What are the Blue Jays' playoff chances in 2023? Exploring Toronto's road to postseason as AL wild card race heats up

The Toronto Blue Jays playoff chances rest solely in their hands as the team remains in control of its own destiny. Entering Wednesday's action, Toronto's magic number to clinch a postseason spot is three. If Canada's only ball club can pick up three victories over their next five games, playoff baseball will return north of the border.

"#MLB Standings 9/27. AL East, Orioles – 98-59, Rays – 96-62 (2.5 GB), Blue Jays – 87-70 (11 GB), Yankees – 80-77 (18 GB), Red Sox – 76-81 (22 GB) Clinched Playoffs" - @BettorEdge

According to Fan Graphs, the Toronto Blue Jays have a 95.0% chance of reaching the postseason. Thanks to the team's 87-70 record, if they can secure three victories before the end of the year, they will remain ahead of the Seattle Mariners and the Houston Astros for the second-ranked American League Wild Card spot.

Playoff Scenarios for Toronto in 2023

Although three victories in their final five games will guarantee a postseason berth for Toronto, the squad has the opportunity to celebrate clinching a playoff spot as early as Thursday night. For this to occur, the Jays will need to win both of their games against the New York Yankees on Wednesday and Thursday with the Seattle Mariners losing theirs in that span.

"The earliest we can clinch a playoff spot is after the Astros/M's game tomorrow pending 2x Jays wins followed by 2x Mariner losses (tonight and tomorrow)" - @BlueInThe6ix

Earlier last week, there was a realistic shot that the Toronto Blue Jays could miss out on a shot at the 2023 World Series, however, thanks to their 7-3 record over the last ten games, the team controls their own destiny.

Who would the Toronto Blue Jays play in the playoffs if the season ended today?

If the season was to end today, Toronto would be matched up against their American League East rivals, the Tampa Bay Rays. This would also be the case if the club was able to secure the second Wild Card spot given the fact that Tampa Bay has secured the first Wild Card position.

However, there is still a chance that the American League crown could switch before the end of the regular season. Currently, the Baltimore Orioles sit atop the division, but the Tampa Bay Rays are only 2.5 games behind with four games remaining. If this shifts, Toronto could play Baltimore in the Wild Card round.