Toronto Blue Jays

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The Blue Jays first made the playoffs in 1985 by capturing the American League East Division, though they lost the American League Championship Series (ALCS) in seven games to the Kansas City Royals. They returned to the postseason in 1989, losing to the Oakland Athletics in the ALCS in five games, and again in 1991, defeated once more by the Minnesota Twins in a five-game ALCS series. In 1992, they became the first Canadian-based team to win the Commissioner's Trophy, securing six-game victories over Oakland in the ALCS and the Atlanta Braves in the World Series. They repeated this success in 1993 with another pair of six-game wins against the Chicago White Sox in the ALCS and the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series.

In Their Own Story

After 1993, the Blue Jays failed to qualify for the playoffs for 21 consecutive seasons until clinching a berth in 2015. During that drought, they faced unique challenges, such as playing their entire 2020 season at Sahlen Field in Buffalo, New York, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through 49 seasons of baseball, the team has recorded 28 seasons at .500 or better, with 27 being winning campaigns. They have qualified for the playoffs 11 times, winning three American League pennants and two World Series titles. Their postseason history includes five eliminations by eventual World Series champions: the Royals in 1985 and 2015, the Athletics in 1989, the Twins in 1991, and the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2025.

Reader's Guide

The Blue Jays' history includes specific notes on league anomalies that affected their record. In 1979, voting for the American League Rookie of the Year Award ended in a tie, with Griffin sharing the award with John Castino of the Minnesota Twins. The 1981 season was shortened by a strike, splitting the regular season into two halves where division winners played in a special round. A strike in 1985 cancelled one game that was never rescheduled. The massive 1994–95 strike ended the regular season on August 11 with the entire postseason cancelled, and subsequently shortened the 1995 season to 144 games. Most recently, the global COVID-19 pandemic delayed the start of the 2020 regular season, limiting play to only 60 games.

Did You Know?

• The team name 'Blue Jays' was selected in a 1976 contest from over 4,000 suggestions.
• In 1979, the American League Rookie of the Year Award ended in a tie between Griffin and Minnesota Twins' John Castino.
• The Blue Jays played their entire 2020 season at Sahlen Field in Buffalo, New York, because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• After winning back-to-back World Series titles in 1992 and 1993, the team missed the playoffs for 21 consecutive seasons until 2015.
• The Blue Jays have been eliminated by the eventual World Series champions five times: 1985, 1989, 1991, 2015, and 2025.