Toronto Blue Jays pinch-hitter Addison Barger blasted his way into World Series history on Friday night in an 11–4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers, and he hardly remembers it.
Barger hit the first-ever pinch-hit grand slam in World Series history, which broke open a tight Game 1 in the sixth inning. Toronto cruised in the franchise’s first World Series game since 1993.
“Just a blackout moment. Just crazy.”
Barger, who didn’t start due to the matchup with Dodgers left-handed pitcher Blake Snell, got his name called to pinch hit for left fielder Davis Schneider, who went 0-3 at the plate in Game 1.
Toronto had a 5–2 lead and bases loaded at the tie, and Barger launched it deep to center field as George Springer, Nathan Lukes, and Andres Gimenez all scored.
“Honestly, I was choking up a little bit, just trying to put the ball in the air and get a run in that situation,” Barger said.
“I know it’s a tough at bat, left on left, but the goal was just put the barrel on the ball, hopefully hit it in the air, and get the run in.”
Blue Jays manager John Schneider put things in perspective after the game in reference to one of his longest-tenured players. Pitcher Max Scherzer, 41, has been in the majors since 2008 and has played in three World Series before this year.
“I’m trying to force a lefty there … it’s one out. You know, you trust Barge to have a good approach to hopefully hit a sac fly,” Schneider added regarding the decision to pinch-hit Barger.
“And Barge, man, he didn’t budge. He was ready to go and hit a mistake pitch. So that was a little bit more than what we could have hoped for.”
Prior to Friday, Barger had two home runs and four RBI with a .286 batting average in 10 postseason games. The Bellevue, Washington, native had just completed his first full regular season with the Blue Jays after just 35 games in 2024.
That said, he came up big multiple times this postseason. Barger hit a home run in the pivotal Game 6 win over the Seattle Mariners, 6–2, in the ALCS on Oct. 19, and he homered against the Mariners in a 13–4 Game 3 victory on Oct. 13. That all came after a quiet ALDS against the New York Yankees, where he had just four hits in three games.
During the regular season, Barger had a .243 batting average with 21 home runs and 74 RBI amid 33 extra-base hits in 135 regular-season games this year. In 2024, he tallied seven home runs, 28 RBI, and 11 extra-base hits as a rookie.
Toronto selected Barger in the 2018 draft amid his strong prep career at C. Leon King High School in Tampa, Florida. Barger went to the minors right away with the Gulf Coast League and worked his way through the Blue Jays’ farm system.
The Blue Jays added him to the 40-man roster in November 2022, so he couldn’t be selected in the Rule 5 draft. Barger was playing AAA minor league baseball for the Buffalo Bisons at that point, and he continued at that level in 2023 until he was called up to the majors for the first time in April 2024.
Barger made a splash in his first-ever World Series game after a seven-year journey through the minor leagues and working his way into a key role with the Blue Jays in the majors over the past two seasons.
He will get a shot at doing more than just a cameo sac fly as the series continues with Game 2 on Saturday in Toronto.
