TORONTO — This is exactly why the Blue Jays brought Shane Bieber to Toronto.
Bieber will get the start in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series against the Seattle Mariners on Monday in the biggest game in Blue Jays history since they won the World Series in 1993. Bieber was traded to Toronto by the Cleveland Guardians ahead of Major League Baseball’s trade deadline.
“It’s been a culmination of a lot of events and dominoes to get to this point,” said Bieber, who noted that Cleveland also reached Game 7 of last year’s ALCS but he was unable to play as he recovered from Tommy John surgery. “But now I get the ball tomorrow and I’m extremely excited for it.
“This is what I love to do and I’m grateful for every opportunity.”
Bieber was shut down by the Guardians after two starts in 2024 when they announced he needed surgery to repair his ulnar collateral ligament. He was traded to Toronto on July 31 of this year for pitching prospect Khal Stephen before he had completely recovered from the operation.
The Blue Jays activated him from the injured list on Aug. 22, striking out nine and earning the win as Toronto beat the Miami Marlins 5-2. Since then, the two-time all-star and the 2020 AL Cy Young Award winner has been called on in some of the Blue Jays’ biggest games of the year.
“I don’t know how many starts I’m at right now, but that’s how it’s felt every start, right?” joked Bieber after Toronto beat the Mariners 6-2 on Sunday to force the decisive Game 7.
Bieber actually had seven starts for Toronto in the regular season, finishing with a 4-2 record, a 3.57 earned-run average and 37 strikeouts over 40 1/3 innings.
He had an abbreviated appearance against the Yankees in Game 3 of the ALDS on Oct. 7, allowing three runs — two earned — over 2 2/3 innings as the Blue Jays went on to lose 9-6.
Bieber bounced back with a command performance in Game 3 of the ALCS, striking out eight over six innings. He allowed two runs on four hits and a walk as the Blue Jays earned a critical 13-4 win in Seattle.
He said he learned to just be himself in that start.
“I feel like I have numerous ways to attack guys and to get guys out,” said Bieber. “As long as I go out there and execute, I think I’ll put the team in a good position.”
Toronto manager John Schneider said Bieber is the ideal pitcher for high-leverage situations like a do-or-die game to reach the World Series.
“I think when you get into this situation — historical game for the franchise, right? — you want a guy that’s kind of been there,” said Schneider. “You want a guy that has a super high sense of awareness in the moment. That’s exactly why we traded for him.
“I said it before, it was kind of a quiet, I don’t want to say quiet acquisition at the deadline, because he was hurt, but this is what we envisioned.”
George Kirby will take the mound for the Mariners, who are trying to reach the World Series for the first time in the franchise’s history. Seattle entered the league in 1977 along with the Blue Jays but Toronto has won MLB’s championship twice.
“I love pitching under pressure and super glad I’m able to get Game 7,” said Kirby, who pitched opposite Bieber in Game 3 and allowed eight runs over four innings in the loss.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 19, 2025.
John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press
