The numbers are in and this Blue Jays veteran was clearly the teams 2025 MVP

The Toronto Blue Jays had a surprise season and finished it by winning the AL East title. They were predicted at the beginning of the season to win 78.5 games, but they outperformed the expectations and went 94-68.

To achieve this level of success, you need contributions from everyone, and the Blue Jays were able to garner them, especially from players who weren't expected to be contributing as much as they did such as Joey Loperfido, Ernie Clement, Addison Barger, and Nathan Lukes.

Teams then need major production from their superstars, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, and Kevin Gausman did just that. But threw all of that, a couple of players stood out, though, and they are recognized below.

What two players deserve the Team MVP award?

Honorable Mention:

Brendon Little - 4-2 record, 3.03 ERA, 30 holds, 91 strikeouts

Little had to be the primary left-handed reliever all season, with Eric Lauer being needed in the rotation with other starters failing or put on the injured list.  The lefty stepped in phenomenally, posting a 3.03 ERA over 68 1/3 innings, 91 strikeouts, and holding batters to a .196 batting average off of him.

In his second full MLB season, he allowed only two home runs, but his flaw was his control as he walked 45 batters. He was also far more effective at home with a 1.60 ERA and Rogers Centre compare to a 4.97 ERA on the road.

In high-leverage situations, Little thrived. He threw 18.2 innings in these situations, and held batters to a .190 batting average. The lefty was successful in increasing his strikeout percentage from 18.7% to 30.8%. His knuckle curve was the biggest contributor to his strikeouts, with a 55.6% whiff rate, and batters hit only .145 off the pitch, according to Baseball Savant.

The Blue Jays benefited from getting this amount of production from a player with a contract of only $771,800. He still has two more seasons of pre-arbitration available. Little was a massive contributor this season, and Blue Jays fans will likely see him quite a bit when either the Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees roll into town for the ALDS.

Team MVP:

George Springer - .309/.399/.560 with 32 home runs, 106 runs, and 84 RBIs

Springer has been a massive surprise this season. He’s never been known to be a massive power contributor, but he broke out this season after a few mediocre seasons. He set career highs in batting average and wRC+ (166).

The 36-year-old also matched his career highs in home runs, RBIs, and fWAR (5.2) that he set in his 2019 Silver Slugger Award season while a member of the Houston Astros. In the September 25 game against the Boston Red Sox, Springer broke Joe Carter's single-season home run record for a player who is 35 or older. Carter hit 30 at 36 years old in the 1996 season.

The outfielder earned his team MVP by peaking in the second half when the team was fighting off the New York Yankees down the stretch. In the second half of the season, Springer slashed .369/.454/.667 with a 1.121 OPS and a 210 wRC+.

Since July this season, he has never finished a month below a 200 wRC+. He’s been a massive producer, which the team needed when Bo Bichette went on the injury list on September 7 with a knee sprain. Bichette has no timetable for a return, so the Blue Jays really need Springer to stay hot.

His postseason experience will be greatly beneficial to a team that has many younger players who have yet to experience the pressure of a postseason series. Hopefully, these last few weeks of battling the Yankees helped prepare them for the postseason stress.

Springer is under contract through the 2026 season, but he likely needs another season like this current one to be considered, at 37 years old, for re-signing for the 2027 season.