(Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
The Toronto Blue Jays have an 80-63 record, one of three teams in the AL East with at least 80 wins.
They are third in the division, 10.5 games behind the leaders, the Baltimore Orioles.
However, after a recent surge, they have seized the second Wild Card spot in the American League.
Toronto has won three in a row and eight of their last 10, so they are rounding into form at the most opportune time.
As a result, their playoff chances have dramatically improved in recent days.
“Toronto’s playoff chances: 38% on August 29; 79% today,” Codify Baseball tweeted.
Toronto’s playoff chances:
38% on August 29
79% today pic.twitter.com/kDZhysWq7K
— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) September 11, 2023
Codify also showed FanGraphs’ graphic with the Blue Jays’ playoff odds.
You can see how the recent run of good play has had a positive impact on their chances of making the postseason.
The play of rookie Davis Schneider has revitalized the team (1.319 OPS in 23 games).
However, the starting rotation has also been responsible for most of the wins in their recent stretch.
Kevin Gausman and Chris Bassitt are both pitching like top-of-the-rotation stalwarts, and while Hyun Jin Ryu hasn’t provided much length, he has been effective and usually gives the team five excellent innings.
Finally, the Blue Jays are starting to separate from the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees and are entering a fight with the Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers.
With the Tampa Bay Rays solidly ahead in the first Wild Card, one of those three teams (Blue Jays, Mariners, and Rangers) will likely be left without a playoff spot.
With the way Toronto is playing, they are trying to make sure they aren’t that team.
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