Report: Blue Jays took advantage of 'on-field tell' from Yankees pitchers in ALDS

Conor Liguori

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Report: Blue Jays took advantage of 'on-field tell' from Yankees pitchers in ALDS image

The Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees finished with identical records (94-68) in the 2025 regular season. 

They met in the ALDS, with the Blue Jays ultimately winning convincingly, three games to one, en route to the World Series. But Toronto's hitters may have had a legal advantage that cost the Yankees. 

According to sources close to Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith, the Blue Jays "picked up on at least one on-field tell from the Yankees during the ALDS," with New York's pitchers potentially giving away their pitches by accident, also known as tipping. 

"While perhaps surprising to outside observers, those within the game know this type of observational give and take is part of everyday life at field level," Nicholson-Smith wrote. "Every advantage matters, no matter how small, especially when the stakes are highest. In the end, the players will determine the outcome — and ideally the information helps." 

Blue Jays hitters crushed Yankees pitching in ALDS

Whether the Blue Jays had a legal inside edge on the Yankees' pitchers or not, they did damage against some of the best starters in baseball. 

Toronto scored a combined 23 runs in the first two games of the ALDS, tagging Max Fried for seven runs on eight hits in just three innings in Game 2. Will Warren didn't fare much better, allowing six earned runs, including a grand slam to Vladimir Guerrero Jr., in 4.2 relief innings. 

The Blue Jays' World Series opponents, the Los Angeles Dodgers, kept a close eye on whether they were giving away pitches. 

"In the World Series, the Dodgers were watching the Blue Jays closely, according to sources, believing that Toronto might have had something on them, too (again, this is allowed within MLB rules)," Nicholson-Smith added. "Whether the Blue Jays did or not isn’t clear, but the mind games throughout October were definitely real." 

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Contributing Writer