Jays making playoff plans
On the verge of clinching, pandemic preparations begin
I know it's a pretty young group, but it's a talented lineup.”
Aaron Boone on the Jays
BUFFALO — There is still enough business to take place on the diamond at Sahlen Field before the Blue Jays can go all in on their post-season plans.
And a socially distanced celebration, of course.
But behind the scenes, the Jays front office has the wheels in motion for a playoff opener that, as it stands now, would take place Sept. 29 in San Diego.
The Jays aren't getting ahead of themselves, but rather adhering to Major League Baseball's rigid regulations regarding a post-season quarantine and all the logistics associated with it.
Following Monday's 11-5 win over the New York Yankees, the team began its pre-playoff quarantine.
Players and team officials that have access to the clubhouse and field areas are restricted from travelling anywhere other than the team hotel and stadium for the remainder of the season.
As well, MLB has assigned security details to the team hotels of all teams mathematically alive for a playoff spot.
On Sunday, Jays general manager Ross Atkins had to submit a 40-man playoff roster to the league so that all those players could enter the preliminary quarantine.
Although the complete list of names won't be released until they clinch a playoff spot, there were clearly extra bodies around the stadium prior to Monday's game.
Heading into Tuesday's action, the Jays' magic number was three — any combination of their own wins and losses by their closest pursuer, the Seattle Mariners, of three would secure their first post-season berth since 2016.
With six games remaining — three more against the Yankees, including Tuesday's game, and three to close out the season against the Baltimore Orioles — the Jays remain in clear control of their own playoff fate.
The Jays currently hold the eighth seed in the American League and if the standings hold to the conclusion of the season, they would face the top-seeded Tampa Bay Rays in a best-of-three series at St. Pete, Fla., starting next Tuesday.
If the Jays were to pull off the upset in the opening round, they would proceed to San Diego for a best-of-five divisional round meeting with the winner of the No. 4-5 firstround series, which would currently see the Yankees meet Josh Donaldson and the Minnesota Twins.
The sooner the Jays clinch the better, for obvious reasons. With some breathing room, manager Charlie Montoyo and pitching coach Pete Walker could begin resting players and nailing down a rotation for what could be a dramatic best-of-three to get things started.
The transition into the quarantine bubble wasn't expected to create as much disruption or adaptation for the Jays as other teams eyeing the playoffs. MLB has invoked the bubble format that has worked so well for NBA and NHL playoffs, but the Jays have essentially lived under bubblelike conditions all season. The vast majority have lived in a downtown Buffalo hotel and followed club protocols that were more strict than those imposed by MLB.
Meanwhile, the remaining games against the Yankees certainly have some added intrigue beyond the Jays desire to nail down a spot as quickly as possible.
Because the expanded playoff format is a bracket format rather than a reseeding, the American League East division rivals could square off in the second round if they maintain their current seedings and advance in their respective best-of-three openers.
When they complete their series on Thursday, the Jays and Yankees will have met 10 times in the previous 20 games.
New York manager Aaron Boone certainly sees the Jays as an up-and-coming team in the division.
“Obviously, Teoscar (Hernandez) is a guy who has really started to put it together and (Bo) Bichette looks like a young star player in this league,” Boone said when asked about the Jays on a Zoom call.
“Their lineup can be pretty heavy. You need to execute against them or you're backing up bases. I know it's a pretty young group, but it's a talented lineup.”