The Blue Jays wrap up September, punching their ticket for the postseason with a division title
By Ashley Thorpe — Published September 28, 2025
The Varsity: The University of Toronto’s Student Newspaper Since 1880
At the end of the 2025 MLB season, the Toronto Blue Jays have emerged as one of the league’s biggest surprises this year. After a last-place finish in 2024, they soared to first place in the competitive AL East in 2025, managing to set a franchise record for most wins before the All-Star break and maintaining their first-place rank ever since.
Their dominance stems from a sharp increase in contact rate at the plate and their ability to limit strikeouts. The Jays rank first in MLB with only 1,099 strikeouts and lead the league in total hits with an impressive 1,461. After their success, expectations have shifted drastically.
Opening the year with a projected win total of 78.5, the Blue Jays now have a win total of 94 going into the postseason. After clinching the AL East division on September 28, the team has a first-round bye. This allows them to skip the wildcard round of playoffs to go straight to the divisional series. With a lot of depth and talent, the Jays are ready to continue making a serious, competitive playoff run.
The Blue Jays’ success this season has not come solely from their stars at the top of the lineup. In fact, much of their momentum has come from production at the bottom of the order. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. only has 23 home runs this season, which is much lower than other franchise players around the league. Anthony Santander, one of the most exciting new additions from the off-season, has spent the majority of the season injured and underperforming.
Despite this, players such as Andrés Giménez, Myles Straw, Ernie Clement, and Davis Schneider have shown up and consistently made contact at the plate. When the top of the order is not meeting expectations, the bottom of the order needs to propel the team through hard times. This is something that separates the Blue Jays from their opponents. The team is able to support one another, which creates a lineup with a lot of depth that is capable of responding to adversity better than many other teams around the league.
Throughout the season, there have been some question marks surrounding the Blue Jays’ pitching staff. Veteran right-hander Max Scherzer has successfully recovered from a lingering thumb injury and has been solid ever since. His ability to stay healthy and eat innings has been a major asset for the team during the second half of the season. Taking a gamble on Shane Bieber has proven to be worthwhile as well. The former Cy Young winner had Tommy John surgery in 2024 and was traded to Toronto from Cleveland while still in rehab. Since his return to the big leagues, Bieber has had a respectable 3.57 earned run average (ERA) and 37 strikeouts across seven starts.
However, the bullpen has been plagued by injuries. Yimi García and Nick Sandlin, who were key pieces of the bullpen, are injured and will not be able to return to the team in time for a postseason appearance. Fortunately, José Berríos has been moved to the bullpen, helping to stabilize the rotation and provide much-needed support. These additions and adjustments have set the pitching staff up to be quite threatening in playoff games.
The last time postseason baseball was played in Toronto, the Blue Jays blew an 8–1 lead against the Seattle Mariners, eliminating the Jays in only the first round. A year later, the Blue Jays were swept again in the first round, this time by the Minnesota Twins. Last year, they missed the postseason entirely, earning nothing but a last-place finish. Toronto baseball fans haven’t felt the excitement of winning a playoff game since 2016. Nine years later, the Blue Jays are long overdue for a deep run on the road to the World Series. Newfound depth in both the hitting and pitching lineups positions the team as a strong competitor in the American League.
A packed Rogers Centre has helped fuel the team’s momentum. An impressive 54–27 record at the Rogers Centre this year proves the importance of passionate fans in creating a home-field advantage that has fuelled the Blue Jays’ success. The energy from the crowd was electric, giving the team a boost in morale as they clinched their first division title since 2015.
If the Blue Jays can return to their previous level of success, capitalize on the shortcomings of division rivals, and keep the wins coming, the team could turn an exceptional first half into a historic season. If all goes right, it could only be a matter of time before fans are hearing, “Guerrero Jr. with a drive. Deep left field. No doubt about it!” echoing into October.
