Two former Blue Jays chase their first title in the 2026 World Series

The Toronto Blue Jays are out of the picture, but two of their former pitchers still have a chance to finish October with their first World Series rings. Steven Matz and Bryan Baker are the remaining former Blue Jays in the title chase, sharing a Tampa Bay Rays bullpen as they prepare to face the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2026 World Series.

Bryan Baker and Steven Matz are hoping to get their first rings by giving the Tampa Bay Rays franchise their first title

Steven Matz gets another chance at the ring he missed in 2015

Matz never made it to the postseason with the Blue Jays. Though they did come close in 2021. That season, Matz posted a career-high 2.7 fWAR over 29 starts, but the Blue Jays fell one game shy of the final Wild Card spot. He left for the St. Louis Cardinals in free agency after that season and later pitched for the Boston Red Sox before signing a two-year deal with Tampa Bay ahead of 2026.

He's had a limited role in the Rays’ current October run so far. Matz made the playoff roster but was not used in the ALDS sweep of the New York Yankees.

Kevin Cash then called on him during Game 3 of the ALCS against Cleveland. Matz did exactly what Tampa Bay needed. He pitched two perfect innings in the Rays’ 3-2 loss, retiring all six batters he faced and striking out two.

Those remain his only two innings of the postseason, but that outing showed he can contribute even without a prominent late-inning role. For Matz, this is his second trip to the Fall Classic and he's hoping it ends on a happier note than the last time.

With the Mets in 2015, a 24-year-old Matz started games in the NLDS, NLCS and World Series during his rookie season. Matz gave New York a chance in Game 4 against Kansas City, allowing two earned runs on seven hits over five innings, with no walks and five strikeouts. The Mets could not hold on, losing 5-3 before the Royals clinched the championship in Game 5.

It took a decade for Matz to pitch in the postseason again. He returned with Boston in 2025, working out of the bullpen in Games 2 and 3 of the Red Sox’s Wild Card Series loss to the Yankees. Across those appearances, he allowed three hits over two scoreless innings, walked nobody and struck out two.

That gives Matz four scoreless postseason innings since his return to October baseball. Eleven years after coming within reach of a championship as a rookie, he is back on the biggest stage in baseball.

Bryan Baker has blossomed into a backend weapon for Tampa Bay

Baker’s Toronto tenure was a "blink and you'll miss it" moment. He made his MLB debut for the Blue Jays on Sept. 5, 2021, pitching one scoreless inning with one hit allowed and one strikeout. It was his only appearance in a Toronto uniform before Baltimore claimed him off waivers after the season.

Five years later, he has become one of Tampa Bay’s most important bullpen arms. Baker was lights out for the AL East champions in 2026, posting a 1.44 ERA and 3.07 FIP over 65 games, with a major league-leading 41 saves and 63 strikeouts across 62.1 innings. He's been able to carry that success into the playoffs.

Baker saved all three games of the Rays’ ALDS sweep of the Yankees without allowing a hit. Since saves became an official statistic in 1969, no pitcher had saved every game of a postseason sweep of at least three games while keeping the opposition hitless. He struck out four and issued just one walk across the series.

He followed that historic performance with four more scoreless innings against the Guardians, appearing in Games 2, 4, 5 and 6 of the ALCS. Baker allowed one hit and one walk, struck out two and faced the minimum number of batters in three of those four outings.

Cash turned to him to preserve two-run leads in Games 2 and 5 and used him twice more in non-save situations. Baker also recorded the final out of the pennant-clinching Game 6 victory, sending Tampa Bay to Milwaukee with its closer yet to allow a run in seven postseason innings.

It is a remarkable contrast to his only previous playoff appearance. With Baltimore in Game 2 of the 2023 ALDS, Baker recorded just one out, walked three hitters and was charged with three runs despite not allowing a hit. The Orioles lost 11-8 to the eventual champion Texas Rangers.

Now Baker is heading to his first World Series as the pitcher Tampa Bay is putting all their trust in to finish games, while Matz returns after an 11-year wait for another chance at a title.

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