The Toronto Blue Jays narrowly missed the postseason in 2021, finishing just one game behind the two Wild Card teams in the American League: the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox.
They vowed to return to the first pages in short notice…and they just did it.
The Blue Jays didn’t win the AL East like many predicted, but they just secured their ticket to the postseason on Thursday afternoon.
“CLINCHED: The @BlueJays are headed to the postseason” MLB on Fox tweeted.
CLINCHED ✅
The @BlueJays are headed to the postseason! pic.twitter.com/fwEm4al2D0
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) September 29, 2022
The Blue Jays aren’t even playing on Thursday.
However, with the Baltimore Orioles’ loss against the Boston Red Sox, the best-positioned non-playoff team can’t catch the Blue Jays in the Wild Card standings.
Now, Toronto will have to fend off the Tampa Bay Rays as they look to secure the best Wild Card spot (the number four seed) and play the Wild Card series at home.
The Blue Jays Are Trying To Return To Relevancy
Since winning back-to-back World Series in 1992 and 1993, the Blue Jays have advanced to the postseason just three times: two Championship Series losses in 2015 and 2016; and a quick first-round exit in 2020.
In that 2020 season, the league was starting to witness the Blue Jays’ emerging power.
Now, they want the league to witness their staying power.
With a strong roster headlined by Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, and George Springer, Toronto’s offense is one of the best in the game.
Their pitching is not too shabby, either: Alek Manoah, Kevin Gausman, Ross Stripling, Jose Berrios, and others are going to try to put up as many zeroes as they can.
Toronto will be very dangerous in October, and they want to let the league know they have what it takes to defeat MLB’s powerhouses.
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