The American League East race is heating up, and how! The Toronto Blue Jays are feeling the pressure of it all. Mostly because they lost to the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday, while the New York Yankees pulled off a win against the Chicago White Sox. The Jays now fell out of the sole possession of first place. Now, with just a few games left to reclaim that division crown, every play matters for them.

It’s guaranteed that everyone playing would be tense. But amidst the tension is chatter — a conspiracy theory — that this time, not fans but an MLB player brought into the light. And the player is none other than Blue Jays’ George Springer. During Tuesday’s game, Springer voiced his frustration after an umpire ruled his bases-loaded hit in the second inning as a foul ball. The replays all suggested that it was a fair game. But Springer didn’t think so, and what happened next was unprecedented.

He directed his frustration at the Yankees. According to Jomboy Media’s James O’Brien, Springer seemed to mouth in the dugout, “If they want New York to win, just tell me and give it to them already.” Many thought that this was a suggestion that the umpires were trying to help the Yankees win the division. And this narrative was dissed and dismissed by Michael Kay recently.

Michael Kay, for what it’s worth, was asked this question by a fan during a sports talk. Now first, he said he doesn’t know if Springer positively did mouth that statement, but he said, “I would hate to think he believes it.” Kay then gave the dirty secret, saying, “Baseball doesn’t need the Yankees to make the playoffs. And by the way, here’s a dirty little secret. You know, one of the lowest-rated World Series of all time was the Yankees and the Mets in 2000 because a lot of the country hates the Yankees. A lot of the country hates the Mets. A lot of the country hates everything about New York. So, getting the Mets or the Yankees into the World Series does not assure them of getting a huge rating.” 

According to him, the New York Yankees getting forward does nothing for the league. Kay gave the example of how big ratings are only possible when there is a seven-game series. And it is true. Because last season’s WS was seen as a bummer, and it had the Dodgers and the Yankees— two of the biggest franchises in the league. Why though? This was because it was completed in five games, not seven. So, there was not enough time to have a drama, which is what kills ratings.

Kay mentioned that it would also be awfully tough for the Yankees to pull that feat off. Not to mention, this kind of conspiracy can’t take place with two or three hands; it would need more—and then someone would speak up. So for Kay, it is just “silly talk.” Plus, also, isn’t it established that umpires don’t love Aaron Boone—he gets ejected plenty of times? So, yes, ultimately, Kay is shutting down the narrative that MLB is in any form manipulating results. The Yankees’ success is their own. And Toronto’s collapse? That’s their own doing, too—no conspiracy!

The real reason behind the Blue Jays’ collapse

The Toronto Blue Jays have managed to undo three months of great baseball in just a single week. A five-game cushion with just 11 to go just evaporated into thin air. Well, all thanks to six losses in their last seven games. Now, for them, the season is hanging by a thread. And well, there are several reasons as to why this has happened.

The cracks really started with the rotation shuffle. When Shane Bieber arrived at the trade deadline, the Jays got creative with a six-man rotation, and that blew up in their faces. Eric Lauer hasn’t been the same since being bumped, and then Jose Berrios got banished to the bullpen. Max Scherzer turned from a dependable person to someone with a 10.20 ERA in his last four outings.

But then the thing is—the pitching is not even the ugly part now. The offense has fallen into a ditch, and they posted a .463 OPS over the last seven games. This is the worst stretch for the Toronto Blue Jays in 30 years—yes, thirty! Plus, losing Bo Bichette to injury has been brutal, given he was on a surge before the sprain. Now, without him, the lineup looks lifeless.

Plus, there is the big question of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. With his big contract and hype, fans thought he would make this his moment. But he is in a slump at the worst time possible—slashing. 154 with a .377 OPS. It’s a vanishing act from him. And if the Jays want to stop this meltdown, Vladdy needs to wake up.