Week in Review: The Blue Jays Are AL East Champions

It took 162 games over 26 and a half weeks, but the Blue Jays won the AL East. Here is a recap of the week in which they clinched the division.

Weekly Snapshot: Mon, 9/22 through Sun, 9/28
***
Record Last Week: 4-2 (Overall: 94-68)
Run Differential Last Week: +11 (Overall: +77)
Standings: First Place in AL East (0.0 Games Up on NYY, won on a tiebreaker), First in AL

Last Week’s Results
Game 157: BOS 4  - TOR 1
Gausman: 5.2 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
Lukes: 1-2, R, 2 BB
Schneider, 1-3, 2K
Springer: 1-5, K

Game 158: BOS 7 - TOR 1
Scherzer: 5.0 IP, 10 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
Kiner-Falefa: 1-3, HR (2), RBI
Varsho: 1-3
Straw: 1-3, K

Game 159: BOS 1 - TOR 6
Lauer: 3.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Varland: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Varsho: 2-4, HR (20), 4 RBI
Springer: 1-4, HR (31), 2 RBI, BB

Game 160: TB 2 - TOR 4
Bieber: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
Fluharty: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
Lukes: 2-4, HR (12), 3 RBI,
Springer: 2-3, 2 R, BB

Game 161: TB 1 - TOR 5
Yesavage: 5.0 IP, 5 H. 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Kirk: 1-3, HR (13), RBI
Clement: 2-3, 2 R, 2 RBI
Lukes: 1-4, RBI, 3 K

Game 162: TB 4 - TOR 13
Gausman: 3.2 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Springer: 3-4, HR (32), 2 RBI, 2 R, BB
Kirk: 3-5, 2 HR (14,15), 6 RBI, 2B
Barger: 2-4, HR (21), 2 RBI, 2B

Highlights
The whole team: The Blue Jays did it. They came into the final week with a two-game lead in the East, and in order to win their division, they had to play to a 4-2 week or better. They did just that. The 94 wins are 20 more than the 74 they had in 2024, and although the Blue Jays had some believers, there weren’t many people who actually thought they would end up as winners. In total, the Blue Jays used 34 pitchers and 24 position players this season; every single one of them contributed in some way. From Vladimir Guerrero Jr., George Springer, and Ernie Clement, each had 4+ bWAR seasons, to smaller contributions, like Jonatan Clase's ninth-inning home run in St. Louis and Lazaro Estrada's five shutout innings in his major league debut, and everything in between. This was truly a whole team effort, and everyone needs to be celebrated for getting this far.

Alejandro Kirk: Talk about taking a team on your shoulders. The Blue Jays found themselves in a win and get in situation in game 162, and Kirk stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded, one out and two strikes and delivered the biggest hit of his career: his first career grand slam that set the Blue Jays in motion. He also added some insurance with another home run later in the game, his career-high 15th of the season, having also hit one in the game prior. Even with a small slump at the plate going into this series, this has been Kirk's best week in what has been his best season to date.

Nathan Lukes: In a season in which the Blue Jays have relied on getting impact performances from unexpected sources, it was Lukes' turn to step up this week. Not only did he have a go-ahead home run against the Rays, but he also threw out a baserunner trying to advance to third and played some phenomenal outfield defence. Lukes did it all at a time when the Blue Jays desperately needed it, and the Jays don’t end up winning the division without him.

The Bullpen: The Blue Jays bullpen was phenomenal this week as well. They used 11 different relief pitchers, and only three of them gave up runs: Braydon Fisher after two hits, and Yariel Rodríguez and José Berríos allowed home runs. The highlight in all this was the bullpen day that the Jays went with on Thursday, when Louis Varland, Eric Lauer, and Rodríguez held the Red Sox without a baserunner into the seventh inning. As the team heads into the postseason, they will continue to rely on the bullpen heavily, so it was nice to see the group performing well heading into the bye period.

