Put an asterisk if you’d like but the Toronto Blue Jays are in the postseason

Despite its questionable legitimacy, the Blue Jays are bound for October baseball.

After beating the New York Yankees 4-1, the Toronto Blue Jays are headed to the postseason for the first time since 2016. It would have been much sweeter if the Jays were able to clinch the spot on home turf at the Rogers Centre in Toronto in front of fans, but going to play in the postseason is an accomplishment nonetheless.

Despite the team clinching a playoff berth, some may question how legitimate the Jays reaching the postseason is due to the expanded format.

In a typical season, each division winner clinches a playoff spot while the next best two teams in each league plays in a win or go home wild card game. In the shortened campaign this year, moments before the season started, the league, owners and the players association agreed to the expanded format of the top two teams in each division as well as the next two teams in each league with the best record.

More from Jays Journal

• Blue Jays: Alek Manoah on pace to succeed in possible postseason
• Blue Jays: Bradley Zimmer has carved himself a valuable role
• Anthony Bass has been the shutdown reliever the Blue Jays needed
• Blue Jays: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. open to a long-term contract
• Blue Jays: Snapping cold streaks at the right time

After yesterday’s win, the Jays are 30-27, third in the AL East. To go a bit more into it, they’re seven games back of the division leading Tampa Bay Rays and two games back of the Yankees for second in the division.

If the postseason format never changed, the Jays would have been already eliminated from playoff contention by now. As the standings currently sit, from last year’s format, the Chicago White Sox (34-23) would host the Cleveland Indians (33-24) for the do or die wild card game.

But that’s not the case. The format was expanded for the 2020 season, mostly to get more baseball in for the shortened season caused by the Coronavirus pandemic. In an already awkward season and even more awful things going on in the world, it was the right time to get more teams in the postseason. More baseball to watch, more things to cheer for, more money for the players and more revenue for the league.

Even if you’d put an asterisk next to the Jays postseason berth, celebrate the fact they’re playing October baseball. It will give the young guys a taste of what it’s like to be playing ultra competitive ball and prepare them for when expectations are higher for this team.