, 13 runs batted in, four walks, nine runs scored, a stolen base, a .964 slugging percentage and a .500 on-base percentage. He proved instrumental as the Blue Jays swept a four-game series with the New York Yankees at home for the first time in franchise history and moved into first place in the American League East. The Jays followed that by taking all three games against the visiting Los Angeles Angels on the weekend. Springer was named player of the week for the sixth time in his career and first since 2021, when he earned the honour three times with the Blue Jays. His previous two awards came with the Houston Astros. Toronto was on an eight-game winning streak overall heading into a game against the White Sox in Chicago on Monday. Chicago Cubs first baseman Michael Busch won the National League player of the week award. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 7, 2025.
Toronto Sun
11 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
WORST TO FIRST: How the Blue Jays changed the narrative and are reaping the results
The surging, scintillating Jays are the latest team to hit upon the ultimate winning formula that goes above and beyond the fancy stats. Get the latest from Rob Longley straight to your inbox Ernie Clement #22 of the Toronto Blue Jays celebrates with Tyler Heineman #55, Myles Straw #3 and Kevin Gausman #34 after hitting a sacrifice bunt which resulted in a throwing error allowing Myles Straw #3 to score the winning run in the 10th inning of a game against the Los Angeles Angels at Rogers Centre on July 04, 2025 in Toronto. Photo by Vaughn Ridley / Getty Images The numbers drive the narrative so deeply in modern baseball that sometimes they take away from the more important story itself. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Most assuredly, more than other major professional team sport, advanced analytics rule the game and those teams that find a blend to translating the numbers into an on-field performance edge can certainly reap the rewards. But what happens when a motivated group of players worries less about the numbers and more about winning as a team? Perhaps the surging, scintillating Toronto Blue Jays are the latest to hit upon the ultimate winning formula that goes above and beyond the fancy stats. 'It's a bunch of brothers,' said George Springer, in some ways the leading man in terms of much of what is going right for this team, topping the squad in home runs with 16 and seemingly in big-game moments as well. 'It's guys who are pulling for one another. No one is above the team. It's about (the name) on the front and not the back. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Any time you have everybody going in the same direction like that, it's something special. Obviously there's still a long way to go, but to have that amongst us is an awesome feeling.' The numbers that matter the most now are bordering on staggering and, in the past week especially, have vaulted the Jays into the biggest story in baseball. That all-for-one mindset has paid massive dividends for the Jays through 91 games. The 53 wins through that portion of the season are their most in more than 30 years through that many games and have them on pace for 94. In the moment, the sizzling play has given the Jays a 3.5-game lead over the New York Yankees in the American League East heading into Tuesday's action. It has galvanized and inspired a group that frankly had been frustrated both with management and their own performance over the past couple of years. It has enraptured a strong and loyal coast-to-coast fan base. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Consider that, at their core, players aren't in love with all that goes with the modern approach. Most will understand the value of analytics, but if it sometimes bogs down the ultimate goal — winning games and chasing a World Series — it can become a burden. Cleaner lines of communication and a more pragmatic approach by manager John Schneider has helped build a foundation of trust in a clubhouse that didn't always have it. 'I would say it's the culture we've been able to build here,' starting pitcher Chris Bassitt said when asked to describe what is going on with a group that has skyrocket from last place in October to first the following July. 'It's taken a while.' Yes, it has. The lingering effects of two years ago, when starting pitcher Jose Berrios was removed from a playoff game in Minnesota after three innings despite pitching his heart out, was a flashpoint. The fallout persisted through the 2024 season and when performance turned sour, so did the mindset. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. To their credit, the Jays addressed the communications breakdowns in the off-season and, more than any other time in the era of general manager Ross Atkins, have all the key constituencies on the same page. 'I think myself and (bench coach Don Mattingly) and (associate manager DeMarlo Hale) have done a much better job of looking at objective numbers and using them and then using our baseball sense to say what's right for this guy right now,' Schneider said. 'There's times where numbers just are glaring at you, whether it's head-to-head or projected numbers, those things help. But I think we've done a much better job of being in touch with the guys and kind of feeling out when is a good time for them.' To use a buzzword propagated by the Jays, it has been a process to arrive at this point. In the messy aftermath of last year's 74-win, last-place season, there were some uncomfortable conversations needed and eventually worked through. