The Toronto Blue Jays may not be in the playoff hunt anymore but that doesn’t mean they aren’t playing meaningful baseball. While that meaningful baseball won’t exactly be for themselves, the Blue Jays now have the potential to either support or ruin other contenders’ playoff fortune. Toronto isn’t the best team in the league this season, but they have plenty of chances to become a pesky team that’s harder to beat for many contending teams.
Not only would this be a good opportunity for the Blue Jays to showcase their newer talents, but it would also be the best time to prove to other teams that they aren’t the pushovers teams should write off. With that in mind, below are seven contenders that the Blue Jays can impact down the road…
Atlanta Braves (60 – 52)
The Atlanta Braves are no longer the juggernauts they used to be last season with more than 100 wins. Their offence and pitching have come down to earth since the miraculous 2023 regular-season run and their starting rotation has faced bouts of injuries this year. Currently, the Braves are six games out of winning the National League (NL) East division and are in the third Wild Card spot in NL. As Atlanta prepares to defend its contender status, Toronto’s series win or sweep could potentially knock the Braves out of the last wild-card spot and keep them further away from winning the division.
That said, the Braves’ strong foundation is there and the Braves’ offence has plenty of potential to do damage against their opponents despite all the downs the team has experienced. Besides, the Blue Jays have defeated the Braves squarely since 2021. In other words, Atlanta hasn’t won a game against Toronto for nearly three years now and the Blue Jays could still keep that “win streak” against Atlanta going.
Toronto Blue Jays at Atlanta Braves: September 6-8
Boston Red Sox (61 – 51)
The Boston Red Sox have performed to their full potential, and, to a certain extent, even overperformed this season. With promising young talents like outfielder Jarren Duran, infielder Triston Casas and starting pitcher Brayan Bello on the team, the Red Sox have solidly been in the mix for the American League (AL) Wild Card spot and are one and a half games out of securing the last Wild Card spot. Winning the AL East division isn’t quite in the cards for the Red Sox, given the strength of the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Yankees, but it could be possible if one or both teams experience some type of losing streak while Boston catches fire at the right time.
The interesting part is that the Red Sox have to face the Blue Jays eight more times before finishing the regular season. There is no question that Boston is the better team this time around, but that doesn’t mean Toronto can’t make things more difficult for the Red Sox as they make their playoff push. These eight games will showcase how resilient Boston is; this will be a time for the Blue Jays to demonstrate their ability to sap the energy out of a playoff-hopeful team by exploiting the opponent’s weaknesses. Boston’s roster is far from perfect and its unbalanced lineup and problematic defence could give Toronto the chance to spoil the Red Sox’s fate.
Toronto Blue Jays at Boston Red Sox: August 26-29
Boston Red Sox at Toronto Blue Jays: September 23-25
Minnesota Twins (63 – 49)
The Minnesota Twins have been incredibly resilient this year and have held down the top or second AL Wild Card spot throughout the season. The Twins barely made any moves at the trade deadline due to payroll inflexibility but their core is solid overall and has the chance to even catch the Cleveland Guardians in the wild AL Central division. The Twins are only four games away from winning the division too; there is more than one way for this team to find their way toward a playoff run.
The Twins will be in the playoffs unless the team experiences a massive downfall at some point later in the season. But with that possibility being unlikely, the Blue Jays could change their trajectory by having a say in the Twins’ chance at a division lead or securing a playoff spot. Minnesota is in the second Wild Card spot in AL, but depending on how they perform throughout August, its three-game series against Toronto could matter a lot more than it would like. So far, the Twins have a 2-1 win-loss record against the Blue Jays this season. Toronto can easily turn that around and make Minnesota’s life a bit harder by muddling their playoff and division-lead fate all at the same time.
