‘Feverish fan base’: Toronto Blue Jays fans set to cheer on the team in New York

As the Toronto Blue Jays head to New York City for Game 3 of the American League Division Series, some diehard Canadian fans will be cheering for the team from the Yankee Stadium stands.

Among them will be Ryan May, who says he’ll be wearing his Jays gear proudly – even if it means fielding chirps and hostility from rival Yankee fans.

“We’re prepping for chaos and also incredible levels of excitement because it’s the first time we’ve ever played the Yankees in the post-season,” said May, founder of Fan First, a social media page dedicated to sports fans.

He and some fellow fans plan to drive all night from Toronto to New York City in time for Game 3 on Tuesday, not only so they can connect with other Jays fans but also to make sure the team feels supported on the road, he said.

“We knew we were gonna be there. We knew that we had to be there one way or another, wherever it was.”

The Blue Jays currently lead the series 2-0 after two high-scoring games at Rogers Centre against the Yankees over the weekend. Toronto will look to sweep the ALDS on Tuesday, with Game 4 in New York if necessary before the series returns to Rogers Centre for Game 5 if needed.

Tim Macdonell, CEO of Elite Sports Tours in Toronto, said that although Canadian travel to the U.S. has generally tapered down due to the political climate, his company has still been receiving inquiries from fans looking to go to the Bronx for the ALDS.

“I think you have to be a little bit passionate if you want to travel to see a team on the road. You’re definitely not a casual fan,” said Macdonell. “You probably eat, sleep, and breathe Blue Jays baseball.”

That’s the case for diehard fan Jeffrey Mizen, who was born in Goderich, Ont., but now lives in New York state. The Jays’ back-to-back World Series wins in 1992 and ’93 made him a “fan for life” he said, which is why he’s heading to Yankee Stadium on Tuesday.

“I know they’re gonna win. They’re playing fantastic. They are playing the right way, and if I could give them a message, just carry it home,” said Mizen.

But buying tickets for the matchup in New York City hasn’t been easy for some Jays fans. Canadian fans have been unable to purchase tickets for potential Blue Jays ALDS games in New York, with the Yankees barring fans outside of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania from getting seats.

Fans — some who have complained online — are met with a message on Ticketmaster saying orders from credit card billing addresses outside those four U.S. states will be cancelled without notice and refunded.

However, the Blue Jays have also restricted ticket sales during the regular season and will continue the policy in the playoffs. The team has limited purchases to Canadian billing addresses to keep tickets in the hands of fans across the country.

Fans can still purchase tickets on third-party ticket selling websites such as StubHub.

May said he expects Jays fans to show up at Yankee Stadium regardless of any challenges they might encounter getting tickets.

“Canadians as a whole love anything we can rally around together … and we will travel to do so,” May said.

“It’s a feverish fan base in a country that — although the sport may be called America’s pastime — absolutely adores baseball.”

Vijay Dandapani, president of the Hotel Association of New York City, said while he doesn’t have specific data on hotel demand due to the MLB playoffs, this week is “very strong” for hotels in the area.

“In any event, New York hotels are glad to see Canadian inbound travel rebounding in the aftermath of negative perceptions from earlier this year,” Dandapani said in an emailed statement Monday.

With the Jays’ success so far in the series, Macdonell says he expects fans will turn out in high numbers should the team move on to the next round and face either the Detroit Tigers or Seattle Mariners. As both cities are close to the border, it’ll be welcome news for Canadian fans, he said.

“I think that we will see a lot of blue in the crowd in both Detroit or Seattle, whoever they may potentially face,” he said.

Macdonell said he’s even been fielding questions from Jays fans this weekend about a potential World Series.

“There’s definitely a lot of optimism because I don’t think you start talking about planning your World Series dates and travel if you don’t think this team has the makeup to win it and go all the way,” he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 6, 2025.

–With files from Fatima Raza

Note to readers:This is a corrected story. A previous version erroneously said Jeffrey Mizen was born in Goddard, Ont.