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Unsung heroes of the Blue Jays’ offence in the postseason
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Photo credit: © Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Oct 22, 2025, 19:00 EDTUpdated: Oct 22, 2025, 17:32 EDT
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For the first time in 32 years, the Toronto Blue Jays will play in the World Series.
With a 4-3 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Monday, the Jays punched their ticket to their third World Series in franchise history. Down 3-1 in the bottom of the seventh, George Springer hit arguably the biggest home run since Joe Carter’s walk-off home run in 1993, with Springer’s three-run blast giving the Blue Jays a lead they’d never relinquish.
After the game, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was named as the American League Championship Series MVP, as he slashed .385/.484/.846 with three home runs in 31 plate appearances over the seven-game series.
Given their regular seasons, both Guerrero Jr. and Springer have performed the way they’re supposed to – like stars. Guerrero Jr. has cemented himself as a true superstar and playoff performer, while Springer continues to have one of the best over-35 seasons in history.
But unlike hockey or basketball, it takes a team to make the postseason, let alone the World Series. With that said, let’s take a look at the Blue Jays’ unsung heroes so far through the postseason.

Ernie Clement

It’d be hard to find a Blue Jay fan who doesn’t know Ernie Clement, especially with how he’s performed so far this season. An average hitter with stellar defence on the infield through the regular season, Clement has flourished in the postseason.
Guerrero Jr. leads the team in batting average (.442) and wRC+ (280 wRC+), but Clement is second in each category. Through 11 games, the utility infielder is slashing .429/.444/.619 with two strikeouts and a home run, good enough for a 195 wRC+.
Want to know which players with at least 20 plate appearances have a higher wRC+ than Clement? Guerrero Jr., Aaron Judge, and Michael Busch. Clement has a higher wRC+ than Cal Raleigh, Josh Naylor, George Springer, Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernández, and plenty of other All-Star-calibre players.
What an incredible ascent from a player who signed a minor-league deal in 2023.

Nathan Lukes

Also signing a minor-league deal with the Blue Jays was Nathan Lukes, all the way back before the 2022 season. Added to the 40-man roster after that season, Lukes got limited time with the Jays in 2023, and got a cup of tea in the big leagues after the Blue Jays sold at the 2024 trade deadline.
Lukes made the team out of Spring Training and went on to have a solid season, slashing .255/.323/.407 with 12 home runs in 438 plate appearances for a 103 wRC+. Due to Anthony Santander’s injury, Lukes got a lot of playing time and made the best of it.
His success has amplified in the postseason. Batting in the two-hole between Springer and Guerrero Jr., Lukes is slashing .333/.381/.410 with no home runs in 42 plate appearances for a 125 wRC+. 
Lukes may not be a superstar, but you can always expect him to give a quality plate appearance anytime he steps up to the plate. There’s a reason he bats between Springer and Guerrero Jr. 

Andrés Giménez

When the Blue Jays traded Spencer Horwitz and prospect Nick Mitchell to the Cleveland Guardians for Andrés Giménez (and Nick Sandlin), expectations surrounding Giménez’s bat weren’t high.
After a hot streak to start the season, the second baseman cooled off considerably and finished the year slashing .210/.285/.313 with seven home runs in 369 plate appearances for a 70 wRC+. Thankfully, he’s a great defender.
Due to Bo Bichette’s injury in early September, Giménez has moved to shortstop, where he’s fit like a glove. His offensive numbers at the bottom of the lineup have been a big help as well, slashing .263/.317/.447 with two home runs in 43 plate appearances.
His first home run of the postseason was the turning point of the American League Championship Series. Down 2-0 in the series and in the top of the third inning in Game 3, Ernie Clement hit a double before Giménez stepped up to the plate, hitting a two-run blast to tie the game.
The Jays went on to win that game, as well as the next, when Giménez hit another two-run home run in the top of the third. You take stellar defence and a 114 wRC+ from your #9 hitter any day of the week.

Addison Barger

Addison Barger was a big reason the Blue Jays got hot in the summer, especially in June and July. However, from August 2nd until the end of the season, Barger slashed just .204/.270/.344 with five home runs for a 71 wRC+ in 174 plate appearances.
Those struggles seemingly continued into the postseason. Through his first six postseason games, Barger was slashing just .222/.300/.278 with a double in 20 plate appearances. The lone bright spot in this stretch was his three-hit performance in Game 4 of the ALDS. When the ALCS flipped over to Seattle, so too did his numbers.
From Game 3 until the end of the series, Barger slashed .353/.450/.765 with two home runs in 20 plate appearances. Now, Barger is slashing .286/.375/.514 with two home runs in 40 plate appearances for a 149 wRC+, fourth-best on the team.
It takes a team to win a World Series, and while these four position players haven’t had the spot like Guerrero Jr. or Springer have had so far this postseason, they’ve been a huge part in helping the Jays make the World Series for the first time in 32 years.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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