The Toronto Blue Jays earned the right to host Game 1 of the ALCS against the Seattle Mariners by winning the American League East and being the No. 1-seeded team in the AL.
They advanced to the ALCS in large part because of an explosive offensive performance against the New York Yankees in the ALDS. The Blue Jays eliminated their AL East rivals in four games, bludgeoning them with an incredible offensive display.
Despite finishing that series on Wednesday night and having the chance to rest, Toronto didn’t cool off at all. The ALCS got off to a bang courtesy of their designated hitter, George Springer.
Coming off arguably the best regular season of his career, his power stroke was on full display against New York. All three of his hits were of the extra-base variety, and he picked up right where he left off.
Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
The Blue Jays were staked to an early 1-0 lead courtesy of a Springer home run instantly. After escaping the top of the first inning without surrendering a run, the veteran launched the first pitch of the game from Bryce Miller for an opposite-field home run.
It was a historic long ball. As shared by Mitch Bannon of The Athletic on X, this was the first time in Toronto franchise postseason history that a leadoff home run was hit.
This was the first leadoff homer in #BlueJays postseason history https://t.co/NLqol90CtX
— Mitch Bannon (@MitchBannon) October 13, 2025
Hitting a leadoff home run at this stage of the postseason is an incredibly rare feat. Hall of Fame writer Jayson Stark of The Athletic shared on X that since pitch counting began in 1988, only two other players have hit a leadoff home run on the first pitch.
It was first accomplished by Brady Anderson of the Baltimore Orioles in the ALCS in 1997. Kyle Schwarber, with the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLCS in 2023, was the second player. Now, Springer is the third, and all of them accomplished the feat at home.
GEORGE SPRINGER ON THE FIRST PITCH! #ALCS pic.twitter.com/IoNEKrf4lJ
— MLB (@MLB) October 13, 2025
There are only 15 players in MLB history who have hit multiple home runs in the first inning of an ALCS. Springer joins a list with some huge names, including Hall of Famers Derek Jeter, George Brett and Eddie Murray.
Players with multiple career 1st inning HRs in the ALCS:
Ben Zobrist
Bernie Williams
BJ Upton
Eddie Murray
Evan Longoria
Paul Konerko
Derek Jeter
Josh Hamilton
Dan Ford
Joe Carter
George Brett
Alex Bregman
Randy Arozarena
José Altuve
GEORGE SPRINGER
— nugget chef (@jayhaykid) October 13, 2025
Big-time home runs under the bright lights of the MLB postseason are nothing new for Springer. This is the 21st home run that he has hit in the playoffs, which is fifth on the all-time list.
The only players ahead of him are Manny Ramirez with 29, his former Houston Astros teammate Jose Altuve with 27, Schwarber with 23 and Bernie Williams with 22.
That leadoff home run will be the first of likely many big hits that Springer provides the Blue Jays with in the ALCS.
