Why Securing the No. 1 Seed Gives Blue Jays Clear Edge

Toronto earned the top seed in the American League with a season no one saw coming.

Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

The Toronto Blue Jays took the league by storm in 2025. This was a team that was projected to finish at the bottom of the AL East, and now for the first time since 2015, they are division champs. The AL now runs through Toronto and that obviously is a huge advantage for the Blue Jays.

John Schneider Can Set Up His Rotation How He Wants

Playoff baseball can be taxing on pitchers as we've seen several instances where players are called on to pitch on short rest. The wild card games begin on Tuesday, and should they be stretched to a third game, teams will only have one full day of rest before starting the division series.

This is not something that manager John Schneider has to worry about. He'll have his entire staff on full rest for game one.

The question becomes who will be the first three guys to toe the rubber for Toronto? It's likely that Kevin Gausman will be the game one starter. In 2025, he started 32 games and finished with a 3.59 ERA.

Gausman has made eight career playoff appearances so he is no stranger to October baseball. He's made three starts with a 4.91 ERA. His most recent outing came in 2023 against the Minnesota Twins. He threw four innings and allowed three runs in the loss.

Sep 17, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Kevin Gausman (34) throws a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays in the first inning at George M. Steinbrenner Field. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

In game two, the ball should be handed to Shane Bieber. Since being dealt to the Blue Jays at the trade deadline, he's held a 4-2 record and a 3.57 ERA. After a pair of bumpy outings to start September, he's looked sharp over his last three starts. He allowed two runs or fewer with 12 total strikeouts to just four walks during that stretch.

Trey Yesavage could get the ball in game three but a key advantage is that Schneider has plenty of playoff experience with this staff. Bieber and Gausman have pitched in big games, but they could also turn to Max Scherzer at some point. He's had his struggles in the month of September, but his pedigree shows he can step up in the playoffs if needed.

He was a critical part of the Washington Nationals winning the World Series in 2019, and most recently helped the Texas Rangers win it all in 2023. That playoff experience also stretches to the bullpen with guys like Jeff Hoffman and Eric Lauer.

Players Can Get Some Much Needed Rest

It's been said that getting the number one seed and a bye to the divisional round could actually be a disadvantage. There have been several one seeds in the past that lost in the divisional round.

In 2023, the Baltimore Orioles and Atlanta Braves were eliminated by wild-card teams. That theory seemed to be debunked last year as the two top seeded New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers met in the World Series.

However in this case, the Blue Jays could use the rest. Bo Bichette is still recovering from a left knee sprain and if Toronto is going to have any success in October, they'll need their star shortstop.

There is also optimism that Chris Bassitt should be good to go while Jose Berrios hit the 10-day IL for the first time in his career with elbow inflammation.

It seems obvious that having home field advantage will be a huge boost for the Blue Jays. Fans have been itching for their team to return to the postseason, and you can imagine that Rogers Centre will be loud for the ALDS.

What's next?

The Blue Jays can watch from their couches to see who they'll face in the next round. It'll be a familiar opponent as they await the winner of the wild card Series between the Yankees and the Boston Red Sox.

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