Blue Jays Still Have Doubters Despite Leading Their Division

The Toronto Blue Jays have been one of the streakiest teams in baseball throughout the 2025 MLB regular season.

Right now, they are in the midst of one of their hot streaks, which has helped propel them to the top of the American League East with a record of 59-42, three clear of the New York Yankees.

A four-game winning streak out of the All-Star break was exactly what the doctor ordered after the Blue Jays lost three out of four to finish the first half on a sour note following their 10-game winning streak.

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However, there are still questions about the legitimacy of the team.

Based on run differential, Toronto is closer to a wild card contender than a division leader.

But a team is what their record says they are, and right now, the Blue Jays are the AL East leaders and only a half-game behind the Detroit Tigers for the best record in the AL, tied with the Houston Astros for second place.

The Astros are a team that is used to being here; can Toronto prove the same over the next few weeks?

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That, in the opinion of Chad Jennings of The Athletic (subscription required) is the biggest question facing the team in the second half.

“Pretty basic question, really, but the Blue Jays are a puzzle. A 10-game winning streak in the weeks before the All-Star break boosted them into first place, but as of late May, they were a sub-.500 team with a roughly 70 percent chance of missing the playoffs,” he wrote.

Normally, leading a division as deep as the AL East -- which also includes playoff contenders in the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox along with the Yankees -- would automatically make a team be viewed as a contender.

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Toronto hasn’t quite earned that benefit of the doubt from people yet, but they can depending on how they handle the MLB trade deadline.

If the Blue Jays can acquire some starting pitching help, their outlook would improve dramatically.

A player the caliber of Mitch Keller of the Pittsburgh Pirates or Edward Cabrera of the Miami Marlins -- who are also controllable beyond 2025 -- would not only help them now, but in the future with Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt both hitting free agency this upcoming winter.

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Toronto will have a chance to prove their legitimacy, since they set to face the Tigers after their series with New York.

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