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Ian Hunter

@bluejayhunter.com
1.3K followers 52 following 399 posts

Writing, talking, living and breathing the Toronto Blue Jays since 2007. Contributor at Blue Jays Nation.

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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 29/09/2026
George Springer's free agent contract was the first in excess of five years by the Toronto Blue Jays. More importantly, his deal ushered in a new era of winning baseball in Toronto.
bluejaysnation.com
George Springer’s contract was a turning point for the Blue Jays
<p>On January 27, 2021, George Springer appeared in a Toronto Blue Jays uniform for the first time. There wasn’t the dog and pony show of a typical press conference; his unveiling came via Zoom…
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 28/09/2026
One of the underrated parts of Max Scherzer's sendoff was him power-walking through the dugout after John Schneider tried to take Max out the first time. 📹 Sportsnet
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 25/09/2026
ICYMI - Vladdy isn't wrong, but he also isn't right. bluejaysnation.com/news/vladimi...
bluejaysnation.com
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s not wrong, but he’s also not right
<p>The Toronto Blue Jays&#8217; offseason hasn&#8217;t even begun, but the club is already the talk of baseball thanks to the face of their franchise, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. &nbsp; He may have put his ...
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 25/09/2026
Thoughts on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s comments from earlier this week. He's not wrong, but he also didn't read the room.
bluejaysnation.com
https://bluejaysnation.com/news/vladimir-guerrero-jr-s-not-wrong-but-hes-also-not-right
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 25/09/2026
A playoff spot was there for the taking for the Blue Jays for most of the season, but they failed to capitalize. The Jays missed a golden opportunity in 2026.
bluejaysnation.com
The Blue Jays wasted a golden opportunity this season
<p>The Toronto Blue Jays still have three games left to play, but their season effectively ended yesterday when they were officially eliminated from playoff contention after a 4-2 loss to the…
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 24/09/2026
Reminds me of that Adam Sandler Romano Tours SNL sketch. "If you are sad where you are, then you get on a plane to Italy, the you in Italy will be the same sad you from before, just in a new place."
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 24/09/2026
The final days of George Springer's six-year deal with the Blue Jays are coming to a close. Should the Blue Jays bring back their 2025 postseason hero for one more year?
bluejaysnation.com
Should the Blue Jays bring back George Springer for another season?
<p>The Toronto Blue Jays are not a team that has officially declared a captain on their roster (it’s really more an NHL thing), but if they were to, it would invariably be George Springer. Over his…
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 24/09/2026
The Blue Jays and Orioles are familiar foes in double headers, for whatever reason. This was the lineup the Jays rolled out for the evening game of their double header against the O's on September 30, 2015. This was the day the Jays clinched the AL East.
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 19/09/2026
In case you missed it from last night, this is Jose Rodriguez's delivery - one of the most unique ways to deliver a pitch in MLB. 📹 Sportsnet
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 18/09/2026
The Blue Jays weren't supposed to be here. But with 9 games left to play, they have a shot at making the postseason ... an opportunity they should be thankful for.
bluejaysnation.com
https://bluejaysnation.com/news/the-toronto-blue-jays-still-have-a-shot-in-september-unlike-past-futile-seasons
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 16/09/2026
At this point in the season (especially for a team that pseudo sold at the trade deadine), all you're asking for is a chance at the postseason. It hasn't been pretty at times for the Blue Jays, but they have a shot with 9 games to play.
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 14/09/2026
Homerless at home no more. Up until yesterday, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had the third-longest active streak of homerless games at home, at 84 consecutive games. 📸 John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images 📊 @stathead.com | @baseball-reference.com
Chandler Simpson has MLB's longest active streak of homerless games at home at 114, Victor Scott II at 96 games, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at 84 games. Taylor Walls is at 75 games, and Jake Meyers at 67 games.
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 13/09/2026
I could not repost this fast enough. Thank you for this invaluable resource, @ruhee.ca!
