The Toronto Blue Jays have been a hard team to figure out for about two years now. Last season they stumbled through May, then flipped a switch and nearly won it all. This year they’ve been battered by injuries and inconsistency, and they’re sitting in last place in the AL East. But somehow, they’re still within striking distance of a Wild Card spot. And their best player is not about to start hitting the panic button.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. knows what this team looks like when it’s broken. He also knows what it looks like when it’s clicking. And after a desperately needed 1-0 win over the Chicago White Sox on Saturday, he talked about the grind without making excuses.
“I mean, we all know it’s been a rough year for us,” Guerrero told reporters, via Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith. “A lot of injuries, a lot of guys are up and down. But like we talk about in the clubhouse, it’s one game at a time. I think we’re going to be fine.”
That might sound like standard athlete speak. But given what this team has been through, it carries a little more weight. Guerrero was the ALCS MVP last October. He knows what winning looks like in that clubhouse. And on Saturday, he did his part — going 2-for-3 with a double and scoring the only run of the game in the fourth inning.
Shane Bieber finally looked like himself
The Jays got something they haven’t had much of in 2026: a dominant start. Shane Bieber threw six scoreless innings, matching his season high in frames and striking out six. That’s the kind of performance Toronto has been waiting for from a rotation that’s been decimated by injuries all year.
And then there’s George Springer. The veteran outfielder has been brutal at the plate for most of this season. But he drove in the game’s only run with a ground ball up the middle. It wasn’t pretty. But it was something. For a guy who has looked lost for months, any sign of life is worth noting.
The Blue Jays are 46-52. That’s not good. But they’re only 3.5 games back of the final Wild Card spot, and the teams ahead of them aren’t exactly world-beaters. The schedule is manageable. The pitching is showing flickers of competence. And if Guerrero can get hot — he’s now hitting .265 with six homers and a .711 OPS — then maybe this thing isn’t dead yet.
He’ll get a chance to build on it Sunday afternoon in the rubber match against Chicago.
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