After clinching a playoff spot Sunday in Kansas City, the Toronto Blue Jays look to capture their first divisional crown since 2015 this week over the final six games of the regular season

Sitting at 90-66, the Blue Jays hold a 2.0 game lead over the New York Yankees and a 5.0 game advantage over the Boston Red Sox, who are in Toronto for a three-game set starting on Tuesday.

The Blue Jays’ magic number (any combination of Jays wins and Yankees losses) to clinch the American League East is four.

Phillips weighs in on Blue Jays’ first postseason berth since 2023 The Blue Jays became the first team in the American League to secure a spot in the playoffs, returning to the postseason for the first time since 2023, and improved its AL-best and AL East-leading record to 90-66. Steve Phillips discusses the accomplishment as Toronto targets the top of the AL.

ESPN’s Buster Olney is confident the Jays will finish the job and clinch the division this week after owning the top spot since July 3.

“I think the Blue Jays, especially with the advantage of playing at home, they’ll find a way to get in which is what they’re going to need because the Yankees are playing all this patsies down the stretch and they’re just going to hammer the White Sox and probably the Orioles over the weekend,” Olney told TSN 1050’s First Up on Tuesday morning.

With a 50-25 home record, the Blue Jays are the best team at home in the American League this season.

After the Red Sox series, the Jays finish the season over the weekend against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays.

Despite being an extreme long shot to win the division, the 85-71 Red Sox still have plenty to play for over their remaining games as they currently hold the second Wild Card spot in the American League, just 1.0 game ahead of the red-hot Cleveland Guardians and struggling Houston Astros.

Rookie outfield Roman Anthony was a key contributor for the Red Sox for a large portion of the season before suffering an oblique injury in early September, likely keeping him sidelined for the remainder of the regular season.

Boston is 7-9 since Anthony went down.

“They are not in the same weight class as they were before. They had this really deep lineup. Lot of guys getting on base from the top down,” Olney remarked. “Anthony with a .420 on-base percentage. Since taking him away, they just look like they’re in a different weight class.”

The Blue Jays have their fair share of roster concerns as well with the playoffs quickly approaching.

Toronto’s top hitter Bo Bichette hasn’t played since Sept. 6 after suffering a knee injury against the Yankees and isn’t expected to return until the playoffs at the earliest.

Despite the poor timing, Bichette, who still leads the MLB with 181 hits, two better than Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner, is “feeling better every day,” according to manager John Schneider.

Olney says that among the other star players currently injured across the MLB, including Yordan Alvarez with the Houston Astros and Justin Tucker with the Chicago Cubs, he’s most confident in Bichette returning and being an impactful player in the postseason.

“The great thing from the Blue Jays perspective is they can cover whichever way this goes,” Olney explained. “If he needs to be the DH, they’re good. They can move their chess pieces around and make that happen. If he ends up being a position player and plays shortstop, well they can make that work too.”

The 27-year-old shortstop was arguably having the best season of his seven-year career before going down with the injury, hitting .311 with 18 home runs and 93 RBIs alongside an .357 on-base percentage and a .840 OPS.

Bichette will be a free agent this winter.

On the mound, the Jays have some growing concern regarding veteran starter Max Scherzer.

The 41-year-old seemed like a near lock to be a top three starting pitcher in the Jays’ playoff rotation – alongside Kevin Gausman and Shane Bieber – following a stellar August when he posted a 3.34 ERA and four wins over six starts.

September has been a different story as Scherzer owns a 11.70 ERA over three starts, including Friday’s disastrous outing when he allowed seven runs over just 0.2 innings pitched before being pulled.

Scherzer will be on the mound Wednesday night against the Red Sox for his last start of the regular season.

Olney says that start could go a long way in determining how the Blue Jays use Scherzer for the playoffs.

“It really comes down to, A: Last look and what do you see in the last look, especially for veteran guys like Max. And B: How well-suited is the pitcher for a bullpen role? How difficult is it for Scherzer at his age to get warmed up and ramped up and pitch out of the bullpen? Olney said. ”Look Clayton Kershaw, same question with the Dodgers. Kershaw has basically told Dave Roberts ‘whatever you need me to do. You need me to get one batter, I’ll do that.’ And he’s pitched out of the bullpen a ton. Max hasn’t. And how much of that is a factor?

Scherzer has been a starter for his entire career only making nine relief appearances during his rookie campaign with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2008. He’s pitched out of the pen in five playoff games, however.

Olney also questions what sitting a player like Scherzer would do to the team chemistry. Scherzer has won three Cy Young award in his Hall-of-Fame career and is considered a clubhouse leader.

“Also, you have the team culture aspect of it too. Which is, can you really sit down a veteran, who has the kind of experience Max does? Because if he’s not going to be suited for a bullpen role or if he’s not going to start, the what exactly to you do with him? That’s why I think it’s going to come down to what is the last thing they see from that player before they make that decision,” Olney said.

“If Max goes out Wednesday against the Red Sox and deals. If he’s throwing mid-90s and he spins five or six scoreless innings, I think in a sport so much data is collected over a long-term, small sample size matters this time of year.”

For the season, Scherzer has a 5-4 record with a 5.06 ERA and 77 strikeouts over 80 innings.

The Jays are 2.0 games ahead of the Yankees and 3.0 games ahead of the Seattle Mariners for top spot in the American League which would earn them a bye straight to the divisional series and home field advantage throughout the AL playoffs.