The Blue Jays finished the 2024 season with a disappointing 74-88 record, which put them at the bottom of the AL East. However, this season? They are in first place in the division with an 83-61 record and a clear route to victory in October. This big change? Not luck; it’s the result of a very smart front office approach and players’ great performances. However, time is running out with two of the most important contracts coming to an end, including that of Bo Bichette’s 8-year contract and another marks the end of a key executive’s 10-year contract.

Fans are arguing over Bichette’s future with the team, but the true contract drama is with the man who built the front office.

Mark Shapiro—the man behind those smart moves. He locked the huge $500 million Guerrero Jr. contract, redesigned Rogers Centre, and improved the player development complex in Dunedin, Florida. Shapiro and GM Ross Atkins have quietly assembled a focused, determined team that is poised to win. All this work hasn’t gone unnoticed. The Blue Jays are working hard to announce Shapiro’s extension before the postseason starts. Sources say that the deal is closer to being done than most imagined.

While discussing the potential MLB managerial changes, ESPN’s Buster Olney took note. As he wrote, “This is the last year of Shapiro’s deal, and the Jays have had a summer of successes: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. signed an extension; the Jays surged into first place in the American League East; and more fans turned out to enjoy the renovations to Rogers Centre that Shapiro oversaw. An announcement that Shapiro has signed an extension is expected at some point. If Rogers Communications, the sole owner of the Blue Jays, holds to form, that might not happen until the offseason.” A hint, but good enough to keep hope alive in the clubhouse.

Well, let’s not forget how Shapiro himself acknowledged that he wants to stay with the club. “I want to remain here,” he said earlier this season. “And I can also say that both Edward [Rogers, executive chair] and Tony [Staffieri, CEO] have been reciprocal in that desire.” Add to that: “I find a lot of joy in watching this team play because of the way they play.” The mutual admiration is clear, and the Rogers Centre’s Warriors are putting up a great show.

The Blue Jays’ season is a symphony of balance: their bats lead MLB with a .269 average (1st), .338 OBP (1st), and .432 slugging (5th). Their pitching staff is also quite good, with a 4.23 ERA (3rd) and 1,275 strikeouts (6th). That mix of weaponry and arms isn’t just lighting up the scoreboards; it’s also giving them a real chance to win in October.

These numbers are just one side of Toronto’s amazing season. The framework was laid by the team’s offensive prowess and pitching depth, but the real change came in the clubhouse culture that Shapiro carefully crafted over years of patient leadership.

Shapiro’s season: A culture rebuilt

The Blue Jays’ comeback in 2025 is no accident; it’s the result of strong leadership that has lasted through the turbulence of 2024. Mark Shapiro was focused on “stability and continuity,” choosing small changes over big ones. What happened? A club that leads the division and has a long-term vision instead of short-term remedies.

“The desire to win, the consistent questions from Tony and from Edward of what can we do to support and help, and the decisions they’ve made to continue to push payroll higher,” were his calculations on the stability in the ballclub.

This isn’t a show about stars; it’s a show about a team with grit. Shapiro said, “We’ve established our brand of baseball that is rooted and founded in the toughness and the cohesiveness of our players… tough to strike out, playing good defense… really putting the pressure on the other team.” That shared identity has made hard at-bats and a strong defense a winning strategy.

Shapiro has not only overseen a reconstruction over the past ten years, but he has also built a culture. As October approaches, it will be a must-watch whether the Blue Jays owners will extend his contract or this will be marked as the final year with the Great White North Sluggers.