Tip of the Tower
Fansided

Toronto Blue Jays: Time to Hit Those Panic Buttons

By William Wilson

facebooktwitterreddit

The Toronto Blue Jays can’t seem to score any big runs these days

After the major acquisitions of Troy Tulowitzki and David Price, then riding an 11-game winning streak into first place in the American League East, things weren’t supposed to sour this quickly.

More from Toronto Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays have now dropped two straight games at home to the New York Yankees, who’ve reclaimed their lead in the division, and if it wasn’t for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim’s inability to win these days, we could very easily be at risk of slipping down into the second Wild Card spot.

Are the Jays really in a free fall? No.

Are they really at risk of falling out of a playoff spot? No.

Jul 31, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Troy Tulowitzki (2) and starting pitcher David Price (14) and right fielder Jose Bautista (19) celebrate the win during the eleventh inning in a game against the Kansas City Royals at Rogers Centre. The Toronto Blue Jays won 7-6. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

According to MLB.com, the Jays still have a 92 per cent probability of making the playoffs for the first time in 21 years. This actually gives them a slight edge over the Yankees, who sit two percentage points below them.

Looking ahead to the team’s schedule for the rest of the month, things look pretty easy, too. The Jays will finish out August with contests against the Philadelphia Phillies, Angels, Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians. Of these five teams, only the Angels (60-56) and the Rangers (58-57) are above .500. This should allow the Jays to get back into the race for the top spot in the division.

Live Feed

MLB rumors: Shohei Ohtani's decision timeline revealed
MLB rumors: Shohei Ohtani's decision timeline revealed /

FanSided

  • Is this the offseason the Blue Jays finally pull the trigger on long-time outfield target? Jays Journal
  • With opportunity to build a super-bullpen, the Blue Jays should call on newly-available Guardians closerJays Journal
  • Blue Jays sign Andrew Bechtold, a worthwhile project, to minor league dealJays Journal
  • Blue Jays SS Bo Bichette earns well deserved praise for his improved defense in 2023Jays Journal
  • Blue Jays radio personality suggests Blue Jays could shop George Springer this winterJays Journal

    • In a literal sense, we can put the panic buttons away. The Jays still find themselves in a very good playoff position with a month and a half of regular season baseball left to play. Their roster is filled with high-end talent so it’s difficult to imagine them going on an extended losing streak and burning out before the end of the season.

    What’s really at play, however, is the deep insecurity of being a Toronto sports fan. Things never quite work out for us – we always expect and often experience the worse – and this loser’s ethos and collective expectation of deep disappointment can warp our understanding of reality.

    For the next few weeks, it might be best if we let the Jays do our thinking with their bats. We’re clearly too fragile right now to think for ourselves.

    More from Tip of the Tower

    We’ll have all your Toronto Blue Jays playoff needs covered here at Tip of the Tower (assuming they make the playoffs)!

    Home/Toronto Blue Jays