The Blue Jays have reached the post-season 11 times in their history, with the current season being one of them. This Sunday marks the beginning of the American League Championship Series (ALCS) for the Blue Jays, who will face the Seattle Mariners after eliminating the New York Yankees in the American League Division Series (ALDS).
Throughout their history, the Blue Jays have made it to the ALCS seven times before, in 1985, 1989, from 1991 to 1993, and most recently in 2015 and 2016. In their first ALCS appearance in 1985, the Blue Jays won 99 games during the regular season and faced the Kansas City Royals, ultimately losing in a seven-game series.
In 1989, the Blue Jays won 89 games but only managed to win one game in the ALCS against the Oakland Athletics, who went on to sweep the World Series. In 1991, despite winning 91 games, the Blue Jays again fell short in the ALCS, winning only one game against the Minnesota Twins, who became World Series champions.
The Blue Jays then achieved back-to-back World Series victories in 1992 and 1993. In 1992, the team won 96 games, secured the division title, and defeated the Oakland Athletics in the ALCS before going on to win the World Series against the Atlanta Braves. The following year, the Blue Jays won 95 games, claimed the ALCS title by beating the Chicago White Sox, and won the World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies.
After a long playoff drought, the Blue Jays returned to the post-season in 2015, winning 93 games and the division title. They reached the ALCS but were defeated by the Kansas City Royals, who went on to win the World Series. The Blue Jays made it to the ALCS again in 2016, winning 89 games in the regular season and advancing to the ALCS, where they lost to Cleveland in five games.
The team, led by José Bautista in 2015, saw similarities between that squad and the current roster heading into the ALCS. Despite previous challenges, the Blue Jays are aiming for a successful run in this year’s ALCS against the Seattle Mariners.