Lowlights
Max Scherzer: The Blue Jays went from having a lot of pitching depth to having their depth tested pretty quickly. IL trips for Berríos and Chris Bassitt had something to do with it, but Scherzer has lost his effectiveness lately, too. After a disastrous start in Kansas City last week, in which he didn’t escape the first inning, he ran into some more trouble this week against the Red Sox, allowing three more earned runs in the first inning, and the home run ball got him again. Since August 25, his eight home runs allowed are fourth most in the American League. What the Blue Jays decide to do with Scherzer in the postseason will be a tough decision point for the team to make.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: The Blue Jays were able to secure the wins they needed without receiving superstar production from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. He’s currently in the worst slump of his career. Vlad’s week was more of the same as of late: just three hits, all singles, with only one RBI. He is doing other things well, including making some smart baserunning plays and some heads-up defence at first base, but his value comes from his bat, and this will continue to be a storyline until the production comes around again.

Random Notes of the Week:

• This is the Blue Jays' seventh division title in franchise history.
   
• Their 54 home wins tie a Blue Jays franchise record.
   
• The 49 comeback wins were the most in MLB this season.
   
• George Springer was finally caught stealing. He was a perfect 17-for-17 before being nabbed on Saturday.
   
• Daulton Varsho hit a 371-foot grand slam on Thursday, breaking a scoreless tie. 
   
• Alejandro Kirk was thrown out 9-3 to end the game on Wednesday.
   
• Blue Jays have come to terms on a contract with Korean RHP Seojun Moon.
   
• MLB has approved the ABS challenge system for the 2026 season. More on that here.

News, Notes and Not Playing

• RHP Alek Manoah has been claimed on waivers by the Atlanta Braves.
• IF Orelvis Martinez was claimed on waivers by the Washington Nationals.

10-day IL: Bo Bichette, Ty France

• Bichette has been hitting in the cage, doing toss and tee work. His status for the ALDS is still up in the air (via Mitch Bannon). Bichette himself added, “I'm feeling better every day. I don’t have a date, but I will be doing everything that I possibly can to get back” (via Bannon).
• Ty France is still dealing with his oblique injury but remains eligible to return for the ALDS.

15-day IL: José Berríos, Chris Bassitt,

• SP José Berríos had an MRI that revealed no structural damage in the elbow. He’ll still be getting a second opinion (via Shi Davidi).
• SP Chris Bassitt had a cortisone shot and began playing catch on Friday (via Bannon). He’s eligible to rejoin the Jays for the ALDS.

Trending Storyline
The Blue Jays did it: They won the AL East and, more importantly, have earned a first-round bye right into the ALDS. That means the Blue Jays now only need to win three series instead of four to win the World Series, and they are also giving their players some much-needed rest.

Berrios, France, Bichette and Bassitt are all on the IL, and this gives them five more days to reevaluate and reassess their situations. It also allows the Blue Jays' bullpen to rest and recover, too. The Blue Jays' relievers made 94 appearances in September, which trailed only the White Sox in the American League.

Trey Yesavage, who has thrown a lot of pitches in his first professional season, will get a rest. Kirk, Varsho, and Clement, who have been dealing with minor injuries most of the season, will also get a rest, and the time off will give players like Anthony Santander a chance to get more cage work in so he can be back to his usual self for the playoff run. The Blue Jays have done the hard part; now it's time to rest, recover and prepare to go on a month-long battle to win the ultimate prize.

Looking Ahead
The Blue Jays will enjoy their bye through the Wild Card round, but they still have work to do. The Blue Jays will have all eyes on the Yankees-Red Sox series to see who they ultimately end up playing. The Blue Jays won the season series against both teams, but Boston did just take two out of three against the Blue Jays in the last week of the season. The Blue Jays' advanced scouts will get their work in, and the results of the Yankees-Red Sox series will determine which pitchers the Blue Jays are set to face in the ALDS.

The Blue Jays will also have some time to figure out who they will take to the ALDS; their opponent will matter, and so will the health of some of the injured players. The Blue Jays have been a team that has relied on using all their bench components, but in the postseason, having more pitchers on the roster could be an advantage. It will be very interesting to see which way the Blue Jays decide to go. Either way, the goal for this week is to rest, recover and get prepared for a dramatic series that starts at the Rogers Centre this weekend.