Toronto Blue Jays' magic number and how soon they can clinch AL East

The Toronto Blue Jays officially clinched a playoff berth on Sunday and now have their sights on an even bigger accomplishment.

Back in the playoffs for the first time since 2023, the Blue Jays are in the driver’s seat to win the AL East Division for the first time since 2015.

Thanks to the Detroit Tigers’ late-season struggles, the Blue Jays are in a great position to clinch a top-two spot in the American League, which would allow them to advance past the wild-card round. To do that, however, they will need to continue to fend off the New York Yankees in the AL East.

The Blue Jays are in the driver’s seat (MLB.com)

The Blue Jays hold a two-game lead over the Yankees for the top spot in the AL East heading into Tuesday’s games, with a record of 90-66. With six games to go, Toronto’s magic number to clinch the division is four.

That number accounts for both Blue Jays wins and Yankees losses, and includes the tiebreaker, which the Jays hold, having won the season series 8-5.

This means that the Blue Jays could clinch the division as soon as Wednesday. They can do that with a pair of wins over the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday and Wednesday, combined with two straight Yankees losses against the Chicago White Sox.

Should the Jays capture a division title, a bye through the wild-card series is all but guaranteed. The Seattle Mariners lead the AL West with an 87-69 record, while the Tigers (85-71) lead the AL Central.

With a playoff berth already officially clinched, the Blue Jays have announced that postseason tickets will go on sale to the general public this Thursday.

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