Jul 21, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider (14) walks onto the field during practice before a game against the New York Yankees at Rogers Centre Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

This One Aspect Could Prevent Blue Jays From Getting Past Wild Card Round

Originally posted on Toronto Blue Jays on SI
By Brad Wakai | Last updated Sep 5, 2025 7:30 PM ET

There's no doubt that this Toronto Blue Jays team is one of the best in the American League and is a real contender to compete for and win a World Series championship this year.

A lot of that stems from their offense. Led by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, they have gotten breakout and resurgent performances from virtually everyone else who has been in their lineup, namely from Daulton Varsho and George Springer, who have taken this group to the next level.

That has resulted in the Blue Jays scoring the fourth-most runs (704) in Major League Baseball entering Friday. They also own the best batting average (.270) and on-base percentage (.339) across the sport, signaling they aren't just reliant on the longball to produce runs since they rank 10th in homers hit (173) at this point of the season.

Offensively, Toronto can compete with anyone in the MLB. Keeping their high level of production going at the plate during October is important if they are going win, because there is a real issue in another key area of this roster that could come back to haunt this team.

Blue Jays Have Major Problems With Their Bullpen

Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

While the Blue Jays' starting rotation is below average in their own right with a 4.39 ERA that ranks them 21st in the majors, there is much more confidence regarding that group figuring things out since trade deadline addition Shane Bieber has largely looked good since he's debuted for the team.

With Bieber, Max Scherzer, Chris Bassitt, Kevin Gausman and Jose Berrios as the starting five, that should allow Toronto to finish the year strong and have plenty of good options to choose from in October.

However, the bullpen is the main issue with this team, as following the All-Star break, they have the second-worst ERA (5.60) in Major League Baseball behind only the Colorado Rockies (6.18). Because of that, it should be no surprise that The Athletic (subscription required) highlighted the relief staff as the thing that could hold this group back from achieving their high-end goals.

"Strong relief pitching is a bedrock for October success. Having at least three or four trusted relievers in the postseason will be mandatory. But, at this point, the Jays need bullpen arms to find it for September. Relief pitching could be the difference between a division title and Blue Jays bye or another dreaded wild-card series," wrote Mitch Bannon.

The last three times Toronto has been in the playoffs, they have been eliminated in the Wild Card round. That includes in 2022 when they won 91 games and looked like they were a real threat to win a championship.

The Blue Jays will look to avoid that fate again this year, but for that to happen, this relief staff needs to step up.