Blue Jays Still Have Hope

Written By Jason Green | Published at August 15, 2026

The Blue Jays stil have hope for the playoffs. Even thoughthe Blue Jays are four games under .500 they are only one game out of the final AL Wild Card. — Jun 22, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays starting starting pitcher Dylan Cease (84) throws a pitch against the Houston Astros during the first inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

Last season, the Blue Jays came within one win of winning the World Series. This season is a different matter, as the club has been in the basement of the AL East for most of the season. However, with their play since the All-Star break, the club still has hope of making the playoffs.

The AL Wild Card

As of August 15, Toronto is four games under .500 and tied with the Baltimore Orioles in last place in the AL East. While they will not repeat as AL East champions, being 15.5 games out of first place, the Wild Card is still in play. They are only one game out of the third and final Wild Card spot, tied with the Orioles and a half a game back of the Minnesota Twins and Texas Rangers.

Things looked bleak for the Jays, losing five of their first six games after the All-Star break. However, since then they are 14-8, including four wins in their last five games.

The team has mainly been winning with solid pitching, as they have struggled at the dish all season. While ranking second to last in the Majors in runs scored, they rank 11th in team ERA and eighth in bullpen ERA.

It Helps the American League is Down this Season

One of the main reasons the Blue Jays are still in the playoff hunt despite being four games under .500 is that the American League is having a down season. Out of the 15 teams in the AL, only five have a winning record, and three of those are in the AL East.

The only teams over .500 in the AL Central and AL West are the teams leading those divisions, the Chicago White Sox and Houston Astros, respectively. Those two teams are only a combined eight games over .500. When you look over at the National League, eight teams currently have a winning record.

Next Eight Days are Key

While the Blue Jays have played themselves back into the Wild Card, they have to keep playing well. However, that will be harder in the next eight games, facing the New York Yankees five times and the Tampa Bay Rays three times, and those teams have the best records in the AL.