TORONTO – Blue Jays fans are flocking to Toronto from far and wide as the team prepares for a historic faceoff against the New York Yankees.
The first-ever playoff meeting between the two teams opens with games this Saturday and Sunday in Toronto before the series shifts to New York.
The winner of the best-of-five series will move on to the American League Championship Series.
David Forma is a Jays superfan who has supported the team since the 1970s.
He says as soon as he found out the Jays were making the playoffs, he bought tickets and booked flights to Toronto.
Forma says he and his 10-year-old son, who came from Calgary, have a message for the Jays: “Kick the Yankees’ butts!”
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“And hit some bombs!” his son, Brady, cheerfully added outside the Jays Shop on Friday afternoon.
Forma said they splurged on jerseys and hats to wear to the hotly anticipated first matchup.
“It’s gonna be bigger than anyone in this city can even imagine,” he said.
Edmundo and Martha Artola flew in from Calgary to see the game, too — and they said they see it as a way to express their Canadian pride.
“We have to be united,” Martha said with a smile.
Nedel Rodriguez, another eager fan, said he grew up in his home country of Cuba loving the sport — and cheering for the Blue Jays.
He was sporting a Yariel Rodríguez jersey. The Jays pitcher is also from Cuba.
“The chemistry among the team and all the players this year is something that we haven’t seen, I think, since 2016,” said the superfan.
That’s when the Jays last played in an American League championship series.
Rodriguez said he’s hoping the Jays can hit the Yankees in their weak spot.
“Especially defensively, I think they are struggling this year,” he said of the New York team.
“And they’re going to commit a lot of mistakes.”
Game 1 kicks off just after 4 p.m. ET on Saturday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 3, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press