Blue Jays return to World Series as national attention surges

For the first time in more than three decades, the Toronto Blue Jays are heading to the World Series, and a new Angus Reid Institute study suggests the entire country is watching.

Source: X (Toronto Blue Jays)

For the first time in more than three decades, the Toronto Blue Jays are heading to the World Series, and a new Angus Reid Institute study suggests the entire country is watching.

The research, published Oct. 16, found that interest in Canada’s baseball team has nearly doubled compared to a typical baseball season.

Two-in-five Canadians (39 per cent) said they were following the Blue Jays closely as of last week — up from 22 per cent who normally pay attention to Major League Baseball at that level. Nearly seven-in-10 (69 per cent) said they were following the team at least somewhat closely, far surpassing regular engagement levels among baseball fans.

This level of engagement was measured while the Toronto Blue Jays were still facing off against the Seattle Mariners in the American League Championship Series. After a nail-biting performance Monday night, the Jays have their biggest challenge ahead.

The study noted that “attention on the team has advanced well past regular ball fans” as the Blue Jays attempted to advance to their first World Series since 1993.

While the Blue Jays’ playoff success has generated widespread enthusiasm, the data also reveals a divide over who the team truly represents.

Almost half (48 per cent) of Canadians consider the Blue Jays to be “Canada’s team,” while just over one-third (34 per cent) see the club as Toronto’s team. Only eight per cent identify the team as representing Ontario specifically. Respondents in the rest of Canada were more likely (49 per cent) to call the Jays a national team than those in the Greater Toronto Area (45 per cent).

Saskatchewanians were most likely to call the Blue Jays Canada’s team, with 75 per cent making that claim. Quebecers were the least likely, by a lot, to make that claim, with only 26 per cent calling the Blue Jays Canada’s team.

The Blue Jays defeated the Mariners on Monday night, meaning Seattle’s baseball team remains the lone team to never reach the World Series. Toronto’s baseball team has not won a World Series since 1993 — the year former prime minister Kim Campbell led the Progressive Conservatives to the worst defeat of a federal government in Canadian history, falling from a majority government to just two seats.

According to the Angus Reid Institute, fans were optimistic about the team’s chances even before the American League Championship Series victory. Seven-in-10 (69 per cent) said the Blue Jays had a “decent” shot at winning the World Series, while one-in-seven (14 per cent) called them favourites.

However, the Blue Jays have to face the big bad wolf of baseball — the LA Dodgers. The Dodgers are not only the defending champs of the World Series but also have the highest payroll in the major leagues, at over $350 million per year. The Jays are in seventh place, with a $255 million annual payroll.

The players on the Dodgers team need no introduction, as phenom Shohei Ohtani might be the best player the game has seen since Babe Ruth, as he is simultaneously one of the best hitters and pitchers in the league.

One of the best players on the Blue Jays did not play in the ALCS. Bo Bichette said he’ll be ready to go for the World Series.

The study also compared how closely Canadians follow baseball to hockey. Though baseball remains secondary to hockey in Canada, the country’s lone Major League franchise “has certainly captured the imagination of millions of fans already.”

Attention is at an all-time high, as 22 per cent of respondents reported following Major League baseball closely or very closely in 2025, a number that will likely rise when the World Series begins Friday.

Since the Jays won more games than the Dodgers in the regular season, they will have home-field advantage, meaning the series will start and potentially end in Toronto.