Glew: Springer's Game 7 homer ranks among greatest in Jays' history

October 21, 2025

By Kevin Glew

Cooperstowners in Canada

Last night, George Springer gave Toronto Blue Jays fans another “where were you when?” postseason moment.

In the bottom of the seventh inning of the seventh – and deciding game – of the American League Championship Series, the veteran slugger walked to the plate with runners on second and third with one out with the Blue Jays trailing 3-1.

He took the first pitch from Seattle Mariners reliever Eduard Bazardo for a ball and then promptly deposited a 96-mph fastball over the left field wall to give the Blue Jays a 4-3 lead and send the Rogers Centre faithful into euphoria.

Right-handers Chris Bassitt and Jeff Hoffman then pitched scoreless eighth and ninth innings to secure the victory and the Blue Jays’ first trip to the World Series in 32 years.

So, where does Springer’s home run rank on the Blue Jays’ all-time postseason home run list?

I posed the question on social media and the consensus seems to be that it’s No. 2 behind Joe Carter‘s walk-off, World Series-winning homer in 1993.

Here’s a summary of the most famous postseason home runs in Blue Jays’ history:

October 11, 1992 – Roberto Alomar off Oakland A’s closer Dennis Eckersley in the ninth inning of Game 4 of the ALCS

The Blue Jays had dropped two of the first three games of the 1992 ALCS and were trailing the A’s 6-1 heading into the eighth inning of Game 4. They would score three runs in the eighth to make it 6-4, but the A’s brought in soon-to-be Cy Young Award-winning reliever Dennis Eckersley to close out the game. The Blue Jays, however, had other plans. Devon White singled to open the ninth to bring up Roberto Alomar who proceeded to belt a 2-2 fastball from Eckersley over the right field wall to tie the game. The Blue Jays eventually won 7-6 in 11 innings. Alomar’s homer shifted the momentum of the series in the Blue Jays’ favor.

October 18, 1992 – Ed Sprague off Atlanta Braves closer Jeff Reardon in the ninth inning of Game 2 of the World Series

Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston sent rookie Ed Sprague up to pinch hit for reliever Duane Ward in the ninth inning of Game 2 of the 1992 World Series at Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta. The Blue Jays had lost the series’ first game and trailed this contest 4-3. With one out and Derek Bell on base with a walk, Sprague belted the first pitch he saw from Braves closer Jeff Reardon over the left field wall to put the Blue Jays ahead 5-4. Blue Jays closer Tom Henke held the Braves off the scoreboard in the bottom of the ninth to record the save. Sprague’s home run shifted the momentum in the series that the Blue Jays eventually won in six games.

October 23, 1993 – Joe Carter off Philadelphia Phillies closer Mitch Williams in the ninth inning of Game 6 of the World Series

With the Blue Jays up 3-2 in the World Series but trailing the Phillies 6-5 with one out in the bottom of the ninth in Game 6, Carter walked to the plate to face Phillies closer Mitch Williams with runners on first and second. On a 2-2 pitch, Carter belted a low-inside fastball over the left field wall at SkyDome for a walk-off World Series-winning home run. Canada rejoiced. And today, almost every Canadian sports fan over 40 can tell you exactly where they were when Carter hit that historic homer, which remains only the second (to Bill Mazeroski’s with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1960) to end a World Series.

October 14, 2015 – Jose Bautista off Texas Rangers reliever Sam Dyson in the seventh inning of Game 5 of the ALDS

It’s simply known as the “bat flip” to Blue Jays fans.

In the bottom of the seventh inning of the fifth and deciding game of the 2015 ALDS against the Texas Rangers at Rogers Centre, Bautista stepped to the plate with two outs with Josh Donaldson and Ryan Goins on base in front of him. The game was tied 3-3. On a 1-1 count, Bautista launched a three-run home run into the left field bleachers and celebrated with a bat flip. The Blue Jays went on to win the game 6-3 and advance to the American League Championship Series.

October 4, 2016 – Edwin Encarnacion off Baltimore Orioles right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez in the 11th inning of the Wild Card Game

With the Orioles and Blue Jays tied 2-2 through 10 innings in the American League Wild Card game, Blue Jays slugger Edwin Encarnacion strolled to the plate with one out and runners on first and third. He promptly clubbed a walk-off, three-run home run on the first pitch from right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez to give the Blue Jays a 5-2 win. Orioles fans are still confused as to why manager Buck Showalter did not bring closer Zach Britton into the game.

October 5, 2025 – Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hits grand slam off New York Yankees right-hander Will Warren in the fourth inning of Game 2 of the ALDS

Guerrero Jr. had repeatedly made his disdain for the Yankees known and he had always hit well against them in the regular season. After belting a solo home run in Game 1 of the ALDS to help the Blue Jays to a 10-1 win, Guerrero Jr. made history in the fourth inning of Game 2 when he became the first Blue Jay to club a grand slam in the postseason when he took Warren deep at Rogers Centre. That homer gave the Blue Jays a commanding 9-0 lead in a game they would eventually win 13-7.