Mark Shapiro is coming up on the 10th anniversary of his hiring as president and CEO of the Toronto Blue Jays. The Blue Jays named Shapiro to these roles on August 31, 2015, signalling a new direction for the franchise after years under Paul Beeston’s leadership.
It’s been an eventful run for Shapiro, his handpicked general manager, Ross Atkins, and the rest of the front office. Shapiro has overseen three postseason appearances and the most consistent run of Blue Jays baseball since the club’s consecutive World Series titles in 1992 and 1993. Despite that, the Blue Jays are winless in the postseason since 2016 and have had some issues consistently drafting and developing young talent.
Shapiro’s in the final season of his contract, and it’s not unfair to argue that his most notable accomplishments thus far are the impressive $400 million renovation of the Rogers Centre and the redevelopment of the Spring Training Complex in Dunedin.
Coming off a disastrous 2024 campaign, many Blue Jays fans felt it was time for the franchise to move on from Shapiro and Atkins. There was a prevailing thought that the window to win had closed, and the Blue Jays needed new leadership to pivot back into contention.
Fast forward six months, and the perception of Shapiro, Atkins, and the Blue Jays as a whole has changed dramatically. Winning is always the best medicine for a disgruntled fan.
Mark Shapiro shows up to Plakata Place and Ernie Clement immediately hits a Home Run pic.twitter.com/fpFC9Misld
— Gate 14 Podcast (@Gate14Pod) August 13, 2025
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It has also been a successful season for the industry perception of the Blue Jays’ minor-league system. The organization jumped up to 20th from 27th ahead of the season on MLB.com’s list of the top farm systems in the league. Alejandro Kirk’s five-year, $58-million contract extension, along with the emergence of Addison Barger, has been key in the Blue Jays’ surprising success in 2025, helping validate Shapiro, Atkins, and the rest of the front office’s decision-making process.
Shapiro recently told the media that he hopes to extend his stay in Toronto and sign a new contract to remain in his role as president.
“I mean, I think (it’s) not appropriate for me to comment beyond the fact that what I just said is I want to remain here,” Shapiro said. “And I can also say that both (Rogers executive chair) Edward (Rogers) and (Rogers president/CEO) Tony (Staffieri) have been reciprocal in that desire.”
It’s interesting to assess how the rest of the season plays out on the field might impact Shapiro’s future with the organization beyond 2025. The Blue Jays are desperate for postseason success in the Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette era after getting swept in all three appearances. Even moderate postseason success might go a long way to reassuring ownership that the current front office hierarchy is the right group to continue calling the shots into the future.
If the Blue Jays do decide to make a change, there are no assurances that whoever is tabbed to take over will elevate the franchise to a level Shapiro wasn’t able to. Shapiro has forged a strong relationship with ownership, leading to previously unseen heights in terms of payroll commitments, pursuit of the game’s biggest stars, and a state-of-the-art developmental complex.
Shapiro has accomplished a lot in his time in Toronto. The organization is in a better place on the whole than it was before he took over. However, he has yet to accomplish the ultimate goal — winning a World Series. That’s what he will be judged on.
It hasn’t been a perfect tenure for Shapiro in Toronto. There have been missteps and some frustrating moments. On the whole, however, the good has still outweighed the bad. The Blue Jays have become a factor when talking about consistent, competitive, and relevant franchises in Major League Baseball over the last decade. They are no longer an afterthought, as they were for almost 30 years following the glory years of the early 1990s. Shapiro deserves a lot of credit for that.
It’s shaping up to be a fascinating offseason for Shapiro, and it could end up impacting the Blue Jays for the foreseeable future.
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