Blue Jays Manager Adopting Ultimate Survivor’s Approach In Game 6

Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider is taking an “all hands on deck” approach to Game 6 of the ALCS.

As the Blue Jays look to keep their season alive against a Seattle Mariners franchise on the verge of its first ever World Series berth, Schneider is keeping all options open when it comes to Toronto’s bullpen.

According to Sportnet’s Arden Zwelling, Schneider will be expanding the normal capacity of his ‘pen to include guys who aren’t normally there.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider says "everyone will be available that is physically available" to pitch in Game 6.

"You’ll see some guys that you normally don’t see available in the bullpen."

— Arden Zwelling (@ArdenZwelling) October 18, 2025

Toronto must reclaim its home-field magic to force a decisive Game 7.

This series has been a rollercoaster of momentum shifts, starting with Seattle’s dominant road wins in Games 1 and 2 at Rogers Centre, where they outscored the Blue Jays 12-5. Toronto fought back fiercely in Seattle, taking Games 3 and 4 behind strong starting pitching and timely hitting from Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who has slashed .375 with two homers in the ALCS.

But Game 5 swung back to the Mariners thanks to Eugenio Suárez’s eighth-inning grand slam and Cal Raleigh’s go-ahead homer, exposing cracks in Toronto’s bullpen.

Now, with the action returning to Toronto—where the Blue Jays posted a league-best 54-27 home record during the regular season—the hosts aim to leverage the raucous crowd to flip the script once more.

John Schneider says everyone will be available in Game 6, Max Scherzer included.

“We’re trying to win one game in a row. We’ve done that 99 times this year.” #BlueJays

— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) October 18, 2025

At the center of this elimination game is a compelling pitching duel between Seattle’s Logan Gilbert and Toronto’s rookie sensation Trey Yesavage. Gilbert struggled somewhat with command in Game 2, yielding three runs in three innings. Yesavage, at just 22 years old, faces immense pressure in his second ALCS start after surrendering five runs over four innings in Game 2; however, his splitter-heavy arsenal dazzled in the ALDS against the Yankees, where he set a franchise postseason strikeout record.

Both bullpens will be crucial.

For the Blue Jays, a loss would end a gritty 2025 campaign that saw them surge past expectations with young talent like Yesavage stepping up. Seattle, meanwhile, chases history, having already set franchise postseason records with six wins and 17 homers.