ARLINGTON -- With just nine games left in the regular season, this weekend’s series between the Rangers (76-77) and Blue Jays (76-77) could swing both the American League West and Wild Card races.
Following the Rangers' loss to the Red Sox on Thursday night, Texas dropped one game back of Houston (77-76) in the AL West and remains two games back of the final AL Wild Card spot. The Blue Jays also sit two games back of the Guardians (78-75) for the final spot.
Texas already holds the tiebreaker over Toronto after a four-game sweep at Rogers Centre from June 25-28, so this series won’t affect that.
“That's what's so much fun about coming to the ballpark,” Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said. “You're just locked in on all these games. I just love this time of year in general. I think for the fans it's a fun time to come to the ballpark, because so much is on the line. Every game is huge. ... I'm very blessed that we're part of that [playoff] conversation. Again, that's why it makes it fun to come to the yard.”
For the Blue Jays, it’s Wild Card or bust. This season has been a disappointment in so many ways coming off last year’s run to Game 7 of the World Series, but the door is still cracked open for them to sneak into the dance.
“We have work to do,” said Max Scherzer, one of the Blue Jays’ emotional leaders and a former Rangers pitcher. “It takes all of us, not only the starting staff, but the bullpen, the hitters. We have to win ballgames. Our backs are against the wall. We’ve got to come out fighting and clawing, and keep finding ways to win ballgames.”
Let’s dive in:
The postseason picture: What’s at stake?
Blue Jays: Everything. Fresh off a series loss to the Tigers, the Blue Jays have left themselves with an uphill climb and do not hold the tiebreaker against the White Sox, so they’d need to clear them. With the Rangers and Orioles on the schedule for this road trip before their season finale against the Reds back at home, they’re running out of time. Missing the postseason would be a complete and total failure for Toronto, which entered 2026 with World Series expectations.
Rangers: The Rangers don’t control their own destiny. The only thing they can control is winning as many games as possible to put themselves in the best position to get to the postseason. This series -- and every game before and after it -- means just about everything. Even though Texas can't win the tiebreaker over Toronto, the Rangers need to keep winning to maintain their position in both the AL West and the AL Wild Card races.
What has been an area of strength for each team down the stretch?
Blue Jays: The bullpen has been spectacular, but how much further can that group be pushed? At times, the Blue Jays have been forced to roll out multiple bullpen games per week as this rotation struggles to get healthy. And while the potential return of Trey Yesavage on Sunday or Monday will help, the Blue Jays have asked so much from this bullpen. They’ve answered the call admirably, but how much is left in the tank?
Rangers: Home cooking. They have figured out how to win at home. Luckily for them, nine of their last 12 games have been at Globe Life Field.
Texas is 42-33 (.560) at Globe Life Field this season, has the fourth-best home record in the AL and the 10th-best home mark in MLB. The Rangers are 25-16 (.610) in their last 41 games at home dating back to June 19, going 10-2-1 in series play during the span, including an undefeated mark in all eight of their home sets since July 24.
“We've been playing really well at home, so that’s huge,” Schumaker said. “The guys are excited to come home and play some really good teams coming up. Like I said, that's the exciting part at this time of year. You have their meaningful games against a team that is trying to also win to get in. That's why this makes it fun.”
What are some of the weaknesses that could make each team vulnerable in the final stretch?
Blue Jays: This is still the second-lowest scoring offense in baseball, ahead of only the Angels. The Blue Jays’ bats had some flashes recently, but they’ll need to avoid the quiet nights completely if they want to go on a run. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. continues to struggle, and none of his big moments -- like his first 2026 home run at Rogers Centre on Sunday -- have snowballed into anything bigger. This offense needs to magically find another gear beginning in Game 154, which feels like an awfully big ask.
Rangers: They’re still not totally healthy. The Rangers had the full lineup back healthy for approximately an hour and a half last week, when Josh Jung and Nathan Eovaldi were activated from the injured list, but Joc Pederson was hit by a pitch on his left hand midway through that same game. Though Pederson has not been placed on the injured list, he does have a fracture in his hand and is hoping to continue playing through the pain for the remainder of the year.
Even if Pederson can play, he will clearly be limited, severely hurting the Rangers’ chances against right-handed pitching.