The <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/">Toronto Blue Jays</a> are heading back to the postseason. With their magic number at one, all the Jays needed to do yesterday was beat the Kansas City Royals, and they accomplished just that, despite some review calls not going their way. The bats had been dormant for a good part of the week but found a new gear to finish the Royals series, besting the AL Central squad by a score of 8-5.

Champagne bottles popped shortly after, and celebrations were had both in the visitors&#8217; clubhouse and on the field before the Blue Jays headed back home. They have an off-day today, but welcome the Boston Red Sox for a three-game set before the Tampa Bay Rays come to town to finish off the regular season at the Rogers Centre.
As it stands, the Blue Jays hold a two-game lead over the New York Yankees for the AL East division title and a 4.5-game lead over the Red Sox. Although the Jays hold tiebreakers over the Yankees and Red Sox, making their lead a bit higher than what the standings show, there is still a lot of time between now and next Sunday for things to shift in the standings.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
Ticket = PUNCHED 🎟️
We&#39;re going to the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Postseason?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Postseason</a>! <a href="https://t.co/8QWXsLjSSv">pic.twitter.com/8QWXsLjSSv</a>
&mdash; Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) <a href="https://twitter.com/BlueJays/status/1969867361604751378?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
One of the drawbacks of being in the AL East is having to face powerhouse squads like the Yankees and Red Sox, and even with the Jays boasting a 90-66 record with just a handful of games to go, they still could finish second in their division. The Yankees are their biggest threat right now, and the following scenarios would see their rivals overtake them in the standings:
<ul>
<li>Jays win zero &#8211; Yankees need three</li>
<li>Jays win one &#8211; Yankees need four</li>
<li>Jays win two &#8211; Yankees need five</li>
<li>Jays win three &#8211; Yankees need six</li>
<li>Jays win four &#8211; clinch the division</li>
</ul>
This is all to say that if the <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/toronto-blue-jays-officially-clinch-postseason-berth">Blue Jays</a> continue to win over the next week, it doesn&#8217;t matter what the Yankees or Red Sox do in the division. It will help if their opposing teams lose (especially since the Jays face the Red Sox for three games) because it limits what their rivals can do in the standings, but the main takeaway continues to revolve around the Blue Jays winning this next week and taking any possibilities out of the opposing teams&#8217; hands.
By winning the division, the Jays will most likely get a bye because they rank as one of the top two teams in the American League. They would move directly to the ALDS and skip the Wild Card round, whereas second place in the division will have to tread through the first three-game series (something the Blue Jays have struggled with dating back to 2020). The Seattle Mariners/Houston Astros and the Detroit Tigers/Cleveland Guardians would all need outstanding weeks to surpass Toronto in the league standings, so whoever wins the AL East likely earns a bye.
The obvious advantage of skipping the Wild Card is the added rest for not having to take part in the series, as well as eliminating the risk associated with having to take part in the series itself. The Jays have been swept in their last three Wild Card series (Rays in 2020, Mariners in 2022, and Twins in 2023), so the added games in the division series help with eliminating the &#8216;haven&#8217;t won a postseason game since 2016&#8217; narrative.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
The <a href="https://twitter.com/BlueJays?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BlueJays</a> win their 90th game and become the first American League team to clinch a <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/postseason?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#postseason</a> spot! <a href="https://t.co/vS0ZG07Jd4">pic.twitter.com/vS0ZG07Jd4</a>
&mdash; MLB (@MLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1969874105051599116?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Blue Jays could use the rest, considering two key players are currently on the shelf. Bo Bichette and Chris Bassitt are on the IL with a knee and back injury, respectively, and both could be activated in time for the ALDS if they are physically ready to go. Daulton Varsho, Ernie Clement, and a handful of others are battling minor ailments as well, which comes with the territory of a 162-game season, so adding some additional rest days would be a benefit for Toronto. This would also go hand in hand with the Jays<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/instant-reaction-toronto-blue-jays-offence-comes-alive-postseason-clinching-8-5-victory-royals"> winning this upcoming week</a> and clinching the division title sooner rather than later, with the club being able to pivot to give some regular players some rest days towards the weekend series.
Clinching a postseason spot is a great accomplishment for a Blue Jays team that threw in the towel last year and had to contend with some key injuries from their offseason acquisitions. However, the likes of Guerrero Jr. and others will tell you that the work isn&#8217;t done just yet, and another solid week at the Rogers Centre will go a long way for the club&#8217;s postseason aspirations.
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The <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/">Toronto Blue Jays</a> are heading back to the postseason. With their magic number at one, all the Jays needed to do yesterday was beat the Kansas City Royals, and they accomplished just that, despite some review calls not going their way. The bats had been dormant for a good part of the week but found a new gear to finish the Royals series, besting the AL Central squad by a score of 8-5.



