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George Springer’s Game 7 ALCS home run one year later
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Photo credit: © Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Ima
Cynthia Ryley Delaney
Oct 20, 2026, 18:30 EDTUpdated: Oct 20, 2026, 19:21 EDT
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A year ago today, one of the most notable home runs in Toronto Blue Jays history was hit.
Down 3-1 in the bottom of the seventh, the Blue Jays finally got a few base runners in Game 7 of the American Championship Series against the Seattle Mariners. A sacrifice bunt moved both runners 90 feet, then George Springer hit the biggest home run in a Blue Jays’ uniform since Joe Carter back in 1993.
Springer’s home run is a very “where were you when this happened?” moment. I’m sure anyone reading it can answer exactly where they were and what they were thinking, much like the José Bautista home run a decade prior.
For me, this home run is near and dear to me, as I was at the game. I’ve written about that before, but the atmosphere easily makes this a top three moment of my lifetime. From my vantage point, I didn’t think it was gone, and when it was, I pretty much just completely blacked out. It was overwhelming and something I’ll never experience again.
Another question the Springer home run may be the answer to is: “What was your favourite moment from the 2025 season?” While it’s my answer, there are dozens of other home runs, plays, and memorable moments you can point to. Springer’s Canada Day home run is a close second, or what about Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s grand slam? How about Addison Barger’s grand slam in the first Blue Jays’ World Series game in over three decades?
Those moments are what made the 2025 season so good, made it feel so special. For us Blue Jays fans who watched throughout the season and years prior, the 2025 season will be unforgettable for the rest of our lives. It was also wonderful to see the run bring the country together. Hell, I had friends and relatives with no interest in baseball texting me during Game 7 of the World Series.
The Springer home run in Game 7 is a top three memory of my lifetime, but Game 7 of the World Series is the polar opposite. We all know what happened, the less said about the game itself the better. I was on Instant Reaction duty that night, and I’m not being hyperbolic when I say I couldn’t stop crying, that’s how much the 2025 Blue Jays meant to me.
Watching the Edmonton Oilers lose in back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals didn’t come close to the pain of that loss, and particularly how they lost. This September, while the Jays were in the midst of the wild card race, I had a dream about the game, and it’s safe to say that it took a day or two to feel normal again.
Those feelings are only made worse by how the 2026 season went and the looming lockout. The 2025 season started poorly, but they turned it around thanks to a 13-3 stretch around June, as well as an 11-game winning streak. This year’s Blue Jays team never had anything like that, even though a playoff spot was up for the taking in September.
The 2025 Blue Jays are a tale of cherished, but bittersweet memories, as well as heartbreak. Even though Springer’s home run is one of my favourite memories, it’s hard to watch it back given what’s happened since. In fact, it’s even hard not to be emotional while writing this article.
A year after Springer’s home run, the memory of the 2025 Blue Jays, as good as it was, still stings. Maybe it’ll get easier with time, but the 2025 Blue Jays deserved to win it all, and it’s a shame to think about even a year later.
Cynthia Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, DFOEdmonton, and DFOCalgary. She can be followed on Twitter @CynthiaRDelaney.
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