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 11/09/2026
ICYMI - Despite underperformance from some of the big names on the Toronto Blue Jays roster, these unsung heroes are helping keep the team's playoff hopes afloat.
bluejaysnation.com
3 unsung Blue Jays are keeping the team’s playoff hopes alive
<p>With only 15 games left in the season, the Toronto Blue Jays’ playoff hopes are still very much alive, despite a disappointing series loss to the Athletics earlier this week. After dropping two of…
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 11/09/2026
These under-the-radar players are fuelling the Blue Jays' late-season surge.
bluejaysnation.com
3 unsung Blue Jays are keeping the team’s playoff hopes alive
<p>With only 15 games left in the season, the Toronto Blue Jays’ playoff hopes are still very much alive, despite a disappointing series loss to the Athletics earlier this week. After dropping two of…
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 09/09/2026
As the Blue Jays fight for their playoff lives in September, looking back at how they've fared in previous late-season runs into the postseason.
bluejaysnation.com
Looking at how the Blue Jays fared in recent September stretches?
<p>For 22 consecutive seasons, there was nary a meaningful game in September to be had for the Toronto Blue Jays. The last month of the schedule was usually a death march to the finish line, as the…
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Reposted by Ian Hunter
James G @orth.ca · 06/09/2026
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 06/09/2026
Nobody loves to slide/dive into home plate more than Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 📹 Sportsnet
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 05/09/2026
Most of the 2026 campaign has been a write-off for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. But he still has time to salvage the final stretch of the season.
bluejaysnation.com
There’s still time for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to salvage part of his season
<p>With a handful of games left in the season, the Toronto Blue Jays still have something left to play for. They are fighting for their playoff lives, by virtue of the American League being overall…
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 04/09/2026
So you're saying there's a chance? Back on August 5th, the Blue Jays' playoff odds were a season-low 4.3%. Since then, their playoff odds have risen to 33%. (Via @fangraphs.com)
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 03/09/2026
I was working on this piece pre-game, so the reverse jinx for Vladdy is on, I guess?
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 02/09/2026
The lost season for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has almost reached its merciful end. Three of the four worst months of his career by OPS have been this year. He just wrapped August with a .558 OPS, the third-worst single-month OPS of his career. 📷 Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images 📊 @stathead.com
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 02/09/2026
With a handful of starts to come for Dylan Cease, he's on track to have a top-3 strikeout season by a Blue Jays SP. It's unlikely Cease will match Clemens' 292 Ks in 1997, but Cease will smash the Blue Jays' record for K/9 in a single season. 📷 John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images 📊 @stathead.com
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 29/08/2026
On the day that Buck Martinez is enshrined into the Blue Jays' new Hall of Excellence, let's listen back to his best calls from the broadcast booth.
bluejaysnation.com
Buck Martinez’s best calls as a Blue Jays broadcaster
<p>The Toronto Blue Jays are just as much about Buck Martinez as Buck Martinez is about the Toronto Blue Jays. Yesterday, the longtime broadcaster announced his retirement from the broadcast booth.…
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 23/08/2026
The Blue Jays are suddenly a pitching and defence team. And this new identity is fuelling their dramatic second-half surge.
bluejaysnation.com
The Blue Jays’ new identity is propelling their second-half success
<p>For a team missing key contributors like Kevin Gausman, Daulton Varsho, Jeff Hoffman, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., you’d think the 2026 Toronto Blue Jays would be playing their worst baseball of the…
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 04/08/2026
Looking back at Kevin Gausman's best games in a Blue Jays uniform. bluejaysnation.com/news/looking...
bluejaysnation.com
5 top moments from Kevin Gausman’s Blue Jays tenure
<p>Has it sunk in yet that Kevin Gausman is no longer a member of the Toronto Blue Jays?   Not only that, the 35-year-old may face the Blue Jays at Wrigley Field on Thursday in his Chicago Cubs…
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 04/08/2026
A look back on Kevin Gausman's time with the Blue Jays. He was a quintessential workhorse and a player who ushered in a new era of Blue Jays baseball.
bluejaysnation.com
Kevin Gausman was the quintessential workhorse for the Blue Jays
<p>You cannot tell the story of the Toronto Blue Jays over the last five years without mentioning their quintessential workhorse: Kevin Gausman. &nbsp; In the final year of his original five-year cont...
