Highlighting the best moments from the Blue Jays electric AL East championship celebration

Did you wake up today and ask yourself if yesterday afternoon was real? It's the day after the Toronto Blue Jays celebrated their first division title in ten years after defeating the Tampa Bay Rays 13-4. After the division race came down to the final day of the regular season, it went the Blue Jays' way, and it was straight to the champagne.

The narratives about the Blue Jays in March now seem like a forgotten thing of the past. Is this a make-or-break year for John Schneider? Will Vladimir Guerrero Jr leave the Blue Jays? How will the Blue Jays step up after being dead last in the American League East in 2024? The concern that loomed over Toronto erased as the months went by, and they're now the first seed in the American League.

As the home run horn blared into the night at the Rogers Centre, here are some of the best moments from the postgame celebration.

Tarps off, time to find a horse

Make no mistake about it: George Springer should be your 2025 American League Comeback Player of the Year.

Springer had a campaign to remember that'll live in the minds of Blue Jays fans for years to come. He led the team in home runs (32), OPS (.959), on-base percentage (.399), and WAR (5.2). Springer would turn out to be one of the biggest reasons why the Blue Jays are AL East Champions.

After Sportsnet's Hazel Mae was looking for the former World Series MVP, he emerged from the dugout without his shirt to a roaring crowd. Springer told Mae he wants to live up to his word of riding a police horse with his shirt off before dropping a couple of f-bombs on live TV to an approving fanbase.

Feeling hot is an understatement

Remember back in June when Kevin Gausman asked on social media where he could find a flamethrower in Toronto? Initially, fans thought that question was taking a shot at his pitching teammates. However, MLB's Keegan Matheson did his journalistic duties and discovered that Gausman was serious about a legitimate flamethrower.

Well, jump to yesterday's celebration, and looks like Gausman found his flamethrower, because a streak of fire was spotted in the middle of the champagne celebration. It's probably violating a lot of fire or safety codes since that's a small, closed space. However, the Blue Jays finished the season hot with a four-game winning streak. Justified?

The grounds crew are just as part of the team

Everybody knows when something of this caliber happens to a sports team, it's more than just the players on the field. It's the coaches, the medical staff, the front office, and heck, even the mascot. But, if there's one group that could be called "unsung heroes" of a baseball organization, it's the grounds crew.

It's the group of people who make sure the field is in pristine edition every day and ensure the best possible baseball is played. They're some of the first people to get to the ballpark to prep the field and some of the last to leave, assuring it remains game ready.

George Springer knew that was the case, and in the middle of the postgame celebration, he told the team to grab some drinks and head out to see the grounds crew. Once outside with the team before the group picture, Springer told the crew to get in the middle of the Blue Jays as he doused them with champagne. It's gestures like that which show this really is a tight-knit group that wants to win it all.

What now?

As mentioned at the start of this piece, there was a lot of concern going into the 2025 season. One may say there was a ton of doubt. Chris Bassitt made sure to remind everybody of the doubt before Opening Day.

Although Bassitt had a sub-optimal year, which saw him land on the injured list to close out the season, he reminded everybody he's still one of the more important voices in the locker room.

Grabbing a microphone to address the crowd, Bassitt asked one question to those who didn't believe in the Toronto Blue Jays, "What now?" After thanking the crowd one more time, the home run horn went off yet again.

It's turned out to be a magical season for the 2025 Toronto Blue Jays, with a lot still left to be written. They play their first game of the playoffs on Saturday October 4, where they await the winner of the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox wild card series.