Coming off a strong 2025 season, the upcoming campaign will be crucial for the Blue Jays to solidify themselves as a robust contender and a strong competitor in the AL East.

While making exact predictions for the 2026 season is impossible, there are still a few series that the Blue Jays have to focus on. These are the four key series that will determine the Blue Jays’ trajectory next year.

The Blue Jays will face their World Series rival earlier in 2026, but this time, they will host the Dodgers at Rogers Centre instead of hitting the road. In the past season, the Blue Jays narrowly avoided a sweep at Dodger Stadium in a three-game series, which highlighted the Dodgers’ overall strength.

This short series also functioned as a foreshadowing for what would take place during the World Series and effectively exposed the Blue Jays’ weaknesses. Given this past, winning this series at home for Toronto would help overcome the challenges and frustrations from the past. This series win would also signify that the team has improved its roster either through internal or external measures.

This Dodgers series won’t ultimately decide whether the Blue Jays will make it to the playoffs in 2026 or not. But this early-season series will inform Toronto of its strengths and weaknesses, which will help the team map out its roster construction and future trades that will strengthen the team further.

The Blue Jays have absolutely overpowered the New York Yankees in 2025, with an 8-5 record. Even during a season where the two teams recorded the same win-loss record (94-68), the Blue Jays were able to beat the Yankees because they were able to capitalize on weaknesses in New York’s pitching staff.

However, the Yankees’ pitching staff will become stronger this offseason, mainly by having Gerrit Cole back with other aces such as Max Fried and Carlos Rodon (once he is healthy). The team’s front office will most likely boost both starting and relief pitching through trades and free-agent signings as well, which will inevitably put the Yankees into a perennial contention status once again.

Facing the Yankees in 2026 will be far from a walk in the park for the Blue Jays. Besides, the team will have to travel to the Bronx for this first division rival series, which could make the series much more challenging from Toronto’s perspective. Win this series, and the Blue Jays will set themselves up in a good spot for winning the season series.

The Boston Red Sox threatened the Blue Jays multiple times during the 2025 season, even though Toronto prevailed with a season record of 8-5, the same as the Yankees.

The Red Sox are well on their way to making internal improvements, mainly in the pitching department, through their farm system, while signing starting pitchers to boost the roster strength. The biggest factor is that the team will also have up-and-coming players like Roman Anthony, Brayan Bello, Connelly Early, Ceddanne Rafaela and Payton Tolle on a more regular basis, which will bolster the team’s outlook for 2026. They did lose Alex Bregman to free agency, but it wouldn’t be surprising if the club makes some moves on the free agent front to replace him should he not return.

The best-case scenario for Boston would be adding another star player like Bo Bichette to the roster if they can’t bring back Alex Bregman this winter. Should that happen, this series will become even more critical for Toronto since it will be a test to see whether the team can build on its strength without Bichette on its active roster.

The Seattle Mariners have been the Blue Jays’ biggest rival outside of the AL East division for the past few years. The Mariners crushed the Blue Jays in 2022, but Toronto successfully avenged Seattle by taking the ALCS in 2025 by forcing Game 7.

The 2025 playoffs showcased both Toronto and Seattle’s strengths and desire to continue competing in the playoffs for the foreseeable future. Seattle has always had an upper hand in pitching, given its ability to develop pitching talent. Toronto, however, was able to challenge Seattle successfully in 2025 with its relentless and contact-heavy offensive approach.

The two teams’ first faceoff in July will be the time to demonstrate which team has made the most effective improvements on their rosters and who is better positioned to secure a better playoff position. Depending on how both teams fare throughout the spring and early summer, this series could be a preview for another playoff series in the fall.

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