Here is the ugly truth—math does not lie. And right now, for the New York Yankees, it has started to look pretty ugly. Thirteen games are remaining in the regular season, and even then, they are sitting four games back of the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East. Please, with the Toronto Blue Jays owning the tiebreaker, that’s a five-game mountain they need to pass. FanGraphs, in fact, has Toronto sitting at a 92.4% chance to win the division.

This for the Yankees is a door slamming in their face since they had to go through cold streaks the entire season till now. Meanwhile, for Toronto, a different kind of math is at play, and the number here is 32. Well, that’s about how long it had been since they last reached the World Series. Remember Joe Carter’s walk-off shot that sent the country into a daze in 1993?

Fans who attended then, many of whom were kids, are now bringing their kids, hoping that the history will repeat itself. And the way the team is now, with the pitching depth, the lineup, and that grit—it feels stronger than it has been for decades now.

And even former catcher A.J. Pierzynski can see it: “The American League has to go through Toronto. And that is not the easiest place to go to win. It gets loud, it gets crazy. I think this team is not only going to win the East… they should have locked it out. Also represent the AL in the World Series. Everyone still doesn’t understand how good Toronto can be when that country and stadium get behind them.”

For the New York Yankees, this is a living nightmare. And sure, they have one of the easiest schedules to get through now. But their opponents have a .438 winning percentage combined, so the margin for making any error is less. Plus, here is one more number game: if the Yanks finish hot at 10-3, then the Jays need only to crawl home at 6-7 to seal the East./So for now, the most realistic path for the Yankees may be the Wild Card.

For Toronto, though, this story almost has a redemption arc. Just last season, they were in last place in the East. Yet look at them now—standing at the end of the rope to end their 32-year-old drought. They are carrying the entire nation’s hopes and dreams. And if they end up performing as they do, then maybe it can feel like 1993 all over again this time. Although not just the Yankees, they need to be aware of the Mariners, who seem to be their real rival now.

The Blue Jays face big pitching decisions ahead!

The Toronto Blue Jays have been brilliant this season, and a major reason for the surge has been because of one name—Shane Bieber. He just had a Tommy John surgery, but even then, Toronto took a chance on him, and well, it has paid off. Through five starts, Bieber reminded everyone why he is a Cy Young winner and two-time all-star. He has a 3.72 ERA—so he has been electric for the Jays. But here is the catch—he can be out of Toronto just as soon as he came.

See, Bieber might opt out of his deal, and if he does, then the Jays might be looking at a major rotation hole for the 2026 season. Now here is where the story gets more interesting. Because if history tells anything, it is that the Jays have not been a magnet when it comes to signing marquee free agents. But given they have Vladdy as a cornerstone, they might be willing to change and swing big this time.

Sports Illustrated’s Jackson Roberts, in fact, gave a name that does make sense—Brandon Woodruff. The Milwaukee Brewers ace has a $20 million mutual option next season. And well, mutual options are virtually never picked up, according to Roberts. Now, Woodruff, when healthy, has been one of the best pitchers in the league. He had missed over a year, but he bounced back and posted a 3.32 ERA in 11 starts—and the Jays would love this kind of arm here.

But here is another twist—even if Bieber stays, Toronto still has a gap, given Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt are both hitting free agency. So it leaves Jays with a tough decision about who exactly will carry the load. What do you think the Jays will do? Keep Bieber, chase Woodruff, or keep both? Let us know.