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Sport Nation
Full Noise: Why the Blue Jays' World Series run is one of the great sports stories of 2025
Sport Nation •  October 28th, 2025 1:57 pm
Blue Jays first base coach Mark Budzinski cheers on George Springer after his three-run homer that sent Toronto to the World Series | Photo: AP
Full Noise host Logan Swinkels is a proud Kiwi but his passion for sport is heavily influenced by Toronto teams, in particular the Blue Jays and Maple Leafs.
In this edition of the podcast, Logan is joined by former Auckland Tuatara staffer Austen McMurchy who has been witnessing firsthand the Blue Jays' incredible 2025 season that has them in the World Series against the behemoth that is the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The lads talk about the Tuatara and how Kiwis embraced their pro baseball team for the few years of its existence, how hard it is for a team to get out of the AL East, the incredible atmosphere in Toronto where fans party in the streets, plus how players like Vladdy Guerrero Jr. and Trey Yesavage are making the most of their opportunities on baseball's biggest stage.
Aside from the Raptors' 2019 run to an NBA title, Toronto sports fans are more familar with heartbreak and disappointment than tasting success. But one player that has shown his commitment for bringing a World Series title to the city is Guerrero Jr. - the five-time MLB All Star signed a 14-year contract extension worth $500 million (NZ$865.3M) in April with a full no-trade clause.
"You have this homegrown player who all the pressure in the world was on to be great. The expectations were absurd," McMurchey said.
"This is a player that the team is so happy to build around and he's fulfilling all the promises. There's always that sense when a player gets that huge contract you worry there won't be that same drive, there won't be that same dedication and hard work, and that's been so far from what's happened with Vlad.
"It feels like he's taken his game up another level. He's taking that respect that the city has put on him and he's really just kept going and been the player that Toronto sports has desperately wanted in the playoffs."
Win or lose in the Fall Classic, the Blue Jays are one of the feel-good sports stories of the year.
Listen to the podcast below:
