Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre
The Toronto Blue Jays are the lone remaining MLB franchise in Canada after the Montreal Expos relocated in 2005 and became the Washington Nationals, who then won the 2019 World Series. The Blue Jays play home games at the Rogers Centre and have played there since June 1989. The stadium, featuring a retractable roof, was originally called the SkyDome until its rechristening in 2005. Rogers Centre can hold approximately 53,500 fans.
Toronto Blue Jays History
The Blue Jays have competed in the American League East since their inaugural season in 1977, winning the division six times. It took eight seasons before Toronto made its first postseason appearance in 1985, and the Jays lost in the American League Championship Series to the eventual champion Kansas City Royals in seven games. The organization made two more ALCS (1989, 1991), losing both 4-1, before capturing back-to-back World Series titles in 1992 and '93.
The championship teams were led by the franchise's all-time winningest manager Cito Gaston, who spent 12 years with the organization. It took until 2015 for the Blue Jays to make the postseason again. They lost 4-2 in the 2015 ALCS for the Royals and fell again in the 2016 ALCS 4-1 to the Cleveland Indians.
There are 10 former Blue Jays voted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. The late Roy Halladay, who pitched in Toronto from 1998 to 2009, was inducted in 2019, following his November 2017 death in a plane crash. Halladay is the second winningest Blue Jays pitcher in history with 148 behind only Dave Stieb's 176 victories.
Carlos Delgado, an All-Star first baseman in Toronto from 1993 to 2004, is the all-time franchise leader in career home runs (336), doubles (343), RBI (1,058) and other hitting categories.
John Schneider was named the interim manager of the Jays during the 2022 season and was offered a full time position that October. The future started brightening when Vladimir Guerrero Jr., son of Hall of Fame outfielder Vladimir Guerrero, was brought on to build around.
