How Blue Jays Keep Inching Closer to Winning American League East
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The Toronto Blue Jays appear to be taking a slow, but steady, approach to clinch their first division title in a decade.
The Blue Jays (86-62) rallied with three runs in the ninth inning on Saturday to defeat the Baltimore Orioles, 5-4. The rally was brilliant for Toronto. Outfielder Joey Loperfido singled home Daulton Varsho to make it 4-3. Andrew Gimenez singled after that to tie the game, scoring Ernie Clement. Alejandro Kirk brought home the game-winner with a walk-off sacrifice fly by that scored Loperfido.
With that, the Blue Jays cut the magic number to win the American League East to 12.
Blue Jays Magic Number to Clinch AL East
We have NINE #WALKOFF wins this season!
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) September 14, 2025
THREE of them belong to Captain Kirk 🚀 pic.twitter.com/w09VlW9YpX
Toronto has been chipping away at that number for a few days. The Blue Jays have won their last three games, beginning with the series-ending victory over the Houston Astros on Thursday. Every time the Blue Jays win a game, their magic number drops by one.
There is one other way for the Blue Jays to cut that magic number, but it’s not within their control. Toronto needs the New York Yankees — who are in second place in the AL East — to lose games. The last three games the Yankees have been uncooperative. New York beat the Detroit Tigers in the final game of their series on Thursday, followed by two straight wins over the Boston Red Sox.
So, Toronto’s approach is to keep winning. The division race isn’t over yet. The Yankees are still three games back. A well-time Yankees winning streak and a poorly timed Blue Jays losing streak would change the dynamic of the race with just a handful of games remaining.
Meanwhile, Toronto widened its lead for the No. 1 seed in the American League playoffs over the Detroit Tigers, who lost their second straight game to the Miami Marlins. The Blue Jays now have a 2.5 game lead over the Tigers. The No. 1 seed has homefield advantage throughout the AL playoffs.
The Blue Jays are seeking to win their first division title since 2015, when they won 93 games and reached the American League Championship Series. Since that division title they've been to the postseason four other times, but always as a wild card team. The Blue Jays reached the ALCS again in 2016 but fell to Cleveland.
Toronto has a team good enough to duplicate what their 1992 and 1993 teams did, which was win the World Series. That 1993 season was the last time the Blue Jays played in the Fall Classic.
Toronto Blue Jays Magic Number Watch
Magic Number to Clinch AL East: 12
Toronto Blue Jays Games Remaining: 14
Toronto Blue Jays Remaining Schedule: Sept. 14, vs. Baltimore; Sept. 15-18, at Tampa Bay; Sept. 19-21, at Kansas City; Sept. 23-25 vs. Boston; Sept. 26-28, vs. Tampa Bay.
AL East Division Race (after Sept. 13)
Toronto Blue Jays: 86-62 (lead division)
New York Yankees: 83-65 (3.0 games behind)
Boston Red Sox: 81-68 (5.5 games behind)
New York Yankees Remaining Schedule (14 games): Sept. 14, at Boston; Sept. 15-17, at Minnesota; Sept. 18-21, at Baltimore; Sept. 23-25 vs. Chicago White Sox; Sept. 26-28, vs. Baltimore.
Boston Red Sox Remaining Schedule (13 games): Sept. 14, vs. New York Yankees; Sept. 16-18, vs. Athletics; Sept. 19-21, at Tampa Bay; Sept. 23-25 at Toronto; Sept. 26-28, vs. Detroit.
Matthew Postins is an award-winning sports journalist who covers Major League Baseball for OnSI. He also covers the Big 12 Conference for Heartland College Sports.
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