It all comes down to Game 162. The Toronto Blue Jays and the New York Yankees sit tied on top of the AL East with the same 93-68 records. And for the first time since 2015, the Toronto Blue Jays have a chance to claim the division crown and end the curse. But the stakes couldn’t be higher, and all eyes are on Toronto’s $110 million ace, Kevin Gausman.

Just last week, Gausman joked about how much he relies on routine. He admitted, “You kind of have to throw your routine out the window a little bit. I just pitch when they tell me to pitch.” And now, that same flexibility is put to the test. Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Tampa Bay Rays could decide whether Toronto earns the AL East title and a coveted bye to the ALDS or maybe heads into the Wild Card series instead.

Jeff Hoffman, their reliever, has confidence that they can rely on one person to get them through, and it’s indeed Gausman. “Gausy’s had an unbelievable year… It’s a lot of pressure, you know, when everybody’s depending on you. But we’re all behind him and ready to help.” And right now, Toronto knows that they can’t leave anything to chance. Even with the Yankees needing help, a win is non-negotiable.

Jay’s Digest summed up the feeling perfectly: “If he goes out there and wins the game, folks, we advance. And this is the one guy who I trust most on this pitching staff… It all comes down to this for Kevin Gausman to be in there—it is absolutely crazy, it is scary, but at the end of the day, they got the must-win game done yesterday.” And it makes sense why he has so much trust in Gausman.

Kevin Gausman (10-11, 3.47 ERA) is 8-9 with a 3.91 ERA in 25 career games (23 starts) against the Rays. He is 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA against them in two starts this season. Now against him, the Rays are putting rookie left-hander Ian Seymour. He allowed one unearned run over seven innings on Sept 17 against the Jays in Toronto in Tampa Bay’s 2-1 home victory.

Moreover, the talent is there, given rookie Trey Yesavafe shone Saturday with five scoreless innings in a 5-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. This does give confidence that the bullpen can handle the late innings. Right now, the narrative is simple—one win, and that decade-long curse ends. And they hold the No. 1 seed in the league. If Toronto loses, then the Yankees also have to lose for the Jays to bypass the wild card series.

Blue Jays’ playoff hopes hinge on Vladimir Guerrero Jr. getting hot!

Heading into the final day of the MLB regular season, the Jays and New York Yankees are tied. And if you told the fans back in March that so late in the season, they would be tied with New York, then they would have jumped in excitement. But the thing is, last week has been brutal. Toronto’s five-game lead evaporated, and now the specter of a best-of-three wild-card series looms over a team that hasn’t always thrived in the format.

While winning the AL East and getting the home-field advantage would be the dream. But the bigger picture is that they need a complete team effort to make it deep into the playoffs. That means better pitching, more consistent power down the lineup, and most importantly, a healthy Bo Bichette back and their superstar Vladimir Guerrero Jr. stepping up.

It has not been smooth sailing for Vladdy this season. After Guerrero Jr signed the jaw-dropping 14-year, $500 million contract, expectations were sky-high. His .293 batting average and .851 OPS are great, but the power numbers have not been good. Saturday’s 5-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays saw him go 0-4 with three groundouts and a strikeout. So a tough day for him! But here is the kicker—it takes just one swing.

The playoffs are where real legacies are formed, and if Guerrero Jr. can rise to the moment, then all the struggles of 2025 could be forgotten.