The Toronto Blue Jays enter play on Tuesday night at 90-66 and in first place in the American League East. After a last-place finish in the division a season ago, the Jays are one of the best stories in the sport this year, a testament to the idea of not always tearing down an organization when you have a chance to.
With just six games to play in the regular season, they lead the New York Yankees by two games in the division and are seeking their first division title since 2015. They are also seeking to wrap-up homefield advantage in the looming American League playoffs.
They'll also enter the final week with some history under their belt, per Sportsnet Stats:
For 4th time in franchise history, #BlueJays are 1st team in AL to reach 90-win mark...
1985
1993
2015
2025
Not only is the 90-win threshold impressive, but it's impressive to do it in arguably the best division in baseball. Each of the Jays, Yankees and Red Sox have 85 wins or more entering the final stretch, but the Toronto has found a way to stand out.
Heading into the playoffs, they'll be a tough out, as they feature a deep and powerful lineup, and experience in the starting rotation with Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer. The raucous crowd at Rogers Centre will also factor in as Toronto goes for its first World Series title since 1993.
The Blue Jays will open up a new series with the Red Sox on Tuesday night with first pitch coming at 7:07 p.m. ET. Gausman, who is 10-10 on the campaign, will take the ball against veteran right-hander Lucas Giolito. He's 10-4 with 3.46 ERA.
The full pitching matchups are available in the post below, and Boston enters the series with 85 wins and in possession of the second wild card spot. They haven't been to the playoffs since 2021.