Champagne bottles popped shortly after, and celebrations were had both in the visitors' clubhouse and on the field before the Blue Jays headed back home. They have an off-day today, but welcome the Boston Red Sox for a three-game set before the Tampa Bay Rays come to town to finish off the regular season at the Rogers Centre.

As it stands, the Blue Jays hold a two-game lead over the New York Yankees for the AL East division title and a 4.5-game lead over the Red Sox. Although the Jays hold tiebreakers over the Yankees and Red Sox, making their lead a bit higher than what the standings show, there is still a lot of time between now and next Sunday for things to shift in the standings.

https://twitter.com/BlueJays/status/1969867361604751378

One of the drawbacks of being in the AL East is having to face powerhouse squads like the Yankees and Red Sox, and even with the Jays boasting a 90-66 record with just a handful of games to go, they still could finish second in their division. The Yankees are their biggest threat right now, and the following scenarios would see their rivals overtake them in the standings:
<ul>
 	<li>Jays win zero - Yankees need three</li>
 	<li>Jays win one - Yankees need four</li>
 	<li>Jays win two - Yankees need five</li>
 	<li>Jays win three - Yankees need six</li>
 	<li>Jays win four - clinch the division</li>
</ul>
This is all to say that if the <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/toronto-blue-jays-officially-clinch-postseason-berth">Blue Jays</a> continue to win over the next week, it doesn't matter what the Yankees or Red Sox do in the division. It will help if their opposing teams lose (especially since the Jays face the Red Sox for three games) because it limits what their rivals can do in the standings, but the main takeaway continues to revolve around the Blue Jays winning this next week and taking any possibilities out of the opposing teams' hands.

By winning the division, the Jays will most likely get a bye because they rank as one of the top two teams in the American League. They would move directly to the ALDS and skip the Wild Card round, whereas second place in the division will have to tread through the first three-game series (something the Blue Jays have struggled with dating back to 2020). The Seattle Mariners/Houston Astros and the Detroit Tigers/Cleveland Guardians would all need outstanding weeks to surpass Toronto in the league standings, so whoever wins the AL East likely earns a bye.

The obvious advantage of skipping the Wild Card is the added rest for not having to take part in the series, as well as eliminating the risk associated with having to take part in the series itself. The Jays have been swept in their last three Wild Card series (Rays in 2020, Mariners in 2022, and Twins in 2023), so the added games in the division series help with eliminating the 'haven't won a postseason game since 2016' narrative.

https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1969874105051599116

The Blue Jays could use the rest, considering two key players are currently on the shelf. Bo Bichette and Chris Bassitt are on the IL with a knee and back injury, respectively, and both could be activated in time for the ALDS if they are physically ready to go. Daulton Varsho, Ernie Clement, and a handful of others are battling minor ailments as well, which comes with the territory of a 162-game season, so adding some additional rest days would be a benefit for Toronto. This would also go hand in hand with the Jays<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/instant-reaction-toronto-blue-jays-offence-comes-alive-postseason-clinching-8-5-victory-royals"> winning this upcoming week</a> and clinching the division title sooner rather than later, with the club being able to pivot to give some regular players some rest days towards the weekend series.

Clinching a postseason spot is a great accomplishment for a Blue Jays team that threw in the towel last year and had to contend with some key injuries from their offseason acquisitions. However, the likes of Guerrero Jr. and others will tell you that the work isn't done just yet, and another solid week at the Rogers Centre will go a long way for the club's postseason aspirations.

<hr />

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