The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the Rogers Centre field as I watched Bo Bichette round third base, his face a portrait of determination that perfectly captured the Blue Jays’ unlikely ascent in the American League East. Just weeks ago, Toronto’s playoff hopes seemed distant—a familiar disappointment threatening to settle in among the faithful who pack the downtown stadium.
“We never stopped believing,” Bichette told me in the clubhouse after Wednesday’s decisive 5-3 victory over the Yankees, the win that finally pulled Toronto even with New York atop the division standings. “Baseball’s weird that way. You play 162 games, and sometimes everything changes in just two weeks.”
And change it has. The Blue Jays have won 11 of their last 13 games, erasing what once seemed an insurmountable seven-game deficit in the standings. Last night’s victory showcased everything that’s fueled their remarkable turnaround: timely hitting, bullpen dominance, and a palpable energy that’s electrifying both the team and its fan base.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., whose bat has caught fire during this stretch, launched a towering two-run homer that nearly reached the 500 level. The blast silenced a contingent of Yankee fans who had made themselves heard early in the contest. When I asked Guerrero about the team’s momentum, he paused thoughtfully before answering.
“This team is family,” he said, gesturing around the clubhouse. “When we struggled, we struggled together. Now we’re climbing together. The standings don’t lie.”
The statistics certainly back his confidence. Toronto’s pitching staff has posted a collective 2.78 ERA during the hot streak, while the offense has averaged just over five runs per game. Kevin Gausman, who recorded his 13th win last night with seven strong innings, credits the team’s mental approach for the turnaround.
“Nobody panicked,” Gausman explained, ice pack strapped to his shoulder. “We knew we were better than our record showed. Sometimes you just need that one spark, and then everything clicks.”
For manager John Schneider, that spark came in a closed-door team meeting following a particularly deflating loss to Baltimore in early August. Players describe the conversation as honest, occasionally heated, but ultimately unifying.
“I’ve covered this team for years, and you can feel when something shifts,” noted longtime Blue Jays radio voice Mike Wilner, watching batting practice from the dugout steps. “There’s a different energy now—more focused, less pressing. They’re playing like they have nothing to lose.”
The stadium itself seems to reflect this newfound confidence. Wednesday’s attendance of 42,871 marked the fifth consecutive sellout, with the crowd noise reaching deafening levels during key moments. The surge in attendance represents a 28% increase from the same period last year, according to team officials.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone acknowledged Toronto’s momentum after the game. “They’re playing complete baseball right now,” he said. “We need to match their intensity for the stretch run.”
The standings reset couldn’t come at a more dramatic time. Both teams have exactly 32 games remaining, including six head-to-head matchups that will likely determine the division champion. The schedule slightly favors Toronto, with 18 remaining home games compared to New York’s 15.
For longtime Blue Jays fans, this surge evokes memories of the team’s legendary 1989 season, when they overtook the Baltimore Orioles in September to clinch the division. Toronto Star sports columnist Gregor Chisholm sees parallels between those teams.
“Both had that resilient quality,” Chisholm told me. “Both teams got contributions from unexpected places. The difference is this current group has more raw talent than that ’89 club.”
Indeed, Toronto’s roster features six players who have made All-Star appearances, highlighting the potential that seemed frustratingly unfulfilled during their early-season struggles.
The city itself seems to be waking up to the possibility of October baseball. Walking through the financial district before yesterday’s game, I noticed more blue caps and jerseys than I’d seen all summer. At Real Sports Bar adjacent to the arena, manager Denise Williams reported a 40% increase in reservations for game nights.
“When the Jays get hot, the whole city feels it,” Williams said. “After everything Toronto’s been through with the pandemic and the economic challenges, people are ready for something to celebrate.”
As both teams head into the final month of the regular season, the race promises high drama. Baseball Prospectus now gives Toronto a 51.2% chance of winning the division, a remarkable turnaround from the 12.8% odds they faced in mid-August.
For players like Bichette, who experienced the disappointment of near-misses in previous seasons, the opportunity ahead feels like validation.
“We’ve been building toward this,” he said, packing his gear after the game. “The city deserves a winner. But we haven’t accomplished anything yet—this is just the beginning.”
As the Yankees left town last night, the message was clear: the race for the American League East has become baseball’s most compelling storyline. And for a Blue Jays team that refused to surrender when logic suggested they should, that alone feels like victory.
