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Toronto Blue Jays RSVP playoff spot after 22 years of waiting

By Josh Sippie

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22 years is a long time. Since the last time the Toronto Blue Jays made the playoffs, the world should have ended approximately 5-7 times. Thankfully, it did not.

The Toronto Blue Jays were more active than most both at the deadline and in the off season. They added so much punch to a lineup that was already jabbing and hooking with Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion. They added Josh Donaldson in the off season and arguably the best shortstop in the game in Troy Tulowitzki and suddenly you cannot pay the Toronto Blue Jays to keep the ball in the park. 

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That was all well and good, but you still need pitching. And the Toronto Blue Jays did not have much pitching. That is, until the deadline. Again, with the playoffs as the end goal, the Birds from the United States’ attic went out and acquired the Cy Young winning David Price to augment a starting rotation that already had the enigmatic knuckler R.A. Dickey, the venerable Mark Buehrle and Marco Estrada.

Perhaps the biggest boost came when Marcus Stroman returned to the team from his injury lay off. He has gone 3-0 with a 1.89 ERA since returning. Pretty solid for the 5th man in the rotation.

Make no mistake, the Toronto Blue Jays are to be feared. They have the most potent lineup in the game of baseball and now they have a starting rotation that can hold down games as well?

With the numbers calculated and the schedules considered, it has been proven that the Toronto Blue Jays are guaranteed at least a wild card spot in this years playoffs. The Houston Astros and the Los Angeles Angels still have to face the Toronto Blue Jays this year and no 2 AL West teams can top the Jays. ESPN spells out the fine details of the mathematical accomplishment:

“Toronto’s worst possible record is 88-74. The Astros and Angels already have 74 losses, and if both win out, the Rangers (currently 84-69) will have at least 75 losses. If the Blue Jays and two AL West teams all finish 88-74, the AL West teams would play off for the division title, and the loser would be a wild card along with Toronto.”

Pretty simple when you put it like that.

Toronto Blue Jays’ catcher Russell Martin is still convinced that not everyone knows. Given the math that was required, he is probably right.

Either way, this is a Toronto Blue Jays side that can make waves in the playoffs. Be it in the unlikely position of a one-game wild card spot or as division winners, there is not a team out there that wants to face David Price and have to throw strikes to Joey Bats, Encarnacion, Tulo and J-Don (I thought of that one myself).

Congratulations to the Toronto Blue Jays. 22 years is a long time.

Next: Blue Jays designate Colt Hynes

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