Toronto Blue Jays at Minnesota Twins: August 30 – September 1
Jul 8, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Mets left fielder Brandon Nimmo (9) circles the bases on a two run home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the sixth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
New York Mets (59 – 54)
The New York Mets were off to an awful start this season and no one counted them for the playoffs. But that was until Grimace threw out the first pitch on June 12. Since then, the team has completely changed their destiny. Their offence came alive and pitching began to hold down runs to give New York a fighting chance. Now, the Mets are in the hunt for a playoff spot and are only one game out of securing the last Wild Card spot in the NL. They are also seven games out of winning the NL East.
The division may not be the Mets’ goal since the Phillies and the Braves are closer to securing it, but securing a Wild Card spot would be a feat for a team that began its great retool in 2023. That being said, the Blue Jays could have a say in the Mets’ fortune when the team visits Rogers Centre in early September. Given the fierce competition in the NL Wild Card race, the Mets will most likely be in a position to get into the playoff picture, unless they have a red-hot August to throw themselves into playoff contention securely. How fascinating would it be if the Blue Jays made the competition even more intense and excruciating for this playoff hopeful by taking away two or three games in this series?
New York Mets at Toronto Blue Jays: September 9-11
Philadelphia Phillies (67 – 46)
For the longest time, the Philadelphia Phillies have been the best team in baseball. The team was created to hit bombs with an offensive core that includes Nick Castellanos, Bryce Harper, JT Realmuto, Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner and their pitching has lived up to their potential with starting pitchers Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler leading the pack. The Phillies have been comfortably in the lead in the NL East division but slid a bit with a losing stretch post-trade deadline.
While the Phillies won’t fall out of the playoff picture, barring an enormous collapse, there is a chance that the Blue Jays could make the NL East division battle more interesting. This will be a short two-game series in September, but if the Phillies slide even more in August their division lead could be in danger. If that were the case, Toronto could take away at least one win or both games to invite further competition in the NL East. This short and sweet series is something to keep an eye out for, not only for the vibes but for maximum chaos.
Philadelphia Phillies at Toronto Blue Jays: September 3-4
St. Louis Cardinals (58 – 56)
It was only a year ago when the St. Louis Cardinals were retooling and were a key trade partner for the Blue Jays. This year, the Cardinals are the ones looking to secure a playoff spot while the Blue Jays have taken a back seat. Usually, NL Central is the Cardinals’ to run away with but with the Milwaukee Brewers’ dominance, the Cardinals are aiming for a Wild Card spot in NL instead.
St. Louis is currently three games away from securing the last Wild Card spot and will eye for playoff contention as much as possible with their roster. The good news is that the team’s offence has heated up and pitching has also somewhat improved compared to 2023. But the Blue Jays have the chance to throw cold water on the Cardinals’ playoff hopes when they host the fellow bird team in September. If the NL Wild Card picture remains as competitive, the Cardinals could still be in the hunt for a playoff spot or would be in a position to defend their Wild Card position.
This is the golden time for Toronto to show off their prowess in spoiling someone’s chance at making a glorious playoff run and question “what could have been.” That team unfortunately could be the Cardinals if the Blue Jays manage to win the series.
St. Louis Cardinals at Toronto Blue Jays: September 13-15
Texas Rangers (54 – 60 as of August 6)
The Texas Rangers haven’t been at their best this season despite the great expectations and a World Series win from the past season. This can mainly be attributed to a higher number of injuries, an older roster and general underperformance from every part of the team. However, they aren’t quite out of contention because the AL West division is still in play. Only three teams, the Houston Astros, the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers, have been vying for the division lead thus far. The problem with this division is that no one has solidly claimed the lead yet.
This means that unless one of the three teams experiences a white-hot streak, the division win will come down to pretty much the last day of the regular season. That’s the reason why the Rangers are still in the mix and could easily turn their fortune around so long as the team can bring back their dominance from last season. As Texas aims to make its run for the division, the Blue Jays could either buoy their chances or destroy any last hope they may have.
From Toronto’s perspective, the three-game series in Arlington is the perfect chance to either secure a series win or a sweep to deflate the Rangers. Remember, the Rangers wiped out the Blue Jays last year with a 6-1 win-loss record. What’s there to say? It’s payback time.
Toronto Blue Jays at Texas Rangers: September 17-19