Baseball: World Series: Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider looks on from the dugout vs Los Angeles Dodgers at Rogers Centre. Game 6. Toronto, Canada 10/31/2025CREDIT: Erick W. Rasco (Photo by Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X164792 TK1)
Sports Illustrated via Getty Images
The Toronto Blue Jays came up short of a World Series championship after a Cinderella run through the postseason, and now they’ve had a chance to digest all of the emotion that goes with that.
The team shocked the baseball world by bringing the juggernaut Los Angeles Dodgers to extra innings in a decisive Game 7, but ultimately the Blue Jays are left to retool and refocus toward another championship run for next year with just an American League pennant to show for their magical season.
The Blue Jays enjoyed plenty of star performances during their run, with highly paid veterans like Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and George Springer all enjoying signature moments. But the team also saw breakout performances from several lesser-known players, including Addison Barger, who became a sudden playoff star when he slugged the first ever pinch-hit grand slam in World Series history.
Now that Barger has had a chance to recover from the season’s disappointment, he shared the team’s reaction to its Game 7 loss in a recent appearance on MLB Network.
“It was really sad, I think everybody was really upset,” Barger said of the Blue Jays’ mood after that final game against the Dodgers. “I don’t think anybody wasn’t crying in there.”
During the segment, Barger was also asked about manager John Schneider’s communication with the team. Barger noted that the skipper’s closing words were motivating, but that they also hit a somber note.
“He’s awesome and he came and talked to us right after the game ended,” Barger said of Schneider during the MLB Network appearance. “He gave a speech in the clubhouse and, yeah, it gets you going for sure. We were fired up but also sad, so it was just a lot of emotions.”
Schneider seemed to be on the hot seat going into this season as the Blue Jays had been unable to win a postseason series under his watch. But after orchestrating their run to the World Series, the manager could be in line for an American League Manager of the Year Award.
“Schneider and the Blue Jays bounced back from a 74-win 2024 to shoot up the standings in 2025, winning 94 games and the AL East — their first division title since 2015 and the team’s most wins since 1993,” according to Sportsnet. “Toronto also led MLB with 49 comeback wins, getting contributions from up and down its roster on the way to its special season.”
As Barger relayed after the season ended, Schneider seemed to have a unique ability to draw the most out of his players this season with a combination of aspirational and grounded messaging. And the Blue Jays are surely hoping that will help them make another run next year, with even better results.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/peterchawaga/2025/11/06/blue-jays-breakout-star-sends-sad-john-schneider-message-after-crushing-loss/
