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Stick a Fork in the 2026 Toronto Blue Jays
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- Stick a Fork in the 2026 Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays ' 2026 season technically isn't over, but the reality is that it is.
Following a 4-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Monday night, the Blue Jays dropped to 77-80 on the season.
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It was a heartbreaking loss, as Toronto led 3-2 heading into the bottom of the eighth inning before Orioles slugger Pete Alonso blasted a game-breaking home run off Blue Jays reliever Tyler Rogers to put the O's up 4-3 and take the lead for good.
This was a must-win game for Toronto, and they failed to get the job done.
The season is now over.
Put a fork in these 2026 Blue Jays.
Tyler Rogers gave up a game-breaking home run to Pete Alonso on Monday night.Tenley Wright / Getty Images
Math Isn't On Blue Jays' Side
With just five games left, the Blue Jays can only max out at 82 wins this year even if they win every game left, which is not going to be enough to get into the playoffs.
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The Cleveland Guardians and Chicago White Sox are the two teams that Toronto is chasing right now for the third and final American League Wild Card spot, and both of those teams have six games left.
The Guardians have 81 wins, so they just need two more wins to clear Toronto, who hold the tiebreaker over them.
The White Sox, who hold the tiebreaker over Toronto, have 80 wins, and they also just need two more wins to make sure they don't allow the Blue Jays to overtake them.
By the odds, the Blue Jays have a 1% chance of making the playoffs this year.
Sure, there's a chance… but with this being the final week of the season, it's just not happening for Toronto this year.
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In 2025, the Blue Jays made it all the way to the World Series and lost in seven games to the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers .
In 2026, though, this team won't even make the playoffs.
What a terrible season by Toronto, and one that very few could have seen coming entering the year, given how well the team performed last season and all the excitement that came along with it.
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Blue Jays Have Big Decisions This Offseason
This offseason, the Blue Jays have some big decisions to make about how they are going to approach things to make sure a terrible season like this one doesn't happen again.
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The biggest problem this year was the lineup, as there just wasn't enough slug in it.
Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was pathetic at the plate this year, but he wasn't the only hitter who didn't live up to expectations.
This team needs a big bat in left field and probably one more in the infield as well, plus they need Guerrero to bounce back in a big way.
They could also use some upgrades in the pitching staff, which was decimated by injuries this season.
The bullpen could also use some fresh arms.
I worry that the Blue Jays' front office will go with the narrative that injuries were the problem with the team this year and essentially run things back in 2027.
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Yes, the team did deal with tons of injuries, but they were far from the only MLB team that was banged up this year, and you can't fully blame this bad season on injuries.
Ultimately, it was just a poorly constructed roster and one that wasn't good enough to make the playoffs.
If the Blue Jays are going to bounce back and try to get back in the playoffs next season, then they have a lot of heavy lifting to do this offseason.
Let's hope that Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins is up for the challenge.
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This story was originally published by Lindys Sports on Sep 22, 2026, where it first appeared in the MLB section. Add Lindys Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
