From worst to first, the Toronto Blue Jays are champions of the AL East in 2025

For the first time in ten years the Toronto Blue Jays are American League East division champions. Something very few people ever thought would be a realistic possibility at the on-set of the 2025 season. With a 13-4. win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday, the Blue Jays not only locked up the division crown, but also the top spot in the American League, something they haven't done since 1993.

From worst to first, the Toronto Blue Jays are champions of the AL East in 2025

For a franchise that has been around for almost 50-years, these moments haven't come around as often as they would have liked. It's just the seventh division championship and the 11th time they are postseason bound. So to say this is special, to say this is worth remembering, almost feels cliché, but that's only because its true. Especially after the way the Blue Jays finished in 2024 - dead last in the division. Going from worst to first in the AL East is rare and something the Blue Jays had never done, until now.

It wasn't easy. It took them 162 games. They needed to sweep a division rival in the Rays, a team they historically haven't played well against. In fact the Blue Jays hadn't swept the Rays since September of 2015. It all came together thanks to Catcher Alejandro Kirk who had a pair of huge home runs, including a grand slam in the first inning to put the Blue Jays in front in a big way.

It was a lead they would not relinquish, despite the pesky Rays being their pesky-ist against Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman. They gave him no easy at-bats, they beat out infield singles, they stole bases and they kept the game as close as they could.

But then Manager John Schneider went to the bullpen in the top of the fourth. The Rays had the bases loaded with two outs and lefty Jonathan Aranda at the dish and the Blue Jays had a 5-4 lead. Schneider brought in Mason Fluharty and he struck out Aranda on five pitches to end the threat. The rest of the bullpen kept the door shut over the next few innings, allowing the offense to erupt for a five-run seventh inning that effectively put the game away.

With an nine-run lead in the ninth, the Blue Jays disposed of the Rays in a three up three down inning and spilled onto the field at Rogers Centre to celebrate their AL East championship in front of the home fans. The last time they clinched at home was on October 3, 1992 over the Detroit Tigers.

The 2025 season was truly a roller coaster for Toronto. They were two games below .500 at the end of April. They were only two games above .500 at the end of May. They took over the division lead on July 3, and they stayed in first all the way until the final day of the regular season.

They led that division by as many as six-and-a-half games, and that lead was trimmed all the way down to one with just five games left in the season. Over those final five days - the Blue Jays remained in a tie with the Yankees, but never allowed the Yankees to overtake them, and thanks to winning that season series, they were still in the drivers seat.

Toronto put their foot on the pedal, and drove right through to the finish line with four nail biting, but extremely entertaining wins at home over the final weekend against the Red Sox and the Rays.

For the first time in weeks, the Blue Jays have allowed themselves and their fans a chance to breath a little easier. They've bought themselves some time as they now get a chance to rest, and recover as they await to see who their opponents will be in the ALDS.