Welcome back to Blue Jays Baseball!

Baseball has never been more exciting. Last year, the Blue Jays went to the absolute end: Game 7 of the World Series. For the first time since the Raptors championship, all of Toronto was watching one man, Vlad Guerrero Jr. As someone who went, it was a fantastic yet frustrating experience. I'm sure I don't need to give  inning-by-inning breakdown, but, it went to eleven innings, and in the top of the 11th, Will Smith (not the actor) homered it 366 feet to the left. And even though we had just one more chance, we couldn't get it done. The Toronto Blue Jays lost 5-4 to the LA Dodgers, marking the end of the Cinderella run led by Vladdy.

But, all hope is not lost. On Friday, there was a Blue Jays game against the Oakland Athletics at 7:07 PM. And while I cannot predict the future, we were looking to win this game, with a 59% chance to win, according to ESPN. While Bo Bichette, one of the key players in the run left the Jays, we picked up Dylan Cease (pitcher), Kazuma Okamoto (primary 3b man), Cody Ponce (pitcher), and Tyler Rogers (pitcher). And yes, our starting pitcher, Trey Yesavage was on the IL to start the season. However, we are expected to make a deep playoff run, regardless of however the results of the first game went.

At a 7%, the Blue Jays are tied for the fifth-shortest odds to win the World Series, with the Phillies. The Blue Jays also hold the third-shortest odds for winning the American League at a 14.3%, below the Yankees and the Mariners, according to theScore. Toronto is also at a 69% percent to make the playoffs, which means that we have a high chance of making a deep run. Even though shortstop Bo Bichette left, we landed Kazuma Okamoto. He is a six-time all-star and three-time home run leader in Japan, with a 16.7% to win the American League Rookie of the Year award.

However, the American League East is as tough as ever. The Yankees, the Red Sox, and the Orioles all have a minimum of 4.76% odds to win the World Series. The Baltimore Orioles are at a 52% chance to reach the postseason, while the Tampa Bay Rays, the consensus worst team in the division are expected a 25% chance to make the playoffs.

So, the takeaway. If the Blue Jays hold up to expectations and last year's momentum, Blue Jays fans are expected for another exciting, deep playoff run, even with significantly higher expectations than last year.

References

ESPN. (2026). Athletics vs. Blue Jays (Mar 27, 2026) Live Score - ESPN. ESPN. https://www.espn.com/mlb/game/_/gameId/401814688/athletics-blue-jays

Patterson, E. (2026, March 25). Running it back: What are the odds Blue Jays recreate last year’s magic? TheScore.com; . https://www.thescore.com/mlb/news/3504076/running-it-back-what-are-the-odds-blue-jays-recreate-last-years-magic