Baseball Isn’t Boring
Presser: Blue Jays President Mark Shapiro Reflects On Unforgettable 2025 Season, World Series
06 Nov 2025
Chapter 1: What reflections does Mark Shapiro share about the 2025 World Series loss?
we get to the Q&A portion, was thinking through moments and, you know, thoughts and memories over the past, you know, month. And one moment kind of summarized my awareness, my heightened awareness as to the magnitude of what was occurring, not just for us, but for our fans. I think it was the Sunday after game two of ALCS. I was
Walking in a park with my dog and my brother after the game before heading to Seattle. Passed by, you know, dozens of Puget's caps, sweaters, things you might not see in October. Got to the field where, you know, we throw the ball to Cleo and... adults playing catch, baseball catch, you know, in the middle of the park.
There was a mom, as we progressed, pitching to her son, the kicker rake, by the way, good hitter. You know, then I proceeded to leave the park and walked home and walked by driveways that were normally full of, you know, after seeing it for 10 years, normally full of hockey nets and sticks and pucks, but had signs, you know, Buje parking only, you know, Only Blue Jay fans allowed.
Porches that had Blue Jay flags flying.
Chapter 2: How did the Blue Jays' playoff journey impact the community?
And as I got closer to the house, I turned to my brother and just said, man, I don't think I've been fully aware as to what's going on. We've been flying cross-country. We've been so absorbed in everything that had happened. And that kind of crested...
On Sunday, when my inbox started to get inundated and my text messages were filled with hundreds of text messages, some from people that I've met briefly along the way, you know, over 34 years in MLB or people I've met, you know, in the 10 years I've lived here, some from people I've never met before. But the stories were kind of all the same.
It was over the past month, over the past season, we've had unbelievable moments and memories and bonds with our families, with our friends. We kept video links open during the games. We shed tears of joy, tears of sadness, but we had unbelievable moments. Grandparents to grandkids, parents to kids, brothers and sisters, friends. We kept phone lines open.
We'll never forget the memories that were made. Please thank the team. Thank everyone for us. And it's unbelievable how uniform they were. And it spoke to the power that when you think about giving your life to working in sports, you do so for the moments that you think you might be able to lift a community.
But you never imagine what it could mean to lift a community coast to coast, not just to raise spirits, but to unite people. Not just to give people a reason to cheer, but to give people a reason to feel better about everything going on in the world right now. And for a period of time, you know, it was an affirmation of every reason you work in sports.
And then even better to me is when you read deeper in those emails or listen to the comments walking along the street. It was what people recognized about this team. Because I can tell you, having been involved with winning teams or having friends at work in a variety of sports, fans cheer winning regardless of who's on the field. They like to win. Everybody likes to win.
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Chapter 3: What lessons did the team learn from their postseason challenges?
But when you hear... Everyone uniformly pointing out the same attributes and characteristics and traits that we work so hard as an organization to instill. When they notice how authentically a group of teammates love and care for each other. When they notice how genuinely those players want for the fans to win. This is a group that almost savored having their backs against the wall.
They had to win four in a row the last four games of the season to a very pivotal result. AL East Championship that was meaningful to the stretch run and the postseason run. They had their backs against the wall 0-2 in the ALCS, multiple elimination games, and they always responded. And they noticed that toughness.
They noticed that grit, that resilience, that determination, and ultimately what it meant to be a teammate. So it wasn't just that the team won.
Chapter 4: What traits does Shapiro want to maintain for the team's identity?
It was how they won. It wasn't just that they were the players in the field as they accomplished some championships and great things. It was what they stood for as they did it. And ultimately, you could watch them play the game And everything else around the game and know what their identity was as a team and know what our identity was as an organization.
And I think each of us throughout the country saw us in them. They saw the things that were inspired us, the things that lift us, the reasons to believe, the reasons to feel belonging and a part of something. And. As I sought to move forward, my overall overarching sentiment was one of gratitude.
You know, first and foremost for our players and our staff for the unbelievable and exceptional effort they gave throughout the entire season for the expectations they exceeded. No one expected them to do what they did and for their belief in each other and for the fans they played for. Secondly, for our fans, you know, they were truly an extra player for us. They lifted us.
Chapter 5: How will the World Series run affect the Blue Jays' offseason strategies?
We felt their support from coast to coast across the country. Third, for the organization.
It takes exceptional efforts, not just strong efforts, throughout an entire organization, from people working in anonymity down in Dunedin, rehabbing to people cleaning the concourse and making sure our systems work in this massive ballpark throughout an entire season, to people selling tickets, to people doing analysis of pitch data, to people rehabbing players.
