The Toronto Blue Jays will begin the biggest series of their season on Tuesday night when they take on the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field in Ohio.
Despite the frustrating season, the Blue Jays have a real path to the postseason given how lacklustre American League has been in 2026.
After completing a three-game sweep of the Seattle Mariners over the weekend, the 68-70 Blue Jays sit 1.5 games behind the Guardians (69-68) for the third and final wild-card spot in the American League with 24 games remaining in the regular season.
The Baltimore Orioles (69-69) are just 0.5 game behind the Guardians while the Texas Rangers are tied with the Jays. The Minnesota Twins (66-72), Seattle Mariners (64-74) and Detroit Tigers (63-74) are still in the mix, but have fallen back in recent weeks.
American League Wild Card Standings
ESPN’s Buster Olney notes the defending American League champions not only have a real chance at postseason baseball for the fifth time in the past seven years but could also potentially make a deep run given how the bracket is playing out.
“I think you can legitimately dream on the idea that the Jays aren’t that far from having a path to the American League Championship Series. I had a conversation with an executive about this yesterday. His point was that really Major League Baseball should reseed during the playoffs,” Olney told TSN 1050 Tuesday morning during an appearance on First Up. “But think about the two sides of the brackets that are developing in the American League.”
On one side of the bracket, the New York Yankees (78-60) and Boston Red Sox (75-63) seem like a near lock to meet in the AL Wild Card series where the winner will move on to face off against the projected No. 1 seed Tampa Bay Rays (82-55) in the division series.
On the other side, if the Blue Jays are able to secure the final wild-card spot, they would play the No. 3 seed, currently the AL West-leading Houston Astros (70-68). A win there would propel them to the ALDS against the No. 2 seed, currently held by the AL Central-leading Chicago White Sox (72-65).
Spencer Miles will be the opening pitcher for Tuesday’s game in Cleveland with right-hander Spencer Arrighetti, who was acquired from the Houston Astros at the trade deadline for centre fielder Daulton Varsho, expected to get the bulk of the work following Miles’ exit.
The Guardians hand the ball to Gavin Williams, who owns a 12-7 record alongside a 3.98 ERA and 204 strikeouts, third best in the MLB, over 27 starts this season.
Cy Young contender Dylan Cease will start Wednesday while José Soriano will get the nod on Thursday.
Cleveland dropped a three-game set against the Kansas City Royals over the weekend but won seven straight games prior tomove into a playoff position.
In recent years, the Guardians have become one of the best teams in baseball in the month of September. They put together an incredible 20-7 run last year, went 15-10 in 2024, and 21-8 in 2022, finishing first in the AL Central in each of those seasons as a result.
Cleveland’s strong Septembers have been a regular occurrence for over a decade.
“The funny thing is that since 2013 when Terry Francona took over as manager, the Guardians are typically great finishers. To the point that over the last 13 years, the team with the best September-October regular season record are the Dodgers. Number two in all of baseball? The Cleveland Guardians. They always finish better,” said Olney. “And I don’t know, I can’t give you the reason for why that is, but it always happens. And lately, you know, Chase DeLauter had an excellent month of August. Steven Kwan started hitting. Jose Ramirez has come back from hamate bone surgery. So, I do think that, you know, that they’re the team to watch.”
Another playoff contender is the Orioles who are looking to return to October baseball after last year’s disappointing season despite selling significant pieces, including star catcher Adley Rutschman at the deadline.
The O’s claimed outfielder Luis Robert Jr. off waivers from the New York Mets on Monday, hoping the 29-year-old can find a power surge in the final season’s final month.
Robert Jr. hasn’t been the same player since hitting 38 home runs with the White Sox in 2023, producing a .223 average alongside 10 homers, 23 RBIs and a .702 OPS over 58 games with the Mets in 2026.
The Jays had waiver priority over the Orioles and could have claimed Robert Jr. if they desired.
“The Orioles, in taking on Luis Robert Jr. for the last quarter of the season here, essentially, they’re taking on like $5 million, and that’s not what they usually do. And it would sort of beg the question – and I would love to be in a room with that group and say, ‘Okay, so let me get this straight. You were two games out when you traded Adley Rutschman and Dean Kremer before the trade deadline, and now you’re taking on $5 million of Luis Robert?’ And maybe that’s the difference, right? That it’s cash only and you can live with that,” Olney said of the move.
“But it was an aggressive, surprising move for a team that suddenly, and maybe it’s a case for a front office knows that it’s being talked a lot about as possible for possible changes after the season. Maybe this is their last shot. And they look at Luis Robert as being a guy who could help. But yeah, I mean, when he’s healthy, he’s a good player, but he’s never healthy.”
The Blue Jays still have six more games against the Orioles (home and away), including road series against the Royals, Athletics and Rangers as well as home series against the Tigers and Cincinnati Reds.