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 04/08/2026
Overall, I'd say that was a productive trade deadline for the Blue Jays. They checked all these items off their list: ✅ Picked up a controllable starter with upside in Soriano ✅ Maximized the return on Varsho (likely a departing free agent) ✅ Sold high on Hoffman
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 03/08/2026
Let's not forget Kevin Gausman's ultimate contribution to Blue Jays lore.
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 03/08/2026
It's a shame Kevin Gausman didn't get one last shot at a playoff run with the Blue Jays, but he was central to some of the club's most important games since signing in 2021. He was a true workhorse and one of the best starting pitchers in Blue Jays history.
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 02/08/2026
The Buck Martinez bobblehead being given out on August 29 will be a triple-Buck bobblehead to celebrate his playing, managerial, and broadcasting careers with the franchise. 📸 Toronto Blue Jays
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 01/08/2026
If today is Kevin Gausman's last start with the Blue Jays, he will go down as a top 10 starting pitcher in franchise history. His 80 quality starts rank him 8th overall among all Blue Jays starters. 📸 Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images 📊 @stathead.com | @baseball-reference.com
Kevin Gausman has 80 quality starts from 2022 to 2026 with the Toronto Blue Jays, which ranks him 8th in franchise history among all starting pitchers.
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 31/07/2026
ICYMI - Some of the best controllable starting pitchers on the trade market for the Blue Jays.
bluejaysnation.com
5 controllable starting pitchers for the Blue Jays to target at this years trade deadline
<p>It takes extreme nimbleness to thread the needle to become both buyers and sellers at the trade deadline, but 2026 might be the first time in a long time when the Toronto Blue Jays do a bit of…
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 31/07/2026
The Blue Jays, buyers in this market? They need starting pitching help for next year and beyond, and these starters could be intriguing options for the Jays.
bluejaysnation.com
5 controllable starting pitchers for the Blue Jays to target at this years trade deadline
<p>It takes extreme nimbleness to thread the needle to become both buyers and sellers at the trade deadline, but 2026 might be the first time in a long time when the Toronto Blue Jays do a bit of…
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 30/07/2026
I often blabber here about the Blue Jays, but I also do all kinds of freelance sports writing, content writing, and copywriting. If you need a writer to tell the story of your brand or business, my new website has more info, with my full portfolio. Thanks in advance!
ianhunter.ca
ianhunter.ca - Copywriter | Content Writer | Sports Writer
The home of Kitchener, Ontario-based copywriter, content writer and sports writer Ian Hunter.
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 16/07/2026
ICYMI - A Kingston, Ontario toy store has been flooded with requests for this toy that's become the hottest item on the shelves: a fire-breathing dragon on a stick. Now you can conjure up some magic with your own home run mascot, just like the Toronto Blue Jays. bluejaysnation.com/news/the-blu...
bluejaysnation.com
The Blue Jays home run dragon is the hottest item at this Kingston toy store
<p>One of the hottest accessories in the second half of MLB’s 2026 season is a stuffed dragon on a stick. It’s also one of the most in-demand toys across Canada, as the Toronto Blue Jays have adopted…
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 16/07/2026
ICYMI - You know you've made it as a pro baseball player when you have a beer named after you, and you have three bobbleheads fashioned after your likeness. Thus has been the journey for Ernie James Clement. bluejaysnation.com/news/ernie-c...
bluejaysnation.com
Ernie Clement now has his own beer (and bobbleheads, to boot)
<p>What a past 12 months it’s been for Ernie Clement. In 2025, he played nearly every regular-season game for the Blue Jays, and he set a new record for most hits in a single postseason. This year,…
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 16/07/2026
The Toronto Blue Jays have a new good luck charm: a fire-breathing dragon on a stick. It's the hottest item for sale at a Kingston-based toy store. Here's how you can get your hands on the Blue Jays' new home run celebration accessory.
bluejaysnation.com
The Blue Jays home run dragon is the hottest item at this Kingston toy store
<p>One of the hottest accessories in the second half of MLB’s 2026 season is a stuffed dragon on a stick. It’s also one of the most in-demand toys across Canada, as the Toronto Blue Jays have adopted…
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 15/07/2026
What a year for Ernie Clement. He was named to Team USA for the WBC, and received the most votes for any American League All-Star. Clement now has his very own beer, and a third bobblehead to be released later this month.
bluejaysnation.com
Ernie Clement now has his own beer (and bobbleheads, to boot)
<p>What a past 12 months it’s been for Ernie Clement. In 2025, he played nearly every regular-season game for the Blue Jays, and he set a new record for most hits in a single postseason. This year,…
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 14/07/2026
The Mariners and Blue Jays joined MLB as expansion teams in 1977, yet the M's have hosted 3 All-Star Games, while the Jays have only hosted one. And there's no promise of an All-Star Game on the horizon for Toronto.
bluejaysnation.com
When will the Blue Jays finally get to host another All-Star Game?
