One thing the Blue Jays needed in their late season push that they didn't get

On Sept. 5, the Toronto Blue Jays held the final American League wild card spot with a 72-71 record. They were 8-2 in their last 10 games, and none of their remaining opponents had a record over .500. It seemed like the Blue Jays might return to the postseason despite a tumultuous 2026.

However, the Blue Jays went 7-12 for the remainder of the season. They finished 79-83 and missed the playoffs by five games. Nothing came easily for the Blue Jays in 2026. For much of the season, they didn't look like a playoff team. However, a strong August and a weak American League gave the Blue Jays a fighting chance in September. They weren't up to the test.

Unsurprisingly, the thing that ultimately let the Blue Jays down was the same thing that had been an issue all season: the offence.

Over the final three weeks of the season, the Blue Jays slashed .244/.316/.376. That was in line with their slash line for the season (.247/.310/.381). That's pretty much league-average, but it doesn't tell the entire story.

The Blue Jays had the second-fewest RBIs during the final three weeks of the season (64). They did an okay job of getting on base, but a poor job of scoring runs. The Blue Jays were 27th in runs scored in the final three weeks (69).

Driving in runs was the Blue Jays Achilles heel and it never corrected in 2026

Capitalizing on runners in scoring position was one of the biggest challenges for the Blue Jays in 2026. Throughout the season, they slashed .243/.311/.377 with runners in scoring position. They had the second-lowest wRC+ (89) and the second-fewest home runs (34) with runners in scoring position.

Beyond struggling to cash in runners, the Blue Jays also struggled to create opportunities on the basepaths. The Blue Jays were 27th in stolen bases in 2026 with 75. In the final three weeks of the season, the Blue Jays stole only three bases, an MLB low. They also had the fewest stolen-base attempts with six. In fact, 28 teams had at least as many stolen bases in the final three weeks of the season as the Blue Jays attempted.

The Blue Jays' lack of power has been blamed for their poor 2026, and it's certainly a factor. The Blue Jays finished with the fewest home runs in 2026, with just 152. In the final three weeks of the season, the Blue Jays had 18 home runs, which ranked 25th in MLB. That definitely cost the Blue Jays; however, they still could have been successful without a ton of power. Case in point: the two teams in the 2026 World Series.

The Milwaukee Brewers finished with the best record in the regular season, but they hit only two more home runs than the Blue Jays. The Tampa Bay Rays were 22nd in home runs with 169. However, both teams finished in the top five in stolen bases (Rays third, Brewers fifth). They couldn't rely on power, but they found other ways to create scoring opportunities.

The biggest thing that let the Blue Jays down in 2026 was that they simply weren't a threatening team offensively. They weren't a home run threat; they weren't aggressive on the basepaths; and they couldn't string hits together when it mattered. Even when the Blue Jays got runners on base, their opponents didn't have to work hard to hold them.

The 2025 Blue Jays also didn't steal a lot. They were 28th in stolen bases with 77. However, they were able to string hits together and had enough power to generate runs. Even if they weren't a stolen-base threat, they got players on base and made things happen. In 2026, the Blue Jays lacked power, speed, and consistency. They was nothing about the offence that put pressure on opposing teams or manufactured runs.

A lot went wrong for the Blue Jays in 2026. They dealt with many injuries, particularly to the starting rotation. Despite that, the pitching was consistent, in spite of the injuries causing a lot of uncertainty and an extra burden on the bullpen. What killed the Blue Jays in 2026 was the offence's lack of identity and consistency.

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