The Blue Jays just marked their best season since 1993 with 94 wins and have already sent a message: They’re stronger than ever. Plus, its true strength may now show up just in time. And with him back in the lineup, it will give this already deadly roster the last push it needs to go for it all.

That anchor is Bo Bichette, the Blue Jays $186M shortstop who signed a 3-year deal that will end this winter. He has been out since September 6, when he hurt his knee sliding into home plate against the Yankees. Bichette went back into the rain-delayed game for a short time, but three days later, he was put on the IL. The 27-year-old is still a critical part of the clubhouse dugout. He has been working on his recovery with cage work, soft toss, and tee drills over the past several weeks.

And now, the 13-4 victory over Tampa Bay came with an unexpected bonus. It earned the Toronto Blue Jays a first-round bye. And post-win, Bichette spoke about his potential return for the Division Series with optimism. “I’m feeling better every day. I’m feeling better. I don’t have a date, but I will be doing everything that I possibly can to get back.”

So, as the Blue Jays won’t take the field again until the Division Series, Bichette can have some additional recovery time.

Before the game, manager John Schneider said that it was “pretty unlikely” Bichette would be ready for a Wild Card Series. Now, it looks like the Blue Jays got the best-case scenario they had hoped for when they won on Sunday.

The timing couldn’t be better for a team that hasn’t won a title in 32 years. A healthy Bichette makes an already strong lineup into a real contender in October.

The division title didn’t come easy against their biggest rival, though. Toronto and the NYY both finished with identical 94-68 records, but the Blue Jays claimed the AL East crown by winning 8 of 13 head-to-head matchups against the Yankees. The season series was pivotal in a close division race.

Before the injury, Bichette was putting up decent numbers. He has played in 139 games and has a .311 batting average, 18 home runs, 94 RBIs, and a .840 OPS. This season is expected to be his last with the Blue Jays, so winning the World Series would be a suitable finale to his time with the team. It would also fit with the common desire he and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. have of bringing a championship to Canada.

And even Vladdy knows that winning the AL East is just one step closer to that dream, the journey to the World Series is not over yet.

Clinch today, hunt tomorrow: The Blue Jays’ postseason push is just beginning

The Blue Jays not only clinched the bye spot, but they also dominated Tampa in the series, going 6–7 against the Rays overall and 4–2 at home. Toronto’s 13–4 win to seal the series saw them get 15 hits, including a grand slam by Alejandro Kirk, and completely destroy Tampa’s pitching staff.

The celebration was sweet, but the real work starts now.

They now have five days of rest, which was perhaps the most essential thing. They had one day to recuperate from a hangover after the clinch and four days to be ready for the October pursuit. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. added, “The job is not finished… I feel good, tomorrow might feel great. But the job is not finished.”

“It’s kind of exactly what we needed,” manager John Schneider said about the five-day respite. The ALDS starts on Saturday, October 4. The Yankees or Red Sox will play Toronto, which has time to set up its rotation and, possibly, bring back important players and rest tired bodies before the first pitch.

The pieces are finally falling into place for Toronto’s championship puzzle. Now, the question is, can they clinch the World Series ring and end the 32-year-long drought?