The Blue Jays’ World Series hopes may have faded months ago, but up to eight former Jays could make an impact when the Yankees and Dodgers kick off Game 1 in Los Angeles on Friday.
The Dodgers, who led MLB with 98 wins, were powered in part by four ex-Jays. The standout among them is Teoscar Hernández, who has batted third or fourth in nearly every Dodgers playoff game. The 32-year-old, who hit 32 home runs and drove in 116 runs in an All-Star 2021 season with Toronto, saw a dip in his numbers the next year, leading to his trade. Amid fans calling for change around Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Hernández was sent to Seattle for reliever Erik Swanson and top prospect Adam Macko.
Toronto’s pivot to a defense-first strategy after a bullpen collapse against Seattle also led to Hernández’s trade, allowing the Jays to sign Kevin Kiermaier and trade for Daulton Varsho. However, the Jays have since struggled to find the power bat they lost; while their designated hitters managed just 19 homers in 2024, Hernández hit 33 for the Dodgers.
Hernández remained unsigned until January when the Dodgers offered him a one-year, $23.5 million deal. He ended up finishing second on the team in home runs and RBIs, only behind Shohei Ohtani. The Jays later signed Justin Turner, investing $10.5 million less.
Meanwhile, Kiermaier, traded by the Jays to L.A. for reliever Ryan Yarbrough, is set to retire after the World Series and may close out his career with a championship ring as a backup outfielder. At 34, Kiermaier remains a reliable presence, wrapping up each Dodgers NLCS win with stellar fielding in center.
Two more former Jays, relievers Anthony Banda and Daniel Hudson, will join the Dodgers bullpen. Banda, who played briefly with Toronto in 2022, is now L.A.’s go-to lefty, while Hudson, a 2019 Jays alum, has appeared in five postseason games with just one earned run.
For the Yankees, infielder Jon Berti—who spent seven seasons with Toronto before brief MLB time with them in 2018—has contributed since his trade to New York this spring. Mark Leiter Jr., another former Jay, posted a 3.86 ERA in the ALCS. Marcus Stroman and Tim Mayza may also make the World Series roster, with Stroman serving as a long man and Mayza filling the second lefty slot if the Yankees activate Nestor Cortes.
In total, eight ex-Jays could take the field in this World Series, while Toronto now holds Swanson, Macko, and part of José Berríos in return.