Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. provides power for Toronto after signing a 14-year contract extension. (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images)
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Like the scrappy bird in their nickname, the tenacious Toronto Blue Jays have clawed their way to 45 come-from-behind victories – most in the major leagues – and 87 overall, tops in the American League with under two weeks left in the 2025 campaign.
The Jays have not won a pennant since 1993 or even a playoff game since 2016 but are determined to rebound from a season in which they finished last, 20 games out of first place with a .457 winning percentage.
They’re doing that in spades.
Latest Comeback
Their latest comeback came Saturday, when they scored three runs in the ninth inning to beat the Baltimore Orioles, 5-4. With one man out and nobody on, they survived on a bunt hit, a throwing error, three singles, catcher’s interference, and a sacrifice fly.
Toronto triumphed again Sunday, moving 25 games over .500 and expanding their lead over the second-place New York Yankees to four games in the American League East with 13 to play.
The victory left the Jays 25 games over .500 and four games ahead of the second-place New York Yankees in the American League East, and on the verge of completing a rare worst-to-first season – their first.
A 1977 expansion team, the Jays have won two World Series (1992-93) and made 10 playoff appearances in their 49 seasons, compiling an overall record that sits just under .500 (3,848-3,850). This season, only Philadelphia (.593) and Milwaukee (.607) have better winning percentages.
Tampa Bay Nemesis
But the Jays can’t coast: they have seven games to play against the Tampa Bay Rays, their only divisional opponent that has had their number in 2025.
Toronto has lost five of six against the pitching-rich Rays so far despite its success against the stronger Yankees (8-5) and Red Sox (7-3 with three to play).
Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider celebrates a Vlad Guerrero home run as bench coach Don Mattingly looks on from the dugout. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
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Manager John Schneider is opening the four-game road series against the Rays tonight with fireballing rookie Trey Yesavage, making his major-league debut. Tampa Bay will also oppose Toronto in a season-ending three-game set at Rogers Centre Sept. 26-28.
The only other remaining games for the Jays are three games against the Royals in Kansas City and three against the Red Sox in Toronto.
Toronto has occupied the top spot in the AL East since July 2 but staggered a bit in August, its worst month, with a 15-12 record. The lineup, led by slugging first baseman Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. and veteran outfielder George Springer, has produced runs in bunches. But the bullpen suffered the bite of the dog days before rebounding in the first half of September.
Hard-hitting shortstop Bo Bichette, who had been leading the league in hits and doubles, is down with a knee injury and may not return before the end of the month. Then replacement Ernie Clement suffered a broken hand but decided to keep playing.
Keeping Bichette is top priority for the Jays, who already gave Guerrero a 14-year, $500 million extension. Beyond Bichette, the team has several prospective free agents, including infielders Ty France and Isiah Kiner-Falefa plus pitchers Chris Bassitt and Seranthony Dominguez. A year from now, Springer and Kevin Gausman, a dependable starter who leads the Jays in strikeouts, can also test free agency.
Santander Returns
Toronto’s big signing of the last off-season, switch-hitting outfielder Anthony Santander, should have a chance to redeem his five-year, $92.5 million contract after spending most of this year on the sidelines rehabbing a shoulder injury that resulted from his collision with an outfield wall in May. He had 44 home runs for Baltimore last season but just six in 50 games with the Jays before his injury.
Toronto ranks second in payroll among American League teams, trailing only the $300 million Yankees, with its $257 million ledger. But that figure will have to increase if the team hopes to retain Bichette, accommodate arbitration awards, and dabble in the free-agent market.
Virtually certain to depart is 41-year-old starter Max Scherzer, who has pitched well since returning from thumb and back problems. Bassitt, 36, is also an unrestricted free agent, while newly-acquired Shane Bieber, a one-time Cy Young Award winner who has returned from Tommy John surgery, has a $16 million player option. The Blue Jays hope to keep both.
Schneider isn’t worried – at least not on the surface – about what might happen after the World Series. His main concern is getting there.
At least he knows that the scrappy Jays are never down and out.