LANSING — Lansing residents may recognize a few familiar faces if they tune in to this year’s World Series.
From 2005-2020, the Lansing Lugnuts were the Single-A minor league affiliate for the Toronto Blue Jays, the American League team headed to the 2025 World Series after coming out on top in Game 7 in the A.L.’s Championship Series against the Seattle Mariners.
Before the Lugnuts settled on a 10-year deal with the Oakland Athletics, promoting the team to a High-A status, some of the current Blue Jays stars were taking the field in downtown Lansing.
Now, four former Lugnuts — three players and a coach — will be facing the Los Angeles Dodgers in the best-of-seven Fall Classic.
Ex-Lugnuts set to see the World Series
One of the faces of the Toronto Blue Jays organization, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., made a stop in Lansing on his way to the majors. He played for the Lugnuts in 2017.
The son of Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero, Guerrero Jr. is a power-hitting first baseman who posted a .292 batting average and .848 OPS in the regular season. In the 2025 postseason, he’s managed a .442 average with a 1.440 OPS. He was also named a 2025 American League Rawlings Gold Glove finalist.
Guerrero Jr., who signed a 14-year, $500-million contract extension before the season, was named the MVP of the American League Championship Series.
Catcher Alejandro Kirk, a two-time All Star and Gold Glove finalist, made a stop in Lansing on his way to The Show. He joined the Lugnuts on April 1, 2019, and played there until getting called up to the Dunedin Blue Jays in Florida the next month. In the 2025 regular season, Kirk posted a .282 batting average and .769 OPS. In the postseason, he’s maintained a .222 average and .753 OPS.
While he’s not on the current 26-man roster, another former Lugnut may get to see the Fall Classic: Bo Bichette.
Bichette suffered a regular season-ending injury in early September after a collision at home plate. But after the Blue Jays secured their win in the ALCS, he said he’ll be ready to play against the Dodgers.
The son of Dante Bichette, Bo Bichette was on the Lugnuts in 2017 before getting the call up to the Dunedin Blue Jays.
Bichette posted a .311 batting average and .840 OPS in the 2025 regular season. He has yet to play this postseason.
While he won’t be making his way around the bases, another ex-Lugnut will be the one sending runners home. The Blue Jays’ third base coach, Carlos Febles, was on the inaugural Lugnuts team in 1996. From 1998-2003, he played with the Kansas City Royals, the first of the Lugnuts’ parent teams.
Blue Jays manager John Schneider has been leading the big-league team since 2022, but before that, he also had a stint in Lansing. He was manager of the 2016 Lugnuts, ending the season with a 69-71 record.
Close to home
The Dodgers have their own minor league team in Michigan. The Great Lakes Loons, the Dodgers’ High-A affiliate, are based out of Midland. A handful of players listed on the team’s 26-man roster made their way through the ranks with a stop in the mitten.
These Dodgers from the Oct. 21 roster played on the Loons:
- Ben Casparius, right-handed pitcher with a 4.64 regular season ERA.
- Jack Dreyer, left-handed relief pitcher with a 2.95 regular-season ERA.
- Clayton Kershaw, a left-handed pitcher with a 3.36 regular season ERA.
- Andy Pages, an outfielder with a .272 regular season batting average and .086 postseason batting average.
- Emmet Sheehan, a right-handed pitcher posting a 2.82 regular season ERA.
- Will Smith, a catcher with a .296 regular season batting average and .286 postseason batting average.
- Justin Wrobleski, a left-handed pitcher who posted a 4.32 ERA in the regular season.
Toronto’s right-handed pitcher Braydon Fisher was also on the Great Lakes Loons before joining the Blue Jays’ organization. He posted a 2.70 ERA in the regular season.
Game 1 of the 2025 World Series is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 24.
— Contact Karly Graham at kgraham@lsj.com. Follow her on X at @KarlyGrahamJrn.
