TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays, Canada’s sole Major League Baseball team, are gearing up for the World Series with the support of their entire nation. They will face the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 on Friday night in Toronto after defeating the Seattle Mariners in the American League Championship Series. This playoff run comes at a time when U.S.-Canada relations are strained, with many Canadians feeling a sense of betrayal following comments from U.S. President Donald Trump about making Canada the 51st state.

Geoffrey Fulton, a 54-year-old fan, expressed his sentiments, saying, "Nobody wants to be the 51st state. We’re going to show America that we’re going to beat them at their favorite pastime. It’s especially the year where we want to go all the way and win the championship. It would just be great for our country."

Despite the political climate, there have been slight improvements in relations as Prime Minister Mark Carney seeks a trade deal. However, American tariffs continue to impact Canada negatively. Many Canadians have been boycotting U.S. goods since the Trump administration began imposing tariffs and making controversial statements about Canada’s sovereignty.

Fulton recalled his experience at Yankee Stadium, where he cheered for the Blue Jays as they eliminated the Yankees. He faced hostility when Yankees fans booed the Canadian national anthem, and he even had his Blue Jays wig stolen. "Canada needs to be together, so to have the Blue Jays go all the way and win the World Series would just be fantastic," he said.

Unlike hockey, which has multiple Canadian teams, baseball has only the Blue Jays for Canada’s 41 million residents. The excitement for the team extends beyond Toronto. At an NHL game in Calgary, Alberta, the crowd erupted in cheers when the public address announcer updated them on George Springer’s three-run homer against Seattle.

In Toronto, 28-year-old Braeden McNeil attended the game with his brother and shared his emotions. "It’s extra special. They can say what they want, 51st state. We are our own country. We’re going to the World Series. It doesn’t matter if we’re the underdogs. It doesn’t matter what Americans say," he stated.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider, originally from New Jersey, expressed his growing connection to Canada. "It’s such a fulfilling job because you have an entire country hanging on every pitch. I feel it, too. I feel like I’m more Canadian. I love drinking beer, I like drinking Tim Horton’s. I’m one of them," Schneider said. He emphasized the significance of having support from coast to coast.

Springer, who is in his fifth season with the Blue Jays, added, "So happy for our team, our fans, our city, our country."

The Blue Jays last reached the World Series in 1993, having won back-to-back championships in 1992 and 1993. In 1992, a political incident occurred when the U.S. Marine Corps displayed the Canadian flag upside-down during Game 2 in Atlanta, but tensions were not as pronounced then.

Recently, Canadians have refrained from booing the American national anthem at sporting events, a stark contrast to earlier this year when political tensions were high. The mood has shifted, and when Carney met with Trump in the Oval Office this month, Trump commented on a decline in cross-border visits, predicting, "The people of Canada, they will love us again."

Carney responded, "It’s not bad. They’ll come back," and took the opportunity to highlight the Blue Jays' success, saying, "We’re coming down for the World Series Mr. President. By the way, they are looking pretty good."

As the Blue Jays prepare for the World Series, they carry the hopes of a nation amid a backdrop of complex political relations with their southern neighbor.