Luckily for the Blue Jays, the team locked up their division crown a few days ago meaning they will avoid too much drama today. Despite that fact, there's still some important things to keep an eye on as all of the games begin at 3:00 this afternoon. Quite simply, if the Blue Jays do not secure home field advantage then they will face the AL West winner, while the Wild Card winner will be their opponent if they manage to get first place overall in the league. Beyond that, there's a chance that the team could face any of the Angels, Astros, Yankees, or Rangers in the ALDS on Thursday.
Let's try to make this as easy as possible:
Result: Blue Jays secure home field advantage
For this result to occur the Blue Jays have to win today and have the Royals lose against the Twins in Minnesota. If this were to occur then Toronto would clinch HFA and start every series in Toronto through the World Series. This result means the team would face the wildcard winner which is very much up in the air, beyond just the actual wild card game.
- If Texas wins, Houston wins, and New York wins then the Yankees will host the Astros in the WC game and the Blue Jays will face the winner.
- If Texas wins, Houston loses, and New York loses then the Yankees will host the Astros in the WC game and the Blue Jays will face the winner.
- If Texas loses, Houston wins, and New York wins then the two AL West teams play for the division title on Monday with the loser playing at the Yankees in the WC game and the Blue Jays will face the winner.
- If Texas loses, Houston wins, and New York loses then the two AL West teams play for the division title on Monday with the loser hosting the Yankees in the WC game and the Blue Jays will face the winner.
- If Houston loses and the Angels win then the Astros and Angels play for the second wild card spot on Monday with the winner going to New York to play for the WC crown and a series against the Blue Jays.
Result: Blue Jays do not secure home field advantage
Although it looks confusing, it's fairly easy to get a hold of. If the Astros win, then the Angels are eliminated straightaway. If the Yankees win or the Astros lose, then New York gets a home wild card game. If the Astros win and Yankees lose, then the AL West team will host the Yankees in the WC affair regardless of what the Rangers do.
Happy watching!