Blue Jays Magic Number Update: Job's not done, here’s how Toronto can clinch AL East

This past Sunday, the Toronto Blue Jays made things official as they qualified for the 2025 MLB Playoffs with a big 8-5 win over the Kansas City Royals. Making the postseason once again is definitely a cause for celebration for the Blue Jays and their fans after a disappointing 2024 season. However, the job is not done yet as there is still the American League East division title left for Toronto to secure heading into the final days of the regular season.

Winning the AL East could be a huge difference maker for the Blue Jays entering the postseason because it would give them home field advantage in at least one round, if not the entire playoffs. After all, Toronto has been dynamite playing at Rogers Centre, whose 50-26 record at home ranks them among the top three in the entire league.

In addition, if they manage to finish in the top two seeds in the AL, they would get an important bye in the AL Wild Card Series.

Blue Jays Magic Number: Jobs not done as here’s how Toronto can clinch AL East

So how can the Blue Jays clinch the division title this week? They will need to hold off both the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox who are both charging hard right to the end in an attempt to dethrone Toronto from top spot in the AL East.

The Red Sox are more of a long shot, needing to surpass both the Yankees and Jays to overtake first place. But in the case for the Yankees, they are definitely hot on the Jays’ tail as Toronto will need to do all they can to hold them off.

Because the Blue Jays had taken the season series from the Yankees 8-5 while holding an insurmountable 7-4 advantage over the Red Sox with two games left to play between the two clubs, Toronto thus holds the tiebreaker if either of New York or Boston ends up tied with the Jays at the end of the regular season. 

With the Yankees now only one game behind after Tuesday’s comeback win over the Chicago White Sox, the magic number (combination of Jays wins and Yankees losses) for Toronto to clinch the AL East is four. To officially eliminated the Red Sox from being a potential threat to the title as well, all the Jays need is one win or one Red Sox loss to make things official.

But with Boston winning over Toronto amid some controversy on Tuesday, never count them out just yet. If things all go to play, the earliest that the Jays can wrap up the AL East title is this Thursday.

Nevertheless, Toronto still control their own destiny. All they need to do now is regain their mojo from earlier this summer and officially put the Yankees and Red Sox to bed by pulling off some victories in the upcoming games.

However, any more lacklustre effort like what we witnessed in recent days and we could be seeing the Jays in action in the MLB Playoffs earlier than expected.