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. When the team arrived to Dunedin in February, there was a sense that the players, coaches and management were aligned and lines of communication, clogged as they were in the past, were much clearer. 'I think we kind of arrived there together,' Schneider said. 'Where the game is today, when you have a good, healthy back-and-forth, you can arrive at a place where you can ask questions. Whether its me, or the front office or back and forth everyone respects the answer. I'm fortunate to where if I disagree with them it's not 'change the lineup' it's 'okay, we're on board. Let's go.' FRESH ATTITUDE It's one thing to say things are going to be different. It's quite another to transform organically. For the Jays, in the waning days of last year's miserable 74-88 season, there was a reckoning. Players were pissed, coaches were looking for answers and management was charged with turning things around in a hurry. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Bassitt perhaps summed it up best when we spoke during spring training. 'I was mad at myself. I was mad at every veteran in this room. I was mad at every coach,' Bassitt said in March. 'I was mad at everybody because I was like: 'How did we get here? I came here to compete for a World Series and we're settling for this?' That's not why I came here. So, yeah, I would say every person was mad. 'It was not a good feeling for any of the veterans here. It was not fun.' Fast-forward to now where in less than two weeks the Jays soared from three games out of the division lead to 3.5 games in front. They're playing with enthusiasm. They're playing with contributions up and down the lineup from unheralded players and the big names alike. And they're doing it all with contributions from would-be key pieces such as Anthony Santander and Daulton Varsho. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Once I wake up, I just can't wait to get to the field with my teammates,' Vlad Guerrero Jr. told reporters in Chicago on Monday. 'It's been unbelievable. It's what any manager wants — a team like that and a culture like that.' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays gets an ice bath from Myles Straw after their MLB game against the New York Yankees at Rogers Centre on Monday, June 30, 2025, in Toronto. Photo by Cole Burston / Getty Images Of course nothing can generate a winning culture faster than a prolific winning streak, but it is becoming clearer by the day that the vibes run deeper than results. So when did it take root? We asked Springer during the recent home stand after yet another of his big performances. 'I don't know if there's a certain day or time or play or game where it happened,' Springer said. 'I think it started last year at some point, then all through the spring and early in the year when we had a hard schedule. Guys understood the assignment and and understood you just keep plugging along. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'And now here we are.' 'DON'T GIVE A BLEEP' Coping mechanisms are necessary to deal with the exhausting grind of a 162-game season, a marathon schedule that almost guarantees to serve up a steady swing of highs and lows. Watching the standings on a daily basis is a fool's game, as is getting too high on a win streak and too low from the alternative. What Schneider has seen develop in his clubhouse is a resilience that is a manager's dream. 'These guys have demonstrated time after time that they really don't give a s***,' Schneider said. 'I'm proud of the way they are moving on from things, good and bad. 'They're really, really good at just moving on.' There's also a vested feeling of empowerment when players feel as though they have a say in their work. They may not control all of the decisions, but they can have a say via strong play, a good attitude and positive results. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'The players just live it and they drive it,' Schneider said. 'It has to happen organically. It's a really good feeling for me sitting here and for the coaches because that's what you try to do all the time. It doesn't always happen, but it's a cool feeling when you have a group and they all kind of say the same thing. 'You try to nudge and you try to encourage, and then when it happens, you let them do it.' As Guerrero notes, it has fostered a winning mindset. When the hero is often someone different every day, all the better. 'Just the way we're playing, holding each other accountable on the field and off the field,' Bassitt said. 'We're getting rewarded for playing the game the right way and playing the game hard. 'It's just an old-school approach of how to play the game. We have a lot of talented guys and when you have a lot of talented guys play the way we're playing, it's hard to beat.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Reaching definitive conclusions on a team 91 games into a 162-game season is risky business. But among the many benefits of a nine-game winning streak following Monday's win over the White Sox in Chicago, taking a team 15 games above .500 are many. High among them is a cushion that can help weather future dips in results that are almost inevitable. 'It gives you a little bit of a an ability to exhale and take a deep breath,' Schneider said. 