Blue Jays Set Lineup for Royals Finale as AL Wild Card Chase Continues

Incredibly, the Toronto Blue Jays would be heading to the playoffs if the season started on Sunday. But there is still work to be done.

After beating the Kansas City Royals, 4-3, on Saturday, the Blue Jays (72-71) got over .500 and pulled into a tie for the final AL wild card berth with the Cleveland Guardians, who lost on Saturday.

The Blue Jays and the Guardians met earlier this week, and Toronto took two out of three from Cleveland. That gave Toronto the season series (4-2) and the tiebreaker over the Guardians in the event the pair end up tied at the end of the season. That's why if the campaign ended on Sunday the Blue Jays would be headed to the postseason.

That also gave the Blue Jays a magic number. In this case that's the number of Blue Jays wins and the number of Guardians losses needed for Toronto to clinch a playoff berth. Right now, that magic number is 20, and Cleveland has the same magic number because they're tied.

The race is far from over but there's been some separation over the week. Both Toronto and Cleveland have a two-game cushion on the field. Neither of them can catch the New York Yankees or the Boston Red Sox, who hold the first two wild card playoff berths in the AL. That means it's a battle for one spot. And right now, Toronto has the edge.

Blue Jays Lineup for Sept. 6, 2026

Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider puts his hand on the shoulder of pitcher Spencer Arrighetti.. Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

CF Brett Bateman (L)

RF Nathan Lukes (L)

DH Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

LF Jesús Sánchez (L)

3B Kazuma Okamoto

1B Sean Keys (L)

2B Josh Smith (L)

SS Andrés Giménez (L)

C Brandon Valenzuela (S)

Toronto Blue Jays at Kansas City Royals

Where: Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City

Series Schedule, TV, Radio

Sunday: 1:35 p.m. — TV: Blue Jays: Sportsnet, TVA Sports; Royals: Royals.TV; Radio: Blue Jays: SN590 THE FAN; Royals: 96.5 The Fan, Royals Radio Network

Probable Pitchers

Sunday: Blue Jays RHP Spencer Arrighetti (7-8, 4.82) vs. Royals RHP Randy Dobnak (2-3, 2.65)

Toronto can look at its schedule and start plotting out how to arrange its rotation for a home stretch that allows them to chase a wild card berth. After Sunday’s game the Blue Jays head to West Sacramento to take on the Athletics in a three-game series that starts on Monday. After that series, Toronto gets a day off on Thursday to head home. From there, Toronto will be off three consecutive Thursdays.

At home next week Toronto will host Baltimore Friday through Sunday, followed by a three-game set with Detroit from Sept. 14-16.

Toronto's most important series might end up being from September 18-20 against the Texas Rangers. The Rangers are two games behind the Blue Jays and the Guardians for the final wild card berth. If Texas is within three games of Toronto going into that series the Blue Jays probably need to win that series.

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