Canadian Connections Run Deep in the ALCS
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. gives his signature celebration after his fifth-inning home run in Game 3 of the ALCS. (Steve Russell / Toronto Star)
It wasn’t the long weekend that Canadian baseball fans were hoping for, with the Toronto Blue Jays dropping the first two games of the ALCS to the Seattle Mariners, losing Game 1 by a score of 3-1 and Game 2 by a score of 10-3.
Last night, however, proved to be a much-needed response from the Jays, who cut the series deficit to 2-1 with a massive 13-4 win over the Mariners. In the first ALCS game played in Seattle since 2001, Toronto bounced back from an early 2-0 deficit with key performances from none other than George Springer and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who accounted for two of the Jays’ five home runs in the game.
But outside the Blue Jays’ efforts, another Canadian connection has made itself known on the Jays’ opponents’ roster.
Let’s dive into who on the Mariners is Canadian and the impact they have had in the ALCS so far:
Who: Mississauga native Josh Naylor and Kingston’s own Matt Brash both took center stage for the Mariners through the first two games of the ALCS, leading into Game 3. The Mariners’ coaching staff also has a Canadian connection, with Louis Boyd, the team’s major league field coordinator, hailing from Vancouver.
Their impact: Brash took the ball in the eighth inning of Sunday’s Game 1 with Naylor to his left at first base, where he went three up, three down, retiring all the batters he faced, recording one strikeout. Naylor, who came into Game 3 going 9-for-his-last-18, went 0-for-4 in Game 1. He quickly bounced back, going 3-for-4 in Game 2 with two RBIs and a home run. Naylor’s seventh-inning home run marked the first home run hit by a Canadian-born player on Canadian home soil against the Blue Jays.
With Naylor and Brash growing up only a few hours away from Toronto, and competing in Seattle only a few hours away from the Canadian border, Canadian fans aren’t just getting a front-row seat to Canada’s team in the MLB postseason — but Canadian talent as well.
This isn’t the first time there have been multiple Canadians on an MLB postseason roster.
Following the 2024 MLB postseason, history was made when four Canadians were on the Cleveland Guardians’ postseason roster: Bo Naylor, Josh Naylor, Cade Smith, and Erik Sabrowski.
It only seems appropriate that more Canadian baseball talent takes center stage in the MLB postseason.
The Blue Jays will face the Mariners in Game 4 tonight at 5:33 p.m. PT / 8:33 p.m. ET.
Three Things You Need to Know Going into the U SPORTS Volleyball Season 🏐
Mid-October can only mean one thing: U SPORTS volleyball is here.
From coast to coast, here are three storylines you need to know heading into the 2025-26 U SPORTS volleyball season.
Maxime Gratton is a Varsity Blue
After four seasons with McMaster, three OUA championships, OUA Rookie of the Year honors, two-time OUA first-team all-star, and U SPORTS All-Canadian, Maxime Gratton is suiting up for the University of Toronto Varsity Blues this season. He will join fellow OUA all-star Hunter Arulpragasm in what will be an outside-heavy offense.
National team presence in women’s CanWest.
UBC’s Lucy Borowski and Manitoba’s Raiya Surinx both spent time on Canada’s VNL roster this summer. With Borowski in her fifth and final year and Surinx in her fourth, this could be the final year we see these two powerhouses face off.
Could we see a UBC-Manitoba CanWest and/or U SPORTS final matchup?
Can Trinity Western reclaim its throne?
It’s no secret — the Trinity Western Spartans are synonymous with success when it comes to Canadian university volleyball, dating back to the early 2010s. The Spartans have won six of the past 13 national championships, reaching the gold medal match in nine of those 13 years.
With the two top teams from last year’s Canada West regular season — Alberta and Winnipeg — each losing their top attackers, Isaac Heslinga (Alberta) and Isaiah Olfert (Winnipeg), it seems like this year’s Canada West title is up for grabs. Led by a veteran core in Kaden Schmidt and Piers De Greef on the outside and Cory Schoenherr in the middle, Trinity Western certainly has a chance at reclaiming its throne.
Canadian Swimmer Wins Two Gold Medals at World Cup of Swimming Event 🏊
Canadian Olympic bronze medalist Ilya Kharun cleaned up at this past weekend’s World Cup of Swimming event in Indianapolis.
The 20-year-old Montreal native picked up two gold medals in the men’s 50-metre butterfly and men’s 200-metre butterfly, along with a silver medal in the men’s 100-metre butterfly and bronze in the men’s 50-metre freestyle.
We know this isn’t a U SPORTS story, but whenever a Canadian stacks up multiple medals on the international stage, we need to talk about it.
Round One Recap - ISU Short Track World Tour ⛸
The first leg of the Short Track World Tour hit the ice this past weekend in Montreal — and Canada showed up!
The Canadian squad stacked up seven total medals, which included three gold, one silver, and three bronze. They had the most total medal wins among any country at the event, edging out South Korea (6), China (4), and Italy (4).
Who won:
🥇 Courtney Sarault - Women’s 1500M
🥇 Courtney Sarault - Women’s 1000M
🥇 William Dandjinou - Men’s 500M
🥈 Kim Boutin - Women’s 500M
🥉 Steven Dubois - Men’s 500M
🥉 Danaé Blais, Steven Dubois, Felix Roussel, Courtney Sarault - Mixed Relay
🥉 Danaé Blais, Kim Boutin, Florence Brunelle, Courtney Sarault - Women’s 3000M Relay
The second round of the Short Track World Tour will take place once again in Montreal this coming weekend. Both this past and this coming weekend’s events will contribute to the team’s qualification for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Quick Hits 🇨🇦
🏊♀️ The 19-year-old Canadian swimming phenom Summer McIntosh announced that she will not be competing in any of the three events at the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup due to an undisclosed illness.
⚽️ Following a 1-0 loss to the Australian men’s national team, the Canadian men’s national soccer team was able to hold No. 13-ranked Colombia to a scoreless draw in an international friendly in Harrison, N.J.
🏒 CBC announced this past week that it will provide live broadcast coverage for both the men’s and women’s hockey U SPORTS national championships. This will mark the first time the U SPORTS hockey national champions are crowned live on CBC.
🏌️ 24-year-old Mississauga native Sudarshan Yellamaraju earned his PGA Tour card after finishing 19th in the Korn Ferry Tour season standings following the final round of the KFT Championship in French Lick, Ind.