Thirty-two years is a long time to wait for anything — but here the Toronto Blue Jays are, back in the World Series. The dome’s still standing, the fans are as loud as ever, and a new core of stars has dragged the franchise out of its wilderness years. This time, the Jays are hoping to finish the job.

Back to Back Championships

Toronto Blue Jays Rickey Henderson (L) and Joe Carter lift the World Series trophy for Blue Jays fans late 23 October 1993, in Ontario, Canada, after the Blue Jays won game six 8-6 over the Philadelphia Phillies and clinched the World Series. This is the second straight World Series victory for the Jays. (Photo credit should read CARLO ALLEGRI/AFP via Getty Images)
TORONTO BLUE JAYS RICKEY HENDERSON (L) AND JOE CARTER. PHOTO BY CARLO ALLEGRI/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES.

In 1993, the Toronto Blue Jays were on top of the world. Fresh off their first title in ’92, they went back-to-back with one of the most iconic moments in baseball history: Joe Carter’s walk-off home run to win their second straight World Series — punctuated by radio man Tom Cheek’s immortal call, “Touch ’em all, Joe!” It was a high-water mark for a franchise that had just moved into the futuristic new SkyDome, and for the national as well. The Jays were young, loaded, and the future looked limitless.

The Post-Championship Slide

Toronto seemed poised to continue the run and it had Canadians gloating a bit. Saturday Night Live ran a sketch with Canadians Phil Hartman and Catherine O’Hara called “Proud Canadians” ribbing the American audience that Canada owns baseball now. David Letterman ran listed the “Top Ten Reasons Canada Keeps Beating Us in the World Series.” (Number One? “Those damn Mountie umpires.”)

Then came the hangover — and it lasted decades. After 1993, Toronto entered one of the longest playoff droughts in modern baseball. The championship core aged out or moved on, the drafts went sideways, and the Yankees’ late-’90s dynasty made the division a nightmare. Still, there were bright spots. Roy Halladay emerged as one of the best pitchers in the game, Carlos Delgado mashed home runs with quiet consistency, and for a while it felt like the Jays were always a piece or two away. But the October lights stayed off for 22 long years.

Rebuilding & Return to Contention

23 Oct 1993: Joe Carter of the Toronto Blue Jays celebrates his 9th inning, 3 run homerun to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies 8-6 to win the 1993 World Series at the Skydome in Toronto, Canada. PHOTO BY RICK STEWART/STRINGER VIA GETTY IMAGES.
JOE CARTER OF THE TORONTO BLUE JAYS. PHOTO BY RICK STEWART/STRINGER VIA GETTY IMAGES.

The tide finally turned in the mid-2010s. José Bautista and Josh Donaldson led a lineup that mashed its way into relevance. The 2015 squad clinched the team’s first AL East title in over two decades, and Bautista’s iconic bat flip heard round the world in the ALDS against Texas instantly joined Carter’s homer in Jays lore. It was a moment that felt bigger than baseball — Toronto’s long-simmering energy finally boiling over. They rode that wave into 2016, going 89–73 and returning to the ALCS before falling to Cleveland. The city was hooked again, and the team had rediscovered its pulse, but they were unable to get back to the World Series.

The Lead-Up to 2025

The next few years brought both promise and pain. A new generation — Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, Alek Manoah — arrived to fanfare, but their first playoff runs were heartbreaks in disguise: an early exit in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, a blown 8–1 lead against Seattle in 2022, and another quick sweep in 2023 after a controversial pitching change. By 2024, they missed the playoffs entirely. Still, the pieces were in place, the stars were growing up, and the front office was done rebuilding.

The 2025 Breakthrough

TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 20 - Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter George Springer (4) celebrates with \Anthony Santander after rounding the bases after hitting a three run homer that would hold up to win the game as the Toronto Blue Jays play the Seattle Mariners in game seven of their ALCS MLB Playoff series at Rogers Centre in Toronto. October 20, 2025. (Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
GEORGE SPRINGER (4) CELEBRATES WITH ANTHONY SANTANDER. PHOTO BY STEVE RUSSELL/TORONTO STAR VIA GETTY IMAGES.

If you’re just climbing aboard the bandwagon (welcome, truly), it was the season Toronto had been building toward for years. The Jays ripped through the regular season this year, taking the AL East crown for the first time in a decade and locking down the league’s top seed with a mix of consistency and swagger. After dispatching the Yankees in four games, It all came together in the ALCS, a seven-game heavyweight fight with Seattle that felt tailor-made for catharsis. Guerrero’s bat caught fire, Springer went postseason beast mode, and when the final out was recorded, the Rogers Centre crowd erupted like it hadn’t since 1993.

More than a comeback, this is a redemption arc. The Blue Jays have finally escaped the rebuild loop and turned potential into results. With a roster that blends patience, power, and purpose, they look less like an underdog and more like a team that belongs on baseball’s biggest stage.

From Joe Carter to Vlad Jr., from the SkyDome to the revamped Rogers Centre, the Jays’ journey is a reminder that some things are worth waiting for. The stage is set, the lights are bright, and Canada’s team is ready for its next swing at glory.

FEATURE PHOTO: TORONTO BLUE JAYS. PHOTO BY DANIEL SHIREY/MLB PHOTOS VIA GETTY IMAGES.