How the Blue Jays made it uncool, again, to strike out

Addison Barger of the Toronto Blue Jays hits a single against the Seattle Mariners during the fourth inning in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series at the Rogers Centre on Monday.

If you want to understand how the Toronto Blue Jays went from a last place team to playing in the World Series in the span of 12 months, know this: In 2025, they do two things very well – they strike out far less than any other team, and they hit the ball a lot more.

If you’re a casual baseball fan, you might not realize how notable that is. Baseball, as a sport, has in recent years believed that strikeouts are an acceptable cost in the pursuit of the all-mighty home run. The Blue Jays, who hit 53 fewer of them than the Los Angeles Dodgers did in the regular season, have rejected that idea