With 27 World Series titles to their name, there’s no question the New York Yankees are the force to be reckoned with in Major League Baseball, but owner Hal Steinbrenner believes there is a lot to learn from the Toronto Blue Jays.
Since the Jays’ inception in 1977, no other team has won more than New York, with seven World Series crowns and 21 divisional titles, while Toronto has collected two and seven, respectively.
But this year, it was the Blue Jays who looked like the team setting the bar.
For the first time in MLB history, the two divisional rivals faced off in a post-season matchup with the Jays claiming the American League Division Series 3-1, securing them an 11-6 record against the Yankees, including the regular season.
Speaking during off-season media availability Monday, Steinbrenner was asked if his club might take a page from Toronto’s approach moving forward, focusing on a more contact-driven, defensively solid style of play.
"I think balance in life is everything," Steinbrenner said. "They slug the ball too. It's not just putting balls in play. They definitely slug the ball. Hitting strikes hard, particularly in the air, not that you're trying to hit it over the fence, but in the air, statistically speaking, the results speak for themselves, you have a better chance of success when you do that." Steinbrenner said, per Mike Petriello of MLB.com.
When asked about Toronto’s rise and what sets them apart from his side this season, the Yankees executive credited the Jays’ all-around approach.
"You can't simply be a slugging home-run team. They had a great year. I'm curious to see next year how well they do, with that roster, assuming it stays mostly intact, but they're a great team," Steinbrenner continued. "They definitely played better than us, they slugged better than us, they hit the ball and put it in play better than us, and they pitched better than us, and that's why they won."
The next chapter in this growing rivalry will continue in May, when the Blue Jays travel to New York for a four-game series at Yankee Stadium, a matchup Steinbrenner will surely be watching attentively.
