Blue Jays OF George Springer Caught Saying MLB Wants Yankees To Win The Division

The Toronto Blue Jays have clinched a postseason berth, a surprising and impressive rebound after finishing 74-88 and in last place in the American League East in 2024. But they have their sights set on bigger goals in the last week of the regular season, including clinching their first division title since 2015. 

Toronto entered Tuesday afternoon with a two-game lead over the New York Yankees, who have surged over the last month at 20-10 and 13-7 over their last 20. With the best record in the AL still within their grasp, and potential home field advantage throughout the AL side of the playoffs, at least, the stakes for the Blue Jays are high. 

Makes sense, then, that the players are highly focused on every call, outcome and scoring opportunity. For example, outfielder George Springer had a few questionable calls go against him on Tuesday against the Boston Red Sox, to the point where he was caught on video in the dugout openly wondering if the Major League Baseball home office wanted the Yankees to win the division. 

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder George Springer. Photo: William Purnell-Imagn Images

George Springer Questions MLB Integrity, Preferences

A frustrating sequence in the bottom of the second inning set Springer off, and understandably so. With the bases loaded and two outs, Springer hit a hard ground ball down the line that seemed to go over the third base bag, making it a fair ball. The third base umpire called it foul, robbing the Blue Jays of at least two runs, if not more. Springer was visibly upset, and because that type of call isn't reviewable, there was nothing Toronto could do about it. 

On the very next pitch, in a 2-2 count, home plate umpire Doug Eddings called Springer out on strikes, despite the pitch seeming to be well off the plate outside. 

In the dugout afterward, Springer was caught on camera clearly wondering if the bad calls were a result of MLB wanting the Yankees to win the division. "If they want New York to win, just tell me and give it to them already," he said, as the Jomboy video breakdown explained.

Toronto, after being unable to put a run across, wound up losing to Boston 4-1. With the Yankees walking off the Chicago White Sox on a Jose Caballero single, it shrunk Toronto's division lead to just one. 

Would Major League Baseball love it if the Yankees make another deep postseason run? Of course. Would the Yankees have a better shot at doing that if they win the division and secure a first round bye? Also yes. Is the league telling umpires to make questionable fair/foul calls in the second inning of a game to influence the outcome? Absolutely not.

Umpires, unfortunately, make a ton of mistakes. Springer hit that ball extremely hard, giving the umpire a split second to make a decision, and with it curling over the base and landing foul, he almost certainly just missed the call. Same with the called third strike. It's hard to blame Springer for being upset, but that's the frustration with baseball and the "human element." At least next season, with ABS coming, Springer might be able to fix one of the two blown calls.