What We Can Learn From a Team That Wasn’t Supposed to Win

Belief Before the Bat: How the Blue Jays Mentored Their Way to the World Series

Who would’ve thought this team would be one win away from a World Series title?
At the start of 2025, expectations were low. After missing out on the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes, most experts called them a middle-of-the-pack team. Even I doubted them. I told myself I wouldn’t start watching unless they got to ten games above .500.

By mid-July, they did it. And that’s when I noticed something I hadn’t seen in years.

This wasn’t the same old Blue Jays team.
It wasn’t just talent or stats. It was belief.

Mindset Before Mechanics

Something shifted. Every player started to believe they could do it.
The swing wasn’t the only thing that changed, it was the mindset.

Once belief kicked in, performance followed.
That’s mentorship in action.

Confidence always comes before capability. When you help someone believe they can, they often do more than you ever imagined.

Leadership That Builds Trust

Manager John Schneider didn’t just tell his players he believed in them, he proved it.
He stood by them through slumps, errors, and pressure.

When players stop fearing mistakes, they start playing free. They find their rhythm.

That’s exactly what a great mentor does, they create safety. That safety helps people breathe again.
And when people feel safe, they grow.

Culture and Chemistry

This team celebrates the little things.
A smart baserun. A sacrifice fly. A multi-pitch at-bat.

They cheer for the moments that don’t make the highlight reel.

In mentorship, it’s the same. Not every win is big or loud. But every effort matters.
Progress builds quietly before it shows up loudly.

Joy and Connection

You can see how much this team enjoys each other.
They lift one another up. They laugh. They care.

Energy like that spreads fast. It means get onboard, or get out.

In mentoring, that same joy matters. When people feel seen and supported, they rediscover why they started.
They play with heart again.

Resilience and Belief

The Jays never think they’re out of a game. They’ve fought back again and again. They were the team that had the most come from behind victories. The reason: Mindset.

That mindset, we can still do this, is contagious.
It’s what keeps a young person trying after rejection.
It’s what turns a setback into a story worth telling.

Shared Purpose and Shifting Roles

Every player knows their role, and it changes.
Some nights you’re the hero. Some nights you’re cheering from the bench.

But everyone matters.

That’s culture. That’s belonging.

And that’s mentorship, helping others see their value even when they’re not in the spotlight. It increases confidence, resiliency and joy.

The 2025 Toronto Blue Jays have shown us something powerful.
Success isn’t built on stats or strategy.
It’s built on connection, belief, and trust.

That’s what we build at The Mentor Well.
Because when someone truly believes in you, it has a rippling effect throughout your life, how you think, how you show up, and what you start to believe is possible.