Toronto Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro opens up on becoming a Canadian citizen

Mark Shapiro may have been born and raised in the U.S., but the Toronto Blue Jays president and CEO says he now considers himself a proud Canadian.

Speaking on the latest episode of The Paikin Podcast hosted by Steve Paikin, Shapiro reflected on his past 11 years in Canada and had some strong words on why he took the Blue Jays job in the first place.

Shapiro has been the frontman of the Toronto Blue Jays franchise since the end of the 2015 season. He says his decision to leave Cleveland was driven not only by the opportunity to modernize and build a culture around a franchise, but also by the chance to live and work in Toronto. He was then asked when he stopped thinking of himself as someone from Cleveland living in Toronto, and instead as a true Torontonian — Shapiro pointed to a moment off the field.

Shapiro could've said, "the moment I tried Tim Hortons, or a weekend with GM Ross Atkins in Muskoka," but he opted for a much more diplomatic response.

"I don't know if there was a specific moment, but maybe it was getting my [Canadian] citizenship," said Shapiro. "That was 'OK, I'm no longer a permanent resident anymore.' I have two passports now."

Shapiro dove in further, saying the outcome of the most recent U.S. election made his transition of "feeling Canadian" easier.

"I think the desire to distance myself from the current U.S. president made me more proud of some of the social dynamics and values [in Canada]," he said. "It was part of what made moving here so compelling."

Shapiro is referring to U.S. President Donald Trump, who took office in 2017 and again in 2025.

He went on to praise Canadians for their "open-mindedness and progressiveness," traits he feels are more common in Toronto than in the U.S.

"The social dynamic [in Canada] is relatively narrower, so I'm more comfortable being on a sideline here politically," said Shapiro.

During his 24-year tenure with Cleveland, Shapiro was more politically active, which included endorsing local politicians and publicly supporting Barack Obama in the 2008 election — something he felt was important to do.

On the field, Paikin remarked how much Rogers Centre has changed since Shapiro took over more than a decade ago.

"Maybe the U.S. election made it easier." -@MarkShapiro responds to Steve's question on when he felt like a true Torontonian. Full pod: https://t.co/dA6V0bocWI pic.twitter.com/q5siEMY8UD

— The Paikin Podcast (@ThePaikinPod) May 5, 2026

Shapiro said modernizing the organization, from its culture to its facilities, was also a compelling reason he took the job.

It has included massive upgrades to Rogers Centre and the team's player development complex in Dunedin, Fla.

Those changes have been largely paying off, not only in attracting free-agent talent to Toronto, but also putting fans in the stands.

Through 17 home games, the Blue Jays rank fourth in the MLB in attendance, averaging 39,939 fans per game. If that pace continues, the team is on track for their second-best attendance season ever, behind only 2016, which averaged 41,880 fans per game.