'What I love about this stretch is that there's so many things we can fall back on when you do hit a rough patch to say, 'let's just get back to doing this or two out of these three things, and we'll get back on track.'' Now that the results have followed, Schneider is of the mind that the style of play and the wide range of contributors have made the success endurable. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Nathan Lukes, centre, of the Toronto Blue Jays celebrates with teammates after hitting a walk-off RBI single during a game against the San Diego Padres at Rogers Centre on Thursday, May 22, 2025, in Toronto. Photo by Vaughn Ridley / Getty Images On one night, it might be Springer adding to his team-leading 16 home run total. On the next it could be the sudden power of Addison Barger flashing again. Or Nathan Lukes with a big hit from the leadoff spot. Or Bo Bichette making an error one inning and bouncing back with a solo home run the next. And on it goes. 'We can do things a different way every night, you know, and I think that makes it pretty sustainable,' Schneider said. 'We need that. When we look at years past, it wasn't 26 guys doing it every day. The grind of 162, you're going to need some options.' Schneider credits the Blue Jays infrastructure below the big leagues, a shift in the player development structure that has helped players arriving in the Toronto clubhouse be ready to contribute. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'The transition they've made on the minor league side in terms of development has helped,' Schneider said. MANAGER OF THE YEAR? It's not a stretch to suggest that it was an off-season of reckoning for the Jays and it went top down from the front office, to the manager's suite, to the players. The job Schneider has done navigating those challenges — and evolving on the job — has been critical to the transformation in mindset. And for a guy who has endured more than his share of criticism since replacing Charlie Montoyo three years ago next week, has the time arrived to at least insert Schneider into the conversation for American League manager of the year? Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider. Photo by Nathan Denette / The Canadian Press Detroit skipper A.J. Hinch may be the frontrunner, but if the Jays continue on this path and go from last to first, Schneider will at least garner some consideration. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'More than anything, it takes reps from me,' Schneider said of his own evolution. 'To say this is what is right or this is what you feel is right — a lot of times it's the same thing. A couple of years into this job I've arrived at a good back-and-forth with everyone — between front office and staff and players. 'I won't say educating the players on it. But I think explaining to them the why beforehand and days beforehand and it's easier for them to be ready.' Under Schneider's stewardship, the staff has done a terrific job getting players to buy in. The idea was that if the coaches wanted the players to be better, they determined they needed to be a stronger as well. The result has been that team-first philosophy where players are motivated to be better both for themselves (and the recognition and cash that comes with it) and for the team. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'I don't think you have to say much,' Schneider said. 'I think that you have to just be very aware of the mental and physical workload that goes into those games and maybe adjust the prep a little bit.' BY GEORGE To make a complete transformation from last-place misery to division contender, the Jays likely needed a breakout performance from an unlikely source. Welcome back to game-changing performance, George Springer. The rejuvenation of the former Astros star has been a massive development for the Jays. Prior to Vlad Guerrero Jr.'s mammoth $500-million US contract extension, Springer's six-year, $150-million US deal was the richest in team history. Toronto Blue Jays' George Springer celebrates after slugging a home run against the Angels on Saturday. CHRIS YOUNG/THE CANADIAN PRESS Springer was signed to help transform the team into one capable of playoff success, to lead the young guns to the post-season promised land. The way things went in Year 5 of the deal in 2024, it looked like Springer's meaningful contributions were behind him. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Instead, yet another reset with this team has been revolutionary. 'I think the biggest thing for me is I've kind of learned how to handle the failure, the ups and downs,' Springer said. 'It's not always about getting a hit, it's the process. Ultimately I believe that.' While there were surely doubts if Springer would ever return to form, Schneider vows he never dismissed the positive influence the former World Series MVP could have on the team. 'I remember a couple of years ago, George was talking to the group about September baseball, playoff baseball and the way to approach it,' Schneider said. 'I think that he's at the point where you he can do that every day. He's a big-time player. 'When you think about George being productive, this is what you envision. I remember in spring training saying 'Hey George, I don't want you to hit 40 home runs, I want you to be a productive at bat throughout this lineup.'' