The Toronto Blue Jays went to extra innings in Game 7 of the World Series a year ago.
This time around, it’s not a given that the Blue Jays even make it to the playoffs.
In fact, the odds are now stacked against Toronto. The Blue Jays will have to close strong, and they’ll need some help, too, because they no longer control their own postseason destiny.
They didn’t help the cause Friday night, either, with a tough loss that included a rare poor outing from Dylan Cease.
Never say never, of course, but if the Blue Jays don’t catch fire, this season is going to go down as a major disappointment.
Blue Jays Playoff Scenarios
This is what MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson wrote on X following the end of action on Friday night:
“The simple version is that the #BlueJays are now three games back from a playoff spot with eight games left, whether they’re chasing the White Sox or the Guardians. Chicago goes 4-4? They need 7-1. Chicago goes 5-3? They need 8-0. Add in the Rangers? This is not good.”
That last line, “This is not good,” pretty much sums things up for Toronto.
The Blue Jays sit at 76-78 after the loss on Friday night. They’re two games out of the AL’s third-and-final Wild Card spot.
The Texas Rangers sit one game back, at 77-77 — and they’re technically tied atop the AL West Division with that record, so one of those two teams will be in the Wild Card conversation.
It’s the Chicago White Sox holding the last playoff spot in the American League for now, with a record of 78-76. The White Sox are a single game behind in the AL Central Division to the Cleveland Guardians (79-75) after a brutal Chicago loss on Friday night.
So the Blue Jays need to have a better record than the Rangers down the stretch, and then they need to have a substantially better record down the stretch than one of either the White Sox or Guardians.
Even if the Blue Jays get hot, if those other teams get hot too, it won’t even matter.
Toronto can only take care of its own business, but that hasn’t happened enough this season, and that’s why things will be tricky the rest of the way.
Blue Jays Schedule
The Blue Jays have two games remaining in Texas against the Rangers, so that’s at least a shot for them to get back ahead of them in the standings. It’ll be Jose Soriano against Cal Quantrill on Saturday, and then a ‘TBD’ Toronto starter on Sunday against Jacob deGrom.
Toronto then plays three games against the Baltimore Orioles (who are just a game further down in the standings at 75-79) before closing in a three-game home series against the Cincinnati Reds, who are out of the playoff race in the National League.
Can the Blue Jays pull off some magic? They’re going to have to, or they’ll be spending October at home.
Blue Jays’ Playoff Scenarios Enter Pivotal Stretch