Max Scherzer expresses confidence in the team’s ability to ‘bounce back’
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Blue Jays manager John Schneider addressed the media on the eve of Game 3 of the American League Championship Series against the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, in Seattle. Photo by Lindsey Wasson / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS.
There’s a fine line between bold optimism and mere wishful thinking.
After a challenging start with two disappointing games in the ALCS, we’re about to see where this Blue Jays team truly stands.
It would be an oversimplification to label the season a total failure if the Jays were to lose to the Mariners in this best-of-seven series. After all, going from last to first in the division indicates that there have been significant achievements along the way.
However, it would certainly feel like a letdown if the series doesn’t return to Toronto for at least a Game 6. The Mariners have effectively highlighted the Jays’ weaknesses in the first two games, showcasing themselves as a much tougher opponent than the Yankees, whom the Jays defeated in the ALDS.
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The prevailing sentiment among players in the Jays clubhouse on Monday night echoed the team’s 2025 motto, best articulated by 41-year-old Max Scherzer. “We’re really tight, we’re really close,” Scherzer stated after Monday’s 10-3 defeat. “This is a really good clubhouse. We’ve shown our ability to bounce back numerous times this season, and we’ll need to do it again.”
But can they?
The challenges were starkly evident in the two games where the Jays never posed a serious threat to win at a stadium where they had previously excelled during the regular season. Now, they must find a way to win two out of three games in Seattle just to return to Toronto with a chance. The task won’t get any easier, especially with Shane Bieber set to start Game 3 on Wednesday, following a rough outing against the Yankees in his only ALDS appearance.