Series Preview: Blue Jays face off against Rangers in season-defining series
Photo credit: © Rhona Wise-Imagn Images
Sep 18, 2026, 19:00 EDTUpdated: Sep 18, 2026, 19:01 EDT
It’s do or die time for the Toronto Blue Jays.
After dropping two of three to the Detroit Tigers earlier this week, the Blue Jays find themselves two games behind the Cleveland Guardians for the final wild card spot, with four other teams in the mix.
Thankfully, there are three playoff spots available for the six teams, though the only playoff spot that’s possible for the Jays is the final wild card spot. As for their weekend opponent, the Texas Rangers, they have the opportunity to surpass the Houston Astros for the top spot, on top of jumping over the Guardians.
This three-game series will make or break the Blue Jays’ season. Due to already losing the tiebreaker to the Rangers earlier this season, the Jays sit behind the 2023 World Series champions despite an identical 76-77 record. A series loss, even if the Jays manage to take a game, would be devastating for their playoff hopes with so few games remaining.
If the Rangers take two of three, they’ll have a one game cushion over the Jays. But because of owning the tiebreaker, the Jays would essentially need to make up three games to finish ahead of them in the standings, which is next to impossible with just six games remaining following this series.
The good news is that even if that happens, there’s still a chance that the Rangers finish at the top of the American League West and the Astros struggle. That said, with nine games remaining this season, these games have to be won. They don’t even control their fate anymore.
So what are the Blue Jays up against this weekend? Well, Josh Jung has been the Rangers’ best hitter (minimum of 400 plate appearances), entering play slashing .298/.361/.449 with 10 home runs in 418 plate appearances. Justin Foscue has hit 11 home runs in 235 plate appearances and has a 132 wRC+.
Joc Pederson and Jake Burger share the team-lead with 26 home runs each, with the former dominating right-handed pitcher. That’s bad news for the Blue Jays, as Dylan Cease, José Soriano, and Spencer Arrighetti are all right-handed pitchers and expected to be the Blue Jays’ starters for this series.
The Rangers have eight batters with double-digit long balls, as Corey Seager has 18, Ezequiel Duran and Wyatt Langford each have 17, and Brandon Nimmo has 14. This season, the Rangers have hit 174 home runs, right in the middle of the back.
For context, the Blue Jays have just four players with double-digit home runs, and only two have 11 or more. The Jays have hit the fourth-fewest, just two more home runs than the Los Angeles Angels.
“Middle of the pack” best describes the Rangers’ starters this season. Their starters have given up 109 home runs, tied for the 12th-most in Major League Baseball. Also ranking in the middle of the pack is their 4.21 ERA (15th) and 3.97 FIP (11th).
There’s a bit of a drop off from their starters to the bullpen, as the Rangers’ bullpen carries a 4.45 ERA (ninth-worst) and 4.40 FIP (sixth-worst) into this game. Their bullpen has given up 74 home runs, 11th-most in MLB, while owning a 20 K%, fifth-worst in MLB this season. If the Jays hope to win this game, knocking out their starters early is a must.
Friday’s game has an 8:05 PM ET start time, with Kumar Rocker facing off against Cease. Saturday’s game has a 7:05 PM ET start time, with Soriano facing off against Canadian Cal Quantrill, who owns a 2.90 ERA. The series finale on Sunday has a 2:35 PM ET start time, with Jacob deGrom getting the ball for the Rangers. It’ll be a bullpen game for the Jays, with Spencer Arrighetti expected to pitch the bulk of innings.
Simply put, the Jays have to take at least two of three against the Rangers this weekend, or their series is over. Thankfully, a trip to Arlington turned their season around last year, kick-starting a 13-3 run that helped them come oh so close to winning the World Series. Let’s hope that happens again.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, DFOEdmonton, and DFOCalgary. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.
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