A bandwagon fan's guide to the Blue Jays' playoff run

After narrowly missing out on the postseason in 2021, the Toronto Blue Jays have punched their ticket to the American League playoffs in a newly expanded wildcard field. The team clinched a spot last week when the Baltimore Orioles lost to the Boston Red Sox.  

But say you haven't been feverishly watching the boys of summer for all 162 games this season — and now that the playoffs are on the horizon, you're ready for some baseball. What should you know beforehand?

Here is the bandwagon fan's guide to the Jays in the playoffs in 2022.

How did the Jays make the playoffs without playing?

It was odd, but yes, the Blue Jays were able to pop some champagne to celebrate last Thursday, even though it was an off day on their schedule.

Rather than try to explain the arcane mathematics that Major League Baseball uses to determine the standings, let's just say all that had to happen for Toronto to clinch was an Orioles loss.

And Baltimore obliged by losing to the Red Sox. 

Can I get tickets for playoff games?

If you moved quickly enough, you could. Roughly an hour after tickets first went on sale there was a smattering of lower bowl seats available in the $150-ish range for Game 1, plus a wider selection of seats in the 500s going for around $80.

There were more options in similar price ranges available for games two and three of the Jays' wildcard series, as well as the American League division series, should the team advance.

But as time goes on, you'll likely be at the mercy of resellers — and no doubt higher prices, too.

Who will the Jays play first?

The Jays clinched the top wild-card seed in the American League Monday, and will play their first-round series at Rogers Centre starting Friday.

The Blue Jays, seeded fourth in the American League, will host the fifth-seeded team, the Seattle Mariners.

The Mariners have the better record in the season series between the two teams, winning five games to Toronto's two.

The winner of the series will advance to play the top-seeded Houston Astros in the best-of-five AL Division Series starting Oct. 11.

The sixth-seeded club will open against the No. 3 Cleveland Guardians on Friday in the other AL wild-card series. The winner will take on the No. 2 New York Yankees in the ALDS.

The division series winners will advance to the best-of-seven American League Championship Series. The winner of that series will play the National League champion in the World Series starting Oct. 28.

Wait, the wild-card is a series now?

It is — instead of the usual single game like in years past, it's been replaced by a best-of-three series. That's all thanks to the latest collective bargaining agreement between Major League Baseball and the players association, in which both sides agreed to expand the number of teams in the postseason from 10 teams to 12.

This year, there are three wild-card teams in each league, making for a 12-team tournament.

Who should I be paying attention to on the team?

The Jays are a team defined by its offence, and led by stars like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette. While Guerrero Jr. hasn't had quite the emphatic season he had in 2021 and Bichette has been hot and cold at times this year, the pair's success will no doubt be key to any prospective post-season run.

A streaky team at times, the Jays' Achilles heel may be its pitching. Be sure to watch out for pitcher Alek Manoah, who is the team's best hope from the mound.

Will there be a Loonie Dogs Night?

Sadly, the Jays' beloved Loonie Dogs Night — in which tube meat aficionados can grab a hot dog (or several, as the case may be) for just $1 each — is a regular-season event only.