Blue Jays: Four key series to follow in June

Toronto holds third place in the AL East despite early-season struggles in 2026. April and May records in 2026 are only slightly worse than 2025, when Toronto improved in June. June is expected to be pivotal for Toronto’s trajectory. A key series begins against the Atlanta Braves, who have strong overall performance, powered by a deep lineup and effective pitching and bullpen. Another matchup follows against the Philadelphia Phillies at Toronto, with Philadelphia not at its best and early struggles leading to organizational changes. These games against strong opponents could determine whether Toronto builds momentum for the rest of the year.

"The Blue Jays have been rocky at best in 2026, but they still hold onto third place in the AL East. Despite the early-season struggles, their performance hasn't been awfully different from the 2025 Blue Jays. For comparison, the 2025 Blue Jays went 11-14 in April and 16-12 in May. This year, the 2026 Blue Jays had a 10-16 record in April and 11-10 in May, which is only slightly worse than the 2025 season."

"The month of June was when the 2025 Jays finally turned the tide in their favour with a 16-10 record. The 2026 Jays can hope to bring the same momentum this June, and here are the four key match-ups that can determine their trajectory for the rest of this year."

"The Atlanta Braves have underperformed for the past two years, mostly due to injuries, but they are back to being one of the toughest opponents around the league. The Braves have one of the best records in the league at a current 36-18 mark. A big part of the Braves' success is their offence and pitching clicking together simultaneously. The lineup, featuring Ronald Acuna Jr., Michael Harris II, Matt Olson and Austin Riley, is fearsome and powerful again."

"The Braves' pitching suffered from some injuries, but pitchers like Bryce Elder, Chris Sale and Spencer Strider have been consistently strong. There are also newer pitchers, such as Dylan Dodd, Didier Fuentes and Grant Holmes, who have significantly lengthened the pitching depth. On the relief pitching side, Raisel Iglesias and Robert Suarez have been lights out as well. Everything is going the Braves' way, so if the Blue Jays can win the series, that would be a huge win in itself."

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