Red-hot Blue Jays approaching franchise records with nine-game win streak

The Toronto Blue Jays are the hottest team in baseball. 

Monday’s 8-5 win over the Chicago White Sox brought the Jays’ win streak to nine games, the longest active streak in the majors and the team’s longest since 2015. That team, led by Jose Bautista, Josh Donaldson, and Edwin Encarnacion, rattled off two 11-game win streaks - one in June, and another in August - on their way to an American League East title and an appearance in the ALCS.

This year’s win streak has the Blue Jays atop the AL East once again at 53-38, as they hold a 3.5-game lead over the scuffling New York Yankees, who they swept at home over a four-game series last week for the first time in franchise history.

With one more win, the Blue Jays would tie the 1975 Cincinnati Reds and 1935 Detroit Tigers for the second-longest winning streak entering the All-Star game. If the Jays were to win all of their remaining five games before the break, they would match the record for longest win streak entering the break, held by the 2022 Seattle Mariners at 14 games. 

The Blue Jays have averaged 6.6 runs per game over the past nine games, second most in the league over that span. 

George Springer has spearheaded the red-hot Toronto offence and leads the MLB in home runs (five) and RBIs (13) since the beginning of July. Breakout slugger Addison Barger has also been one of the best bats in the league in July and trails only Springer with 11 RBIs this month. 

Contributions across the lineup from Springer, Barger, two-time All-Star Alejandro Kirk, and Bo Bichette in addition to star Vladimir Guerrero Jr, have put the Jays into excellent position heading into the summer.

“The way we’re playing, it’s everyone,” said starter José Berríos, who pitched six innings and allowed one run on Monday. “Everyone is contributing to the team, every game, every win. It’s fun when we have a team, lineup and pitching staff. It’s everybody contributing to every win.”

The Blue Jays have tied the franchise record for most wins before the All-Star break with 53. Guerrero credits the team’s culture for the unexpected turnaround after last season’s disappointing 74-88 finish. 

“Once I wake up, I just can’t wait to get to the field to be with my teammates. It’s been unbelievable. It’s what any manager wants, a team like that and a culture like that,” Guerrero said on Monday.

“If you’re not evolving, you’re just going to fall. You’re going to fall out of the game,” manager John Schneider said after Monday’s win. “I think it’s a combination of me realizing that and me being open enough to say there were a lot of things I could have done better last year. Given the roster, given injuries, the trade deadline and what our team looked like, there’s a lot of things I could have done better. It always starts with me, then it goes to the coaches and we relay it to the players.”

The Jays will continue their series with the White Sox on Tuesday evening with Chris Bassitt scheduled to start against Chicago starter Aaron Civale. The series will finish tomorrow night before the Jays travel to Sacramento to take on the Athletics in a three-game series before the All-Star break.