TORONTO — It’s a stretch in baseball and the Toronto Blue Jays are in on it as they look to return to the postseason after reaching the World Series last fall.
With 12 games to play on Monday against the visiting Detroit Tigers, here are five things to keep an eye on in the final two weeks of the season.
SWEET KICK
Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is showing signs that he may be ready for his long-awaited breakout.
Over the weekend, the face of the franchise made its first appearance at Rogers Center this season. This was part of Day 4 of 5, which included a performance from a sold-out crowd.
He entered the game against Detroit with a .333 batting average and .898 OPS (on base plus slugging) over 12 games in September.
Most of Guerrero’s offensive numbers this season are below his career averages. But if the first baseman gets hot like he did last October, be careful.
FLESH CENTER
The American League has never looked weaker, and that could be good news for the defending AL champions.
A .500 record could be enough to win the crown in the mediocre West Division, as well as the middling Central Division. The third place wild card will most likely go to the team with a similar mark.
Detroit posted an 87-75 record last year.
The Blue Jays, who posted a 75-75 record in their opener against the Tigers, were just one game behind the Cleveland Guardians in the race for last place.
TRAY DAY
Bullpen days have become the norm in recent weeks due to injuries to Toronto’s starting pitchers.
Much-needed relief may soon be available.
Trey Yesavage, out six weeks after knee surgery, was scheduled to appear for rehab Tuesday with Triple-A Buffalo. Fellow right-hander Shane Bieber (shoulder) is also making progress, but his timeline is less certain.
Slugger Anthony Santander (shoulder) played for the Bisons and could be a starter in late September.
TIE BREAKINGS
Baseball’s old “Game 163” setup for breaking ties was retired several years ago.
If teams finish tied for the regular season, Major League Baseball has a list of criteria that can be used to determine which club gets a spot.
The Blue Jays hold the tiebreaker over the Guardians thanks to their superior head-to-head record.
However, if Cleveland wins the Central and Chicago enters the wild card, the White Sox will have a tiebreaker advantage over Toronto.
GAME ON THE CHANCES
In late July, the Blue Jays’ playoff chances were slim at best, with the team 10 games shy of the .500 mark.
In the opener against Detroit, Toronto won 11 of 17 games, greatly improving their chances.
Every opponent the Blue Jays play the rest of the way—Detroit, Texas, Baltimore and Cincinnati—currently has a record below .500.
As of Monday afternoon, Toronto had a 43.4 chance of qualifying for the postseason, according to FanGraphs.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 14, 2026.