AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: MARINERS VS BLUE JAYS

October 13, 2025

Shane Bieber

Rogers Centre

Toronto Blue Jays

Pregame 2 Press Conference

Q. When you compare between starts in the postseason to between starts regular season, what turns up? What's there more of or less of?

SHANE BIEBER: You try and keep them the same. I think since I made my return to the Major Leagues a couple months ago, obviously, found myself put right into some meaningful ballgames. The importance stays the same, and obviously, you place an emphasis on your preparation and each pitch, and you have the choice of making each bullpen, and the work in between more important, but I think ultimately, if your routine is already set in stone, you're ready to go. You try and treat it all the same.

Q. Shane, the trend is for pitchers not to go quite as deep into games in the playoffs as they would the regular season. How does that change, if at all, how you navigate your way through a start during the playoffs?

SHANE BIEBER: Yeah, I think we all know as starting pitchers, we've got to go out there and empty the tank. You don't want to step off that mound with excess energy or anything left in the tank. So I think what that means is since there's no guarantees, you've got to step on it from pitch one.

I think that's what we find ourselves doing, and I know Trey will do that tonight. I know Gausy did it last night. I know I'll do it on Wednesday.

Q. What did you take out of the Yankees start, and what do you think you can apply that to tomorrow?

SHANE BIEBER: Just kind of what we just talked about. You've got to empty the tank from pitch one and continue to be aggressive. I watched that outing back a few times. I was relatively happy with how I executed.

I thought a couple different pitches and being a little bit sharper in certain situations could have had the game go a different direction, but ultimately, you can't really dwell on that, and you've got to focus on what's coming next and kind of just dove into my work over the past few days, and excited for the opportunity on Wednesday.

Ultimately, I think from an execution standpoint and how I felt like the ball was coming out of my hand, I was happy with it.

Q. Shane, there's quite a few former members of the Guardians organization here on the Blue Jays. How much has that helped your transition joining the team just at the trade deadline?

SHANE BIEBER: Yeah, it's made it really seamless. I think right when I got the call that I was traded over here, I already had a handful of phone numbers that I reached out to and made a group text. Obviously, that was great. But at the same time, even guys that I didn't have their contact info, and the minute I walked into the clubhouse everybody within this organization, especially in that clubhouse, has made the transition really easy and seamless, like I said.

I'm grateful to those guys for how they've welcomed me in, but it was definitely a comfortable feeling immediately knowing that I already had great connections with a handful of guys in this locker room.

Q. With all due respect to the Guardians' organization, they made the postseason, but they're not in the ALCS. Does it feel good to be here and they're not?

SHANE BIEBER: Yeah, I'm focused on where we're at and this team. I think you understand the business for what it is, so the moment you get traded, you dive into whatever organization you just moved to. So that's what I've tried to do, and that's what my family has tried to do.

Like I said, this organization has made it very easy to be able to do that. They're extremely accommodating. Like I said, the clubhouse and the guys here, getting to know them has been an absolute pleasure and to play with them. I'm having a blast doing it, and that's what I'm focused on.

Q. The road back from Tommy John can be a little weird, especially for people who come back before 18 months, which I think you're right around there now. We've often seen that there's one where things just aren't right, and you just talked about maybe a little lack of sharpness in that game against the Yankees. Do you think that might have had anything to do with that and now that's in the rear view mirror and you move on to the next thing?

SHANE BIEBER: Yeah, I think no matter what, you move on. Yeah, I don't know if -- you're saying there's one outing where --

Q. There's usually a clunker in there, yeah.

SHANE BIEBER: Yeah. I wouldn't necessarily call that one a clunker, but I would just say, to your point, guys coming back from Tommy John, that first year, it's just -- they say it's really difficult. They say that offseason and then that first full season, once you finally get an offseason is where things start to feel normal and fluid, and for me.

I'm really grateful for how I've felt coming back from TJ. I feel like I've competed really well and the ball is coming out of my hand pretty good. Obviously, I think there's a lot more to be attained and worked towards because I know what my ceiling can be.

But for me, I can't focus on what -- oh, was that one the one bad outing I was going to have or whatever it may be. I think I'm focused on my work and making the next one a good one no matter what.

Q. How does it feel for you to be the Blue Jays hostile territory guy? You got the first one in New York, you're getting the first one in Seattle.

SHANE BIEBER: I love it. It's cool. It's something to embrace. Ultimately it's how many people get the opportunity to pitch in the playoffs in the ALCS in what's going to be a great environment in Seattle, so I'm excited for it.

Q. You spent considerable time with Josh Naylor as a teammate. What were your thoughts on him as both a ballplayer and a person, your time together as teammates?

SHANE BIEBER: Josh is a clubhouse guy. I have a lot of respect for him as a person and as a player. He's obviously having a great year this year. I know he dealt with something similar, getting traded at the deadline like myself and my family, so we can relate to each other in that aspect.

But happy for him and all his success. I know he's a local guy, and he got -- it wasn't the warmest, but relatively warmer welcoming with the intros yesterday being a local Canadian. I'm happy for him and his family, and I know he's expecting a little one soon if they haven't already welcomed him.

Josh is a great guy, and we stay in touch as best we can, and happy for him and his success.

Q. When you look at Trey coming up with all you veterans and established guys as starters, do you ever think back to when you first got to Cleveland with guys like Kluber up there and Cookie and kind of what that experience was like to be surrounded by a lot of guys with a lot of major league success?

SHANE BIEBER: Yeah, absolutely. That was something I was definitely grateful for in the moment, and I still am.

I think Trey finds himself in a bit of a different situation being three starts in and already in the ALCS. He doesn't have too much time to be asking questions because we don't want to put too many questions in his mind.

I don't know what he could ask right now, either. So he's running really well and throwing the ball extremely well. We're definitely happy to have him, and we're enjoying his success as much as he is.

Q. What do you see as the strengths of this Mariners lineup and how do you kind of combat them?

SHANE BIEBER: I think they're an extremely balanced team, not just a lineup, but obviously, the pitching staff, they can string hits together and they can also get you at any point with power. Obviously, they've got Cal over there and he showed how he can even up a game in one swing. But it's really not just Cal. They have a bunch of guys that can really inflict damage at any point.

You've always got to be on your toes, and I think as a starting pitcher and just as a pitching staff, we've got to continue to be the aggressors and not give them too much credit but go out there and pitch our game.

Q. Just a question about the guys on the team that haven't been able to play in the postseason yet. What have they meant to the club just being there in the dugout and the bullpen and cheering you guys on?

SHANE BIEBER: Yeah, they're awesome. I know Bo, it's a tough situation to be in. He wants to be out there more than anybody. Hopefully we give him another opportunity to be out there on that field with us.

But we wouldn't be in this position without him, so continually reminding him and the other guys that they're a huge factor of why we're in this position to begin with. And so it does mean a lot to have those guys in and around the clubhouse every day and in the dugout during the games.