Series Preview: Blue Jays host Reds for final series in 2026
Photo credit: © Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Sep 25, 2026, 19:00 EDTUpdated: Sep 25, 2026, 18:51 EDT
The Toronto Blue Jays play one last series for who knows how long.
It feels like just yesterday that the Blue Jays began their series against the Athletics at the Rogers Centre in late March. There was so much optimism heading into this season given how 2025 went, but fast-forward six months, and this has been the season from hell.
The 2025 Blue Jays’ offence started slow, as did this season’s offence, but the difference is that they never were able to get going in 2026. Paired with a plethora of injuries to the rotation and an exhausted bullpen, the Blue Jays will finish the season with a sub .500 record. The 2024 season was painful, but this year has been a thousand times worse.
Thankfully, they stayed in the race until game 157, so at least there was something to watch. But entering this final series against the Cincinnati Reds, all the Blue Jays are playing for at this point is pride.
Like the Blue Jays, the Reds are out of postseason contention, and have been for a while. Entering play with a 74-85 record, the Reds took a step back after making the postseason in 2025 for the first time since 2013 (in a non-pandemic impacted season).
This game is important in a way, as it has some ramifications on the draft lottery. If the Reds manage to sweep, they’ll jump ahead of the Blue Jays in the standings, improving the Blue Jays’ odds to move into a top six spot in the 2027 MLB Draft. It’s worth noting that the Jays are over the second Competitive Balance Tax threshold, so unless they finish with a top six pick, their first rounder will drop back 10 spots.
The Reds enter this game with arguably the worst offence in baseball. This season, they’ve slashed .228/.305/.396 for a 91 wRC+, though have hit the fourth-most home runs with 211 long-balls. Interesting stats, to say the least.
Pitching wise, starters own a 4.99 ERA and 4.81 FIP, both third-worst in MLB. The Reds’ rotation has given up 126 long-balls, fifth most in Major League Baseball this season. Their bullpen isn’t much better, authoring a 4.69 ERA and 4.82 FIP, sixth-worst and third-worst respectively.
To put it simply, this should be an easy series victory for the Blue Jays, but how many times have we said that in a series preview, just for the Blue Jays to fail to score any runs? Going out on a win would be nice, but it may not be ideal for the team’s future. A top six pick is far better than a pick in the 20s.
Cynthia Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, DFOEdmonton, and DFOCalgary. She can be followed on Twitter @CynthiaRDelaney.
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