<p>In July 1991, the SkyDome was the centre of the baseball universe. At the peak of the multi-purpose stadium craze, baseball fans from all over the world feasted their eyes upon the modern marvel…
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 13/07/2026
It's been 35 years and counting since Toronto hosted the MLB All-Star Game. When will the Blue Jays get a shot at hosting this marquee event again?
bluejaysnation.com
When will the Blue Jays finally get to host another All-Star Game?
<p>In July 1991, the SkyDome was the centre of the baseball universe. At the peak of the multi-purpose stadium craze, baseball fans from all over the world feasted their eyes upon the modern marvel…
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 12/07/2026
At 45-51, the Blue Jays are now dead last in the AL East, but still somehow 2.5 games out of a playoff spot. Make it make sense, American League.
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 11/07/2026
Jeff Hoffman no longer leads MLB in reliever BABIP. Time to pop some bubbly? He was on pace for a historically high batting average on balls in play, but it's down to .396. 📸 Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images 📊 Via @stathead.com | @baseball-reference.com
Jose Alvarado leads MLB in reliever BABIP with .449, followed by Jeff Hoffman at .396, and Devin Williams with a .395 BABIP this season.
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 10/07/2026
Last week, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. opted not to participate in the All-Star Game, citing back issues. Yet, he's continued to play this week. Is Vladdy doing more harm than good by not going on the IL?
bluejaysnation.com
Blue Jays: A stint on the IL could do Vladimir Guerrero Jr. some good
<p>Nobody could use a break more than Vladimir Guerrero Jr. With five home runs through his first 88 games, the Toronto Blue Jays’ first baseman on pace for nine home runs this season. Not that home…
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 09/07/2026
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitchers are no strangers to ninth inning heartbreak. These are all the near no-hitters in franchise history.
bluejaysnation.com
Every Toronto Blue Jays pitcher to lose a no-hitter in the ninth inning
<p>I won’t bury the lede: the Toronto Blue Jays have 13 near no-hitters in franchise history. 13 times, a starting pitcher has taken the mound in the ninth inning with a chance to make history, only…
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 04/07/2026
Louis Varland just wrapped up one of the most dominant first halves by a Blue Jays reliever ever. Varland's 0.96 ERA is second-lowest in franchise history, second to B.J. Ryan's 0.84 ERA in 2006. 📊 Via @stathead.com @baseball-reference.com 📸 Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 01/07/2026
Canada Day is always one of the biggest days at the ballpark for the Blue Jays. Some fun facts about standout performances, clunkers, and the "cursed" red jerseys.
bluejaysnation.com
The Blue Jays on Canada Day: Overall record, cursed jerseys, and heroes
<p>There are two things you can always expect to see from the Toronto Blue Jays on July 1: lots of red, and an enormous Canadian flag sprawling across the outfield at Rogers Centre. Canada Day is…
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 29/06/2026
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has posted two of the worst months of his career in consecutive months. With a .498 OPS, June 2026 is tracking to be his lowest single-month OPS in a non pandemic-shortened season. (Via @stathead.com and @baseball-reference.com) 📸 Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 27/06/2026
When somebody sees Woody or Buzz Lightyear walking and talking for the first time. 📸 Sportsnet
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Ian Hunter @bluejayhunter.com · 25/06/2026
It's the little things that keep coming back to bite the Blue Jays. Last night was a perfect illustration of how they tend to kill their own rallies.
bluejaysnation.com
It’s the little things that keep sinking the Blue Jays
<p>When you&#8217;re a team among the bottom-third in baseball in runs scored per game, there is a slim margin for error. And yet time and time again, the Toronto Blue Jays keep shooting themselves in...
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