The Toronto Blue Jays accomplished two things in their 4-3 win over the Kansas City Royals. The first was pushing them over .500 for the first time this season since April 3, when they were 4-3. But coupled with a loss by the Cleveland Guardians, it put them in position for a Wild Card spot.
“It feels different,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider told MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson about the team’s energy inside the dugout and clubhouse. “Right now, we come to the park really expecting to win and we’re not budging from that.”
“… It feels different. Right now, we come to the park really expecting to win and we’re not budging from that.”
This comes just nine days after the Royals blew out the Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre. Fans voiced their displeasure, which Schneider addressed after the game. Toronto has won seven of their next eight games since.
The Blue Jays created a bit of their own luck this week. They took a road series against the Guardians, securing the head-to-head tiebreaker over their American League competitor. Because of that tiebreaker, Toronto now holds the third Wild Card.
Blue Jays Surge Back Into American League Wild Card Race
The Blue Jays had aspirations of repeating as American League East champions after an aggressive offseason. However, the team has dealt with just about every form of adversity throughout the season.
Injuries decimated the pitching staff, especially the rotation. Their $500 million superstar first baseman, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., is on pace to have the worst season of his career. Just about everything that could go wrong has gone wrong for Toronto.
Despite all of that, they still control their postseason destiny with 19 games to go. FanGraphs’ Playoff Odds give the Blue Jays a 49.2% chance of qualifying for the postseason.
The final 19 games of the season will write the narrative of their 2026 season. For the Blue Jays, they’ve already overcome a lot to be in this position.
Blue Jays Have Favorable Schedule for Final 19 Games
There are still quite a handful of series that will be pivotal toward their postseason chances. They have two series against the Baltimore Orioles and one more series against the Texas Rangers.
Toronto has a better record than the teams they play in their final 19 games. Their final opponents also include the Royals, Athletics, Detroit Tigers, and Cincinnati Reds. So they don’t have many excuses if they don’t get in.
Toronto knows that getting into the postseason is half the battle. And that they can make a run once they get in.
Blue Jays Manager Gives Honest Statement After Regaining Postseason Spot