It's an entire organization recognizing that their work is not just meaningful, but essential work. for us to achieve high levels of success. And finally, to Edward Rogers and Tony Staffieri for leading an ownership group to an exceptional, unprecedented level of support, commitment, and belief this year, but I think even more in past years when maybe the success wasn't as easy to see.
That's when it was most meaningful. So I move forward. It's not easy to do. It's hard to do. I mentioned to Andrea on the walk down, as we walked by the field, I hadn't looked at the field since Saturday. I haven't spent a moment. I don't think I couldn't look at the field. And I looked out there today.
But it's with the rearview mirror on that inspiration, on that gratitude, on that understanding of the ability and potential to lift our community of Canada that I walk away inspired and recommitted to resume the pursuit.
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Chapter 6: What are the key factors for building a successful baseball team?
with greater determination, with more resolve, and even more committed. So I think that's how I wanted to start today. That's a very genuine set of feelings. They're a little bit raw, a little bit emotional, but I'm incredibly grateful. This is really how I feel today. So with that, we can turn to some questions.
Thanks, Mark. Keegan, we'll begin with you.
Marco, when you look at the 2025 team, which traits do you want to hold on to most as a team identity that can shape how you approach your offseason?
Oh, I think toughness and togetherness are kind of if I had to like sum it up, you know, for me, I think that within toughness is, you know, the character and determination and perseverance. But I don't view these things to be new. I think sometimes they maybe show up.
differently and but it's never one season's efforts it's and i think last year's even with the the challenges and adversity and setbacks we had last year that's a part of who we are today without a doubt so you look to learn and get better but i think the affirmation that that identity and that what it can mean to be an elite level of teammate that high level of caring for each other would be something that you know would be important for us to continue to carry forward
How do you expect the World Series run on this success to open more possibilities for you in the offseason, whether that be just from how the organization is viewed or possibly financial?
Yeah, I mean, being on that stage is exactly what it is.
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Chapter 7: How does Shapiro view the importance of franchise players?
I mean, you're on the biggest stage. So I think that what may have been known throughout maybe smaller circles in the industry is now known by the world, which is this is a world-class city, an incredible place to play. It's the best ballpark or one of the best ballparks in all of Major League Baseball. We care deeply about our players.
I think that their families and wives have been testament to that over the past week. So I think what's clear is it's a great place to play. I think we also saw the business success that can come, you know, achieving at this levels. And we'll work to continue to capitalize on that moving forward as well, because that ultimately supports a payroll that, you know, is a championship caliber payroll.
Shai, to your left.
Hey, Mark.
Somewhat similar to Keegan's cool first question, but what elements of team building this year can you take and use to make sure this is replicable? What elements of this season are replicable year after year?
Okay. Well, I think that, you know, there are identity traits and culture traits that, you know, if they're if they're present, if they're deeply woven within an organization. And again, I don't view those to be short term.
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Chapter 8: What is the future outlook for the Blue Jays organization?
I think those are efforts from our baseball operations group led by Ross over multiple years and the identification of talent, the acquisition of talent. The development of talent at the player development level and the ultimately building of a team.
And I think if, you know, the power of having those play out on this stage is that it's more clear to everyone how important they are without having to say it. And I think players that value those things as well gravitate towards it.
And given all the impassioned things you said about your experience here, is there any update on your contractual status at this point?
Just that we agreed to put that on hold during the postseason run, just in light of not wanting it to be a distraction. But the same things I've said in the past, there's a desire for me to remain here, a desire from Tony and Edward to keep me here. So I think we'll likely work something out soon. Gregor? Mark, I think everyone would agree this is the special group that you guys had this year.
So as you look at trying to replicate that next year, how do you balance trying to make your roster better, dealing for potential regression in some areas versus also wanting to reward the guys who got you this far this season?
Yeah, I mean, I think I'll answer that maybe universally, but it's a better question for Ross when he's up here in a half hour. You know, I think you're always... As you go into an off-season review, you understand that there were some performances that were aberrations maybe, you know, on a good side, some that are where you expect some regression.
But you never go into a planning cycle, which is what Ross is leading our group through right now in the process of leading our group through, without some understanding that you just can't recreate something identical. You know, you've got to build off of what happened, you know, which is a positive.
Use that as a platform, but know that you have to plan to be better because it won't work exactly the same way next year as it worked this year.
And then almost further to Shai's question as well, I mean, you guys have had a payroll for the last couple of years that was already very high. Do you have the ability to go even higher this offseason because of the deep run you guys went on?
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