With fewer than 10 video games remaining on the Toronto Blue Jays’ regular-season schedule, the countdown to October is nicely underway for the AL East chief because the playoffs draw nearer with each passing day.
Regardless of dropping the ultimate two contests of their four-game set in Tampa, the Blue Jays stay within the driver’s seat in each the division and American League, and are poised to formally lock down a playoff spot within the coming days.
Toronto’s magic quantity for clinching its berth within the post-season stands at three coming into play Friday. Nonetheless, there’s a chance that the clinch might come sooner, based mostly on some scheduling quirks, which see Detroit, Cleveland and Boston play one another within the coming week. That muddies what win complete the Blue Jays might have to succeed in with out the specter of being handed within the standings — drawing shades of the group’s in a single day clinch in 2015.
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Watch Blue Jays vs. Royals on Sportsnet
The Toronto Blue Jays open a three-game set in opposition to the Kansas Metropolis Royals on Friday. Catch the motion on Sportsnet or Sportsnet+, beginning at 7:40 p.m. ET / 4:40 p.m. PT.
No matter what the maths says, the Blue Jays undoubtedly have their sights set greater than merely receiving an invitation to the dance. With a division title and first-round bye on the road, Toronto will proceed to fend off the groups under it within the standings because it kicks off a collection in Kansas Metropolis in opposition to the Royals on Friday.
With a loaded slate of video games this weekend, the Blue Jays are removed from the one group with one thing at stake within the dash to the end line. There might not be an even bigger matchup this weekend than the ultimate regular-season assembly of the co-AL West-leading Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners, with the winner set to take the division lead whereas securing the tiebreak with only a week to go.
As we enter the ultimate stretch of the 2025 season, right here’s a have a look at how the playoff image is shaping up in each leagues.
IF THE POST-SEASON STARTED TODAY
No. 1 and AL East-leading Toronto Blue Jays (89-64): Bye
No. 2 and AL Central-leading Detroit Tigers (85-68): Bye
No. 3 and AL West-leader (Houston Astros or Seattle Mariners, 84-69) vs. Boston Pink Sox (83-70)
No. 4 New York Yankees (86-67) vs. No. 5 Astros or Mariners (84-69)
*Astros and Mariners tied for AL West lead. Season collection is 5-5 with three video games remaining.
No. 1 and NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers (94-59): Bye
No. 2 and NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies (91-62): Bye
No. 3 and NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers (86-67) vs. No. 6 New York Mets (79-74)
No. 4 Chicago Cubs (88-65) vs. No. 5 San Diego Padres (83-70)
The Guardians are baseball’s hottest group, winners of seven straight and 12 of 13. That surge has pulled them inside a sport and a half of Boston for the ultimate wild-card spot, and simply 3.5 again of Detroit with three head-to-head video games nonetheless to return.
The Texas Rangers are the opposite group with an out of doors shot at crashing the get together within the AL, however they’ve misplaced their final 4 video games after a successful six in a row, dealing a blow to their playoff hopes.
Within the Nationwide League, the Mets have continued to lose floor to the Cincinnati Reds and Arizona Diamondbacks, who each sit simply two video games again of New York within the wild-card chase.
The Diamondbacks, specifically, must go on fairly a run to catch the Mets, as they’ve the hardest remaining schedule in baseball, with collection in opposition to the Phillies, Dodgers and Padres to shut out their season.
STORYLINES TO FOLLOW THIS WEEKEND
Can Blue Jays punch their ticket? Toronto will look to turn into the primary AL membership to formally clinch a playoff spot in its collection in opposition to the Royals behind the trio of Max Scherzer, Shane Bieber and Trey Yesavage. With no outdoors assist, the Blue Jays can clinch with a sweep of the Royals, however any mixture of three Toronto wins and Guardians losses will do the trick. Kansas Metropolis has cooled significantly in current weeks, falling out of post-season competition, however with a lineup that also options the likes of Bobby Witt Jr. and Vinnie Pasquantino, the Royals stay a risk to place up runs in any sport. Toronto’s bats may even be trying to rebound after the Rays held them to at least one run or fewer in three of 4 video games this week. The Blue Jays will likely be lacking Kansas Metropolis’s high arms within the collection, with Seth Lugo on the IL and Cole Ragans having pitched Thursday, however Michael Wacha is scheduled to pitch Sunday, and he held Toronto to 3 hits and one run over eight innings at first of August. So, if the Blue Jays wish to maintain enterprise themselves, they’ll need to deal with a Royals group desirous to play spoiler.
