George Springer in Los Angeles after winning World Series MVP there

LOS ANGELES — This is the city where stars are born.

Eight years ago, George Springer put on a career-defining performance, winning the 2017 World Series MVP for the Astros with a stretch of games at Dodger Stadium that cemented him as one of the gameâ€s great young outfielders.

After going 0-for-4 with four strikeouts in Game 1 in that World Series, Springer went 11-for-25 in Games 2-7, launching five home runs, four of which soared out of Dodger Stadium. The run weâ€re seeing from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. right now? Thatâ€s what Springer looked like in 2017, maybe even better. And as the 2025 World Series shifts back to L.A., the Blue Jays need Springer to rediscover that magic.

“I don’t take this for granted. I didn’t back then, and I won’t now,†Springer said. “I think the few times we haven’t been in this position, you learn how hard this is to do and how much fun this is to do. You want to be a part of this moment, and you yearn for that all year. When you’re not a part of it, you watch the other teams celebrate or watch the other teams play, and you’re like, ‘Man, I really want to be there and enjoy that.—

In 2017, Springer became the third player to hit five home runs in a single Fall Classic, joining the Yankees’ Reggie Jackson in 1977 and the Phillies’ Chase Utley in ‘09. He also set records for extra-base hits (eight) and total bases (29), and became the first player to homer in four consecutive games within the same World Series. It was, by every single definition, one of the greatest performances in World Series history.

Now, at 36, Springer looks like he can do it again.

For years, Springer has downplayed his reputation as a clutch hitter, stating plainly that “clutch†is just doing the same things you always do, but on a bigger stage. Heâ€s meeting his own definition, too, with four home runs and a .932 OPS through the Blue Jays†13 postseason games.

This is the Springer the Blue Jays dreamed of when they handed him a six-year, $150 million deal prior to the 2021 season. Back in the day, Springer had Carlos Beltrán, who taught him to enjoy and embrace the World Series stage. Now, itâ€s his job.

“The old guy role,†Springer said with a big smile. “Just try to do as much as I can to help anybody who has a question or wants to know something. At the end of the day, man, it’s the same game. Just go play, enjoy the moment. I don’t think the moment gets lost on anybody, but just go have fun.â€

Expect Springer to hear it from the Dodgers†fans beginning Monday night in Game 3, too. That 2017 Astros team was eventually embroiled in the sign-stealing scandal. That postseason run featured wins over the Red Sox, Yankees and Dodgers, which are the three parks Springer is still booed in regularly. Another World Series matchup will only turn the volume up.

The Blue Jays†offense exploded for 11 runs in Game 1, then ran straight into the great Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 2, but Springer is this lineupâ€s constant. His season has been stunning, the ultimate renaissance for a player who looked like he was running out of gas entirely in 2024. Springer looks completely reenergized, like the 28-year-old who led the Astros to a ring.

This is the sweet spot. By the time players are the “grizzled veteran,†theyâ€re typically entering a period of rapid decline. This version of Springer is giving the Blue Jays the best of both.

“I think that experience alone is invaluable,†said Ernie Clement. “Itâ€s just huge to have a guy who has been there and had success. I think we can all feed off of that.â€

Guerrero Jr. added Max Scherzerâ€s name, too, praising he and Springer for how theyâ€ve calmed and steered this clubhouse. Everything is so much bigger and brighter in the postseason, from media attention to the number of ticket requests they get from friends. Itâ€s overwhelming, but the veterans know how this works.

“And itâ€s not just about the World Series, theyâ€ve been doing that the whole year, giving us advice,†Guerrero Jr. said through interpreter Hector Lebron. “The experience they have and the support has been there the whole time, telling us, ‘Donâ€t put your head down.†Theyâ€ve been great.â€

All these years later, Springer is still hesitant to touch 2017. It took him only four seasons to reach the mountaintop, a place some spend their entire career chasing. He doesnâ€t want to reach back for memories because he has one more shot now, one more World Series, one more trip to L.A.

“Iâ€m here now,†Springer said. “Iâ€m in our moment.â€

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