MLB Odds: Will the Toronto Blue Jays win the AL East?

The Toronto Blue Jays are playing their best baseball in a decade…literally. Monday’s 8-5 over the White Sox in Chicago was their ninth straight, the longest active streak in the majors and the team’s longest win streak since 2015.

Can the Jays win the AL East?

Toronto currently leads the AL East division with a 53-38 record, 3.5 games ahead of the second place Yankees. Oddsmakers are giving great value on the Jays winning the division as they are paying out at +140 to win the AL East, while New York is the +115 favourite.

There’s a real belief this Blue Jays team could win the division, so now might be the best time to grab them at +140 before the number shrinks. It looks like a two horse race between Toronto and the Yankees with head-to-head action favouring the Jays. Toronto is 5-2 against the Pinstripes this season, including a recent four-game home sweep.

Will Toronto make the playoffs?

At this point it seems like a no-brainer Toronto will be a playoff team. They have a three-game cushion to win the division and even if they don’t, they should easily clinch one of the three American League wild card spots.

A big part of the Blue Jays’ recent success has been the play of George Springer. The 35-year-old former World Series MVP has turned back the clock by leading the majors in homers (five) and RBIs (13) since the beginning of July.

Breakout hitter Addison Barger has also been clutch this month, second only to Springer in RBIs (11).

Contributions have come throughout the lineup, with the likes of Springer, Barger, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette and Alejandro Kirk helping Toronto average 6.6 runs over the last nine games, the second-most in the AL in that time.

Bottom line, this offence is so deep that the Jays won’t just be a playoff team, they should challenge for the division.

How many wins will the Blue Jays finish with?

Toronto’s regular season win total is set at 89.5, a number they hovered around in three of the last four seasons. Right now, the team is on pace for 93 wins, but you have to be careful if you’re thinking of taking the Over.

Remember, the Blue Jays are currently playing at a historic pace that just isn’t sustainable. For context, their nine-game win streak is two short of a franchise record. Toronto hasn’t been this hot since the days when Jose Bautista, Josh Donaldson and Edwin Encarnacion were leading the team.

I’m not trying to be a Debbie Downer when it comes to the Jays, I’m just exercising caution until I see this success sustained for another month or so.

Toronto is the hottest team in baseball and fans should fully enjoy it because you never know how long this success will last.