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A whole bunch of former Blue Jays are rallying together to cheer Toronto on in the playoffs

Colton Pankiw
Colton Pankiw
|
Oct 20 2025, 5:05 pm
A whole bunch of former Blue Jays are rallying together to cheer Toronto on in the playoffs
@BlueJays/X

The Toronto Blue Jays have had a playoff run for the ages, and have a level of fan support we haven’t seen in years.

The Blue Jays are just one win away from advancing to the World Series for the first time since 1993, which has resulted in seemingly everybody north of the border hopping on the bandwagon to support this current group.

It hasn’t just been fans, either, as several former Blue Jays have made it clear that they are rooting for Toronto to win it all. Here’s a look at 10 former Jays who haven’t been shy to show their support.

Jose Bautista

Jose Bautista played for eight teams throughout his MLB career, but it was with the Blue Jays where he made his name as a star player. The 45-year-old was named an All Star six times as a Blue Jay, and is widely regarded as one of the best players in franchise history.

Bautista has made it clear on several occasions that he’s rooting for the Jays to win it all, and was even able to throw out the first pitch ahead of Game 6 of the ALCS. He did his best to get the crowd at Rogers Centre fired up before the huge outing.

Josh Donaldson

Another Jays legend who is supporting his former team in the playoffs is Josh Donaldson. The 39-year-old had an outstanding career, but is best remembered for his 2015 season with the Blue Jays in which he was named the AL MVP.

Donaldson was also able to throw out the first pitch for the Blue Jays recently, doing so prior to Game 2 versus the Seattle Mariners. To little surprise, he received a roaring ovation as he was heading out to the mound.

Edwin Encarnacion

Another great Blue Jays player from the Bautista era was Edwin Encarnacion. The 42-year-old spent the majority of his MLB career in Toronto, and was voted into the All-Star Game in 2013, 2014, and 2016.

It’s no surprise to see Encarnacion supporting the Blue Jays, as he works for the club as a special assistant. Like Bautista and Donaldson, he too had the honour of throwing out a ceremonial first pitch, doing so ahead of Game 1 of the ALCS.

Kevin Pillar

Despite only announcing his retirement from the MLB in July, Kevin Pillar hasn’t removed himself from the baseball community whatsoever. The 36-year-old has been working as an analyst with Sportsnet during this current playoff run.

Though he is working as an analyst, Pillar has made his support for the Jays quite obvious. The man who was dubbed “Superman” thanks to his outstanding work in centre field during his time in Toronto has been very active on social media throughout this playoff run, where he’s made it very obvious that he’s rooting for his former team.

Whit Merrifield

Though Whit Merrifield will be most remembered for his time with the Kansas City Royals, the 36-year-old had a successful, albeit short tenure with the Blue Jays, which included an All-Star selection in 2023.

Since retiring, Merrifield has become a part of the 6ix Inning Stretch podcast, which focuses mainly on the Blue Jays. From several comments he’s had in recent episodes, it’s quite clear where his allegiance lies.

Vernon Wells

A bit of a throwback name who is rooting heavily for the Blue Jays is Vernon Wells. The 46-year-old spent parts of 11 seasons with the Jays, during which time he was selected to play in three All-Star Games in 2003, 2006, and 2010.

Wells has been very active on social media throughout the run. He’s questioned certain pitching decisions, celebrated victories, and had some extremely high praise for Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Ricky Romero

Though injuries resulted in his career coming to an end much quicker than originally envisioned, Ricky Romero had some very solid seasons for the Blue Jays, none better than 2011 where he posted a 2.92 ERA through 32 starts and was named an All-Star.

Given that the Blue Jays were the only MLB team Romero played for, it doesn’t come as a major surprise to see him supporting them. That said, his passion for this team is great to see, as he’s become a major fan during this run.

Erik Swanson

Despite being designated for assignment earlier this season, Erik Swanson is still rooting for his former team in the playoffs. The 32-year-old, who has also pitched for the Mariners in his career, has made it clear his allegiance lies with Toronto.

“I would say my loyalty is in Toronto right now. I’m cheering for them, for sure,” Swanson said in an appearance on First Up.

Chris Colabello

Though Chris Colabello’s MLB career wasn’t a long one, Blue Jays fans will always remember how great he was in 2015, a season which saw him hit a ridiculous .321 with 15 home runs and 54 RBI in just 101 games.

Colabello has been watching this Blue Jays team closely throughout the playoffs, and made it clear after Game 6 of the ALCS that they have his full support thanks to their fantastic resiliency.

Travis Snider

Despite being widely regarded as a draft bust for the Blue Jays, Travis Snider, who last played in the MLB in 2015, is rooting for the organization that selected him 14th overall in 2006.

Though Snider hasn’t commented on the Blue Jays a ton in the past, he’s been very active on social media throughout this run, interacting with the fanbase on a nearly daily basis.

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