Former Toronto Blue Jays Slugger Terrorizes Old Team With Jaw-Dropping Performance
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The Toronto Blue Jays got to see a familiar face when the Seattle Mariners visited Rogers Centre over the weekend, but they probably wish they hadn't.
Rowdy Tellez, who played for the Blue Jays from 2018 to 2021 before being traded to the Milwaukee Brewers, torched his old team in his return to Toronto. He homered in all three games of the series, helping the Mariners take two out of three from the Blue Jays.
Tellez had been ice-cold coming into the series, batting just .111/.154/.222 with one home run and four RBI through his first 13 games of the series. However, he immediately caught fire back at his old stomping grounds, launching a solo homer in his first at-bat of the series on Friday night.
Interestingly, that long ball came off Bowden Francis -- one of two players Tellez was traded for back in 2021.
Tellez was just getting warmed up. During Saturday's 12-inning affair, he essentially ended the game with his grand slam in the top of the 12th, propelling the Mariners to an 8-4 victory.
He went deep again during Sunday's series finale for good measure, belting a two-run shot in the top of the seventh that extended Seattle's lead to 8-3, putting the game out of reach.
Rowdy Tellez loves being back in Toronto!
— MLB (@MLB) April 20, 2025
His third home run in as many games. pic.twitter.com/vvaW1laZmG
Overall, Tellez finished the weekend with three hits -- all homers -- and seven RBI, raising his OPS from .376 to .649.
The 30-year-old slugger has owned his former employers since being traded away. In 12 games against Toronto, he now has five homers, 15 RBI and a .278/.333/.778 slash line.
Francis has emerged as one of the Blue Jays' best pitchers, so they shouldn't regret the trade at all. Tellez has fallen off over the last few years and hasn't had an above-average OPS+ since 2022.
Except when he faces Toronto, however, then he suddenly transforms into Babe Ruth.
The Blue Jays will see him again in a few weeks when they visit Seattle in early May, so hopefully their pitchers can figure out a way to get him out.
