The 2021 Toronto Blue Jays were on the cusp of making the playoffs, but finished one game behind the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees in the quest for both Wild Card spots.
This year, they are making sure that doesn’t happen again and they can qualify to October baseball.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the Jays are in possession of one of the three Wild Card spots, with an 84-64 record.
That is 5.5 games worse than the division-leading Yankees, but a couple of games better than the third-placed Tampa Bay Rays.
With just a little over a week to go, it would take a monumental collapse for the Blue Jays to miss the postseason.
The closest team without a playoff spot, the Baltimore Orioles, are 5.5 games behind.
Toronto Is Very Close To Securing A Playoff Spot
In short, Toronto is already monitoring its magic number.
“The magic number for the Blue Jays to clinch a postseason spot is down to 8. Champagne and Bud Light on ice,” Blue Jays insider Josh Goldberg tweeted.
The magic number for the Blue Jays to clinch a postseason spot is down to 8
Champagne and Bud Light on ice
— Josh Goldberg (@JGoldberg12) September 21, 2022
It means that the team needs a combination of wins and losses from the closest-ranked squad out of the playoffs that equals eight to secure its ticket to October.
The Jays made the playoffs in 2020, but before that, they spent three years without postseason baseball after their back-to-back American League Championship Series appearances in 2015 and 2016.
With a strong rotation and an even better lineup led by Vladimir Guerrero Jr., George Springer and Bo Bichette, Toronto should be able to compete in October, no matter the foe.
They want to take advantage of their wide-open contention window, and their time is now.
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