Another crucial series for Blue Jays' Wild Card chase on deck

KANSAS CITY -- It’s the biggest series of the season, because they all are now.

Fresh off a series win in Cleveland over the Guardians that not only moved them to within a half-game of the final Wild Card spot, but gave the Blue Jays a crucial tiebreaker advantage over the Guardians, the Blue Jays land in Kansas City at 70-71. Yes, that’s dangerously close to a .500 record, something the Blue Jays haven’t touched since June 22.

Ahead of their three-game set against the Royals, this is what you need to know:

What’s at stake:

If you don’t already have one eye on the out-of-town scoreboard each night, now’s the time to start. The Blue Jays and Rangers are both just a half-game back of the Guardians, but the Blue Jays have the easiest draw among the top contenders this weekend:

• The Guardians play the Tigers (64-75), who have fallen 5 1/2 back of the final Wild Card spot and will be motivated to save their fading postseason chances.

• The Rangers have a tough test against the Rays (83-57), the top team in the American League.

• The Orioles play the Red Sox (76-65), who have the third-best record in the AL.

This can be a dangerous trap, of course, as the Royals have played some great baseball lately and recently took two of three from the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre, but this is still a clear opening for Toronto. Keep in mind that while the Blue Jays hold the tiebreaker over the Guardians, they’ve already lost their tiebreaker to the Rangers (0-4).

One big thing:

You’ll be forgiven if you still feel like you need to see more from Vladimir Guerrero Jr., but isn’t this the closest he’s felt in months? This isn’t just about his five-RBI game Wednesday in Cleveland and his towering home run to left field -- there seems to have been a shift in the focus and energy of Guerrero lately.

Manager John Schneider is the resident expert on the question “Is Vlad back?” given their decade of history together, and those swings in Cleveland looked awfully familiar.

“Yeah, I’ve seen it a couple thousand times,” Schneider said. “It seems like when Vlad has a performance like that or when he’s in the middle of something, it allows everyone to be at ease. That’s what a player like him can do. It impacts everyone up and down the lineup.”

One little thing:

The Blue Jays need to do more on the bases to help themselves win … or at least avoid shooting themselves in the foot.

Toronto has allowed the most stolen bases in Major League Baseball (131), which is a pitching issue as much as a catching issue. The Blue Jays are also tied for 24th in the league with just 71 steals of their own, but Schneider has seen some improvements in that area, led by Brett Bateman. It can’t only be measured by steals, either.

“We’ve gotten a little faster, a little more athletic,” Schneider said. “I think we can take an extra base or go from first to third and just create opportunities that are a little bit easier for the next guys coming up. We’ve seen it before, that once you do it, it becomes the norm and it becomes the expectation for the next guy.”

One sneaky speedster? Charles McAdoo. Maybe it’s his position as a corner infielder or maybe it’s his laid-back demeanor, but he doesn’t feel like a speedster, yet he’s one of the best athletes on this team. His sprint speed of 29.1 feet per second actually ranks him just above Bateman and behind Myles Straw for second on the team. The Blue Jays would love to see McAdoo use that gift more often.

On the mound:

Game 1:
Blue Jays: Jameson Taillon (2-6, 5.68 ERA)
Royals: Daniel Lynch (4-4, 3.06 ERA)

Game 2:
Blue Jays: Max Scherzer (2-7, 6.16 ERA)
Royals: Seth Lugo (6-8, 5.03 ERA)

Game 3:
Blue Jays: TBD
Royals: Randy Dobnak (2-3, 2.65 ERA)

That finale lines up as the Blue Jays’ bullpen day, which recently featured Spencer Arrighetti in a bulk role in their loss to the Guardians, so let’s consider that “TBD” right up until the day of.

Scherzer looks like he’s 27 again, on a red-hot streak with the Blue Jays as he rides the adrenaline of another postseason race, but Taillon is the most interesting name on this slate for the Blue Jays. Back after throwing 48 pitches in his lone rehab start (forearm tendinitis), this is a major spot for the 10-year veteran looking to salvage his 2026 season.