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Adds pitcher Kevin Gausman: 'He can completely take over a game and, when he's looked in, he'll do that for an entire series. The talent is still there.' Beyond the raw numbers, the biggest benefit may be how younger players are feeding off of Springer's performance. It's one thing to be a leader by past reputation. It's quite another to lead by performance example. 'When a guy liked that does this, it trickles down to everyone else,' Schneider said. 'It really does. We have some big name players and when they are having success, it just allows everyone else to be a little bit more free.' FANDEMONIUM The four-game sweep of the Yankees over Canada Day week was the unquestioned high point for a fan base that has stayed loyal to the Jays since the 2015 and 2016 seasons. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. But it's fair to note that the vibes are the highest that they've been in almost a decade. Even with the encouragement of reaching the playoffs in 2022 and 2023, the team wasn't always easy to embrace. The defence-first emphasis, the modest run output and the playoff failures certainly bred a restlessness in the fan base. Playing with energy and enthusiasm, the 2025 version has fired-up a fan base that has longed for exactly these kind of results since the promise of Guerrero and Bichette and some of the big signings since Springer formed the blueprint. Read More And then there are the contributions from young players throughout the lineup, an injection of enthusiasm inside and outside of the clubhouse. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'You really have to commend these young guys for what they've done,' Gausman said. 'Whenever they're called upon, to play a different position … all these guys are pretty resilient guys, They kind of like being in the dirt.' The enthusiasm is contagious. 'It's kind of fun to watch them get excited,' Gausman said. 'Some of us old guys, it's a little bit different (at this point in their career.) So it's nice to just watch these guys play kind of with their their hair on fire.' As we've seen throughout the hot streak, the Jays are feeding off the frenzy of success and having fun doing it. The crowds have responded and there's almost an anticipation of who will be the next to come through for a win. 'I think it helps for sure,' Schneider said of the rocking Rogers Centre. 'Guys enjoy playing in front of crowds like that. It's been pretty cool.' Canada Canada Toronto Blue Jays Sunshine Girls Sunshine Girls
Edmonton Journal
11 hours ago
- Edmonton Journal
WORST TO FIRST: How the Blue Jays changed the narrative and are reaping the results
The numbers drive the narrative so deeply in modern baseball that sometimes they take away from the more important story itself. Article content Most assuredly, more than other major professional team sport, advanced analytics rule the game and those teams that find a blend to translating the numbers into an on-field performance edge can certainly reap the rewards. Article content But what happens when a motivated group of players worries less about the numbers and more about winning as a team? Perhaps the surging, scintillating Toronto Blue Jays are the latest to hit upon the ultimate winning formula that goes above and beyond the fancy stats. Article content Article content 'It's a bunch of brothers,' said George Springer, in some ways the leading man in terms of much of what is going right for this team, topping the squad in home runs with 16 and seemingly in big-game moments as well. Article content 'It's guys who are pulling for one another. No one is above the team. It's about (the name) on the front and not the back. Article content 'Any time you have everybody going in the same direction like that, it's something special. Obviously there's still a long way to go, but to have that amongst us is an awesome feeling.' Article content Article content The numbers that matter the most now are bordering on staggering and, in the past week especially, have vaulted the Jays into the biggest story in baseball. Article content That all-for-one mindset has paid massive dividends for the Jays through 91 games. The 53 wins through that portion of the season are their most in more than 30 years through that many games and have them on pace for 94. Article content Article content In the moment, the sizzling play has given the Jays a 3.5-game lead over the New York Yankees in the American League East heading into Tuesday's action. Article content Article content It has galvanized and inspired a group that frankly had been frustrated both with management and their own performance over the past couple of years. It has enraptured a strong and loyal coast-to-coast fan base. Article content Consider that, at their core, players aren't in love with all that goes with the modern approach. Most will understand the value of analytics, but if it sometimes bogs down the ultimate goal — winning games and chasing a World Series — it can become a burden. Article content Cleaner lines of communication and a more pragmatic approach by manager John Schneider has helped build a foundation of trust in a clubhouse that didn't always have it. Article content 'I would say it's the culture we've been able to build here,' starting pitcher Chris Bassitt said when asked to describe what is going on with a group that has skyrocket from last place in October to first the following July. 'It's taken a while.'
