Former Cleveland baseball executives lead Toronto Blue Jays to 2025 World Series

The Cleveland Guardians have finger prints all over the Toronto Blue Jays as they prepare to face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2025 World Series.

Aug 11, 2023; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays president and CEO Mark Shapiro talks with friends during batting practice before a game between the Chicago Cubs and the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

As the Toronto Blue Jays punched their ticket to the World Series, team president and CEO Mark Shapiro is getting his fair share of praise.

Along with Shapiro is general manager Ross Atkins who is credited with building a World Series roster in Canada that will contend with the Los Angeles Dodgers to hoist the Commissioner’s Trophy.

Many will remember that Shapiro and Atkins got their baseball beginnings in Cleveland.

Shapiro joined the Indians in 1991 and worked his way through the front office for a decade before being appointed general manager in 2001. During his time with the Indians, Shapiro won Executive of the Year in 2005 and 2007. The Indians won more than 90 games those years, including an American League Central championship in 2007.

At the end of the 2010 season, Shapiro became the team president with Chris Antonetti succeeding him as general manager.

Truly, the foundation built by Shapiro – namely appointing Antonetti as his general manager paved the way for successful Guardians teams over the last decade.

In 2015, the Blue Jays would hire away Shapiro, appointing him as their team president and CEO. Just a few months later, Atkins followed his old boss and was named the general manager of the Blue Jays.

The Indians actually drafted and signed Atkins as a pitcher out of Wake Forest in 1995. He had previously been drafted by the Florida Marlins in 1994 but never signed with the team. 

Atkins played five seasons with Cleveland’s minor league system before getting hired as an assistant director of player development in the front office. He quickly worked up the front office ranks and was promoted to Cleveland’s vice president of player personnel after the 2014 season.

Shapiro and Atkins will get plenty of national attention for constructing a World Series contender with the Blue Jays, but the foundation they built in Cleveland remains intact. 

After promoting Mike Chernoff to general manager in 2015, Antonetti led the Indians to their first World Series since 1997 in 2016. Even though the Indians were unable to defeat the Chicago Cubs in a thrilling seven game series, Antonetti and Chernoff have been the definition of consistency.

They helped guide the organization through a controversial name change. They traded countless All-Stars and Cy Young winners, not waving the white flag on contending, but doubling down on development and extending championship windows. 

Somehow, they convinced Jose Ramirez to take one of the most team-friendly deals in baseball history to remain in Cleveland.

They’ve won the AL Central six times out of the last 10 years. They are one of the most winning teams in baseball over that same timeframe.

While Shapiro and Atkins get their shot at a championship ring this season with Toronto, hopefully their successors will not have to wait much longer in Cleveland.