The Blue Jays have a big target on their back after getting all the way to the World Series seemingly out of nowhere. Although they came a few outs short of winning the trophy, they’re now the team to beat as other contenders in the AL will aim to take a shot at the AL champion title this season.

Toronto almost lost its division title last year in a tight battle that lasted up until the last day of the regular season, and its fight towards the playoffs may become even more challenging as more teams in the AL gear up to improve their chance at the playoff stage.

There are plenty of teams to worry about, but the Blue Jays will have to keep their eyes on these three teams in the AL this year.

The Baltimore Orioles experienced a major sophomore slump last year, and their injury woes among a few key players didn’t help their case either. As the previous AL East division winner in 2024 and a team with robust young position players, the Orioles have enough ammunition to challenge their AL East rivals in 2026.

The biggest advantage Baltimore has over other AL East contenders is its strong positional player depth. The team’s lineup is potent with Colton Cowser, Gunnar Henderson, Jackson Holliday, Heston Kjerstad, Coby Mayo and Jordan Westburg. In fact, there is a surplus of young position player prospects, namely Samule Basallo, and The Athletic’s Keith Law ranked the team’s farm system ninth heading into the new year.

The Orioles now have a good veteran presence, especially with Pete Alonso on a five-year, $155 million deal. Alonso has had a great reputation for bringing a positive and hardworking attitude to the clubhouse, and his qualities will certainly have an impact among Baltimore’s young players.

Baltimore’s Achilles heel has been the lack of good starting pitching, but its trade for Shane Baz should lengthen the starting rotation, which desperately needed more depth. While the Orioles mostly had a good bullpen, the addition of Ryan Helsley should inject more life into the relief core that lost its identity in the past season.

The Orioles haven’t been an easy opponent for the Blue Jays since their breakout season in 2022; they will bring more turmoil to the difficult AL East and will aim to return to the playoffs, and hopefully take back the division crown once again.

Regarding the 2025 New York Yankees, now-retired Blue Jays commentator Buck Martinez once said: “The Yankees, they’re not a good team. I don’t care what their record is. They have a lot of wild pitches. They make a lot of mistakes in the field. They don’t run the bases very well. If they don’t hit home runs, they don’t have a chance to win.”

Martinez was proven right when the Blue Jays squarely beat the Yankees in four games in the ALDS. New York didn’t do itself a favour when its roster had clear flaws with unexpectedly shaky pitching depth last season, but believe it or not, they should be one of the teams to fear, heading into this new season. The Yankees might not have executed well in the most crucial moments, but they were a potent team that relied heavily on power. They were at the top of the league with 274 home runs and were also the first in team OPS.

Moreover, New York managed to tie the Blue Jays’ win-loss record (94-68) in the past year, despite losing the tiebreaker against Toronto. What put the Blue Jays on top was their versatility and tenacity at the plate, which served as a contrast to a largely monolithic offensive approach.

The Yankees didn’t make many big moves this offseason, but that’s because the team already has most of the pieces it needs to punch the ticket to the playoffs.

New York has reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge and has competent–but somewhat underrated–hitters like Jazz Chisholm Jr., Jasson Dominguez, Trent Grisham and Ben Rice. Even though there was a long standoff between the Yankees and Cody Bellinger, the lefty outfielder is back to boost the team’s power level again. The team is also expecting a former AL Cy Young winner back this year in Gerrit Cole, which puts the starting rotation at the top of the league this year.

Things didn’t break New York’s way at the end of the regular season and in the postseason, but there is a world where luck is on its side; it only takes a couple of things to go right for a team to gain its momentum. The Yankees remain a very good team on paper, and the thought of that idea translating into reality should serve as a warning for the Blue Jays.

The Seattle Mariners have been the Blue Jays’ boogeyman for some time. The reason why the Mariners were successful against the Blue Jays in the past was their exceptional pitching development and depth. That was true in the 2022 AL Wild Card Series; it almost became true in the 2025 ALCS had George Springer not come through with his legendary three-run home run in Game 7.

Seattle’s pitching depth isn’t going away any time soon, and that will be the driving force for the team in a wide-open AL West. The starting rotation featuring Luis Castillo, Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo is going to be the most formidable, if not one of the more intimidating, pitching staffs to beat. The reliever depth is resilient as well, given Seattle’s track record in developing talents and rediscovering strengths from relievers from other teams.

The Mariners’ position players are still solid, with names like Randy Arozarena, Josh Naylor, Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodríguez. There’s a power potential in this lineup, so long as the front office unlocks a path to sustainably reducing the strikeout rate. Bringing Brendan Donovan adds more dimension to the lineup that needed an effective contact hitter. Should role players like Rob Ref Snyder and Victor Robles surge as consistently good hitters, the Mariners would become a scarier team.

Seattle has an extremely well-built roster, with its pitching reigning supreme. The Mariners also conveniently placed third in Keith Law’s farm system ranking, showing their ability as one of the better-drafting teams; they haven’t missed out on drafting first-round picks for almost five years. Teams with great players in the major league and a deep system are the ones to watch for because they will be the ones who can build a dynasty. And the Mariners are the team with that potential. Which is precisely the reason why the Blue Jays can’t let their guard down against this AL West foe.

Introducing Off The Roster—Toronto Sports, Unfiltered! Toronto sports fans, your new favourite conversation has arrived. Hosted by Cabbie Richards, Lindsay Dunn, and Dan Riccio, Off The Roster dives into the city’s legendary plays, brutal trades, OG jerseys, celebrity tweets, and everything in between. Raw, fun, and totally unfiltered, this is Toronto sports like you’ve never heard it before. Tune in live every weekday morning on the Nation Network YouTube channel, or catch episodes wherever you stream podcasts. Proudly brought to you by our founding partner, PROLINE. Off The Roster—the new sound in the 6ix.