Who takes management of AL West? Each the Astros and Mariners dealt with enterprise earlier this week to enter this essential division collection with matching information. And to make issues much more intriguing this weekend in Houston, either side have their high three arms lined up for the weekend, with Hunter Brown, Framber Valdez and Jason Alexander scheduled to face Bryan Woo, George Kirby and Logan Gilbert. With the season collection tied at 5-5, whoever comes away victorious this weekend won’t solely acquire a leg up on successful the division however may even safe the season-series tiebreaker. Houston, which has received seven of the final eight AL West titles, has struggled mightily to attain runs within the second half, however might be getting a serious enhance in opposition to Seattle within the type of third baseman Isaac Paredes. Supervisor Joe Espada informed reporters not too long ago that the all-star was nearing a return from an damage initially regarded as season-ending, a major growth for an Astros group with out Yordan Alvarez.
Will Yankees reap the benefits of weak schedule? No group in baseball has a neater schedule to complete out the season than the Yankees. They opened it with a collection win over Minnesota, and after beating Baltimore Thursday, they’ll play six extra in opposition to the Orioles and three in opposition to the White Sox. That’ll proceed this weekend in Baltimore, the place New York should resolve Trevor Rogers and Kyle Bradish — the Orioles’ two greatest pitchers — to win the collection. If the Yankees have critical designs on catching and surpassing the Blue Jays within the race for the AL East, they will’t afford to slide throughout this comfortable spot of their schedule. Toronto’s magic quantity to clinch the division stays at six, so until we see some fairly dramatic outcomes this weekend, the AL East race will possible be determined subsequent week.
Do Guardians hold rolling? Cleveland has discovered itself again within the combine, due to a run of beginning pitching excellence. The Guardians are utilizing a six-man rotation, which has collectively carried the bottom group ERA within the majors in September. Cleveland will hope its starters proceed to ship in a four-game set in opposition to the Minnesota Twins this weekend. Joey Cantillo, who’s scheduled to pitch Saturday, is one identify to observe for Cleveland down the stretch, because the 25-year-old southpaw has emerged as one of many Guardians’ most constant starters and has given up fewer than two runs in 5 consecutive outings. Whereas Cleveland’s surge had pushed again Toronto’s clinch date, it has additionally shaken up the underside of the wild-card image. The Pink Sox have pale since Roman Anthony hit the injured record, going simply 5-8 in his absence, so the Guardians are actually inside hanging distance of Boston as they match up with considered one of MLB’s weakest groups.
Here’s what FanGraphs and Baseball Reference are projecting, as of Friday morning, when it comes to playoff odds amongst groups battling for post-season spots.
Toronto’s FanGraphs odds: 100% | Toronto’s Baseball Reference odds: >99.9%
Detroit’s FanGraphs odds: 96.8% | Detroit’s Baseball Reference odds: 94.7%
Houston’s FanGraphs odds: 91.7% | Houston’s Baseball Reference odds: 88.8%
New York’s FanGraphs odds: 99.9% | New York’s Baseball Reference odds: 99.4%
Seattle’s FanGraphs odds: 98.5% | Seattle’s Baseball Reference odds: 97.2%
Boston’s FanGraphs odds: 82.8% | Boston’s Baseball Reference odds: 80.7%
Cleveland’s FanGraphs odds: 25.5% | Cleveland’s Baseball Reference odds: 30.8%
Texas’s FanGraphs odds: 4.7% | Texas’s Baseball Reference odds: 8.4%
Milwaukee’s FanGraphs odds: 100% | Milwaukee’s Baseball Reference odds: 100%
Philadelphia’s FanGraphs odds: 100% | Philadelphia’s Baseball Reference odds: 100%
Los Angeles’s FanGraphs odds: 100% | Los Angeles’s Baseball Reference odds: >99.9%
Chicago’s FanGraphs odds: 100% | Chicago’s Baseball Reference odds: 100%
San Diego’s FanGraphs odds: 99.9% | San Diego’s Baseball Reference odds: 99.6%
New York’s FanGraphs odds: 86.7% | New York’s Baseball Reference odds: 71.9%
Arizona’s FanGraphs odds: 4.6% | Arizona’s Baseball Reference odds: 11.6%
Cincinnati’s FanGraphs odds: 7.7% | Cincinnati’s Baseball Reference odds: 12.7%
