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What the Blue Jays can learn from two surprise juggernauts in MLB’s playoffs
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Photo credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
Aidan Sinclair
Oct 13, 2026, 07:00 EDTUpdated: Oct 12, 2026, 11:09 EDT
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Whether the Toronto Blue Jays are in the postseason or not, each October a new team or two emerges each season as a surprise story, capturing lightning in a bottle and riding the wave as far as they can go.
This year, the Cleveland Guardians entered with sub-20 % odds to make the playoffs according to FanGraphs, yet find themselves in the ALCS, just four wins away from making it to the last dance. In 2025, the Blue Jays were that team. Coming off a terrible 2024 campaign, nobody would have thought Toronto would end up in Game 7 of the World Series. 
That all being said, there are teams that consistently find a way to win in the regular season, setting themselves up for postseason success. It is well known that the Los Angeles Dodgers are one of the most aggressive teams in the free agent market, gathering as much superstar talent as they can to compete year in, year out. The Blue Jays have not and will not operate that way, and did not rely on endless superstar talent to reach the World Series a season ago. Their blueprint to recapturing a potent roster that can compete with the best in the game lies in what the Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers have been able to accomplish in 2026. 
It is clear that the biggest area of need for Toronto this offseason is the offence, given the team’s finish of dead last in the league in home runs, second-worst OPS mark, and fewest runs scored. The bullpen was the greatest strength of the 2026 squad, and the rotation has potential with Cody Ponce returning from injury and full seasons from Trey Yesavage and José Soriano. 
Focusing on the Rays and Brewers and how the Blue Jays can learn from their offensive approach to improve this offseason, both teams rely on timely hitting, running the bases well, and manufacturing runs in a variety of fashions. Both teams were in the bottom 10 for home runs in the regular season, yet finished inside the top five for total hits, stolen bases, OBP, and AVG with RISP. 
Every team needs at least one superstar. The Rays have Junior Caminero and the Brewers have Jackson Chourio. But it is the complementary pieces that create the identity of a ballclub. Think of Victor Mesa Jr. and Ryan Vilade for the Rays, both hitters you probably didn’t know anything about coming into 2026, yet both went deep against the Yankees in the ALDS. Chandler Simpson will put the ball in play and run like the wind. On the Brewers side, Luis Lara is a pesky hitter who uses his wheels to his advantage. Jake Bauers seemingly out of nowhere, turned into an elite power hitter, and Cooper Pratt had his name all over the Brewers’ NLDS matchup against the Padres on both sides of the ball. 
Both the Rays and Brewers ranked inside the top five in MLB in the regular season for sacrifice bunts and OPS with two outs, areas where the Blue Jays struggled mightily. Kazuma Okamoto was the only batter to hit more than 20 home runs (33); Andres Gimenez (20) and George Springer (12) were the only baserunners to collect more than 10 stolen bases, and of qualified hitters, only one had an OPS higher than .700 with two outs: Springer (.797). 
The Rays took care of the Yankees with ease in the ALDS, putting the ball in play and creating havoc for the opposing defence. The Brewers looked like the dominant team against the Padres in their first playoff matchup, producing in the clutch and using their elite bullpen to close games. The Blue Jays already have an elite bullpen, holding the fourth-lowest ERA in 2026 at a 3.30 mark, but simply need a versatile offence to create a well-rounded roster. 
There are two ways this can be addressed in the offseason: acquiring free agent talent and having a philosophy change that is geared towards being more aggressive on the basepaths and not relying on extra-base hits as the only way to score runs. The Blue Jays succeeded well beyond expectations in 2025 due to their ability to win games 1,000 different ways. They’ll need to recapture that in 2027 to have any chance of competing once again.

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