Blog post 3

 TOUGHEST DIVISION IN BASEBALL ​

​Being from Toronto, I may not be a Leafs fan, but I am a Blue Jays fan. I have to be honest. The Jays being in the toughest division in baseball, the AL East can be heartbreaking at times. A division with the Yankees, Red Sox and Rays. Three teams, three monsters, and two will take and hold first and second place in the division. Or, as the case this season, first, second and third place.

A division where the being twenty games above .500 still means you may not make the playoffs. To put that in perspective, in other divisions being twelve to eighteen games above .500 means first place. It also means the playoffs. However, this is not the case in the AL East. Far from it. Every game matters, and it's one hell of a mountain to climb each season. Not to be so bleak, I am happy to say that every now and then, Toronto does produce a team that can climb that mountain, fight the monsters and compete for a playoff spot, as rare as that may be. It is not a guarantee we are going to the World Series. That in itself is another mountain to climb.

However, as a fan, it still matters to see your team compete. That's the case with the Jays missing the playoffs by one game and finishing the 2021 season with a good-looking record of 91 wins and 71 losses. It gives you something to cheer for, and it gives you hope. I can't complain. Being in the AL East, it can always be worse, just ask the Orioles, who finished the 2021 season with a 52 win and a 110-loss record. Ouch, that hurts to write. I can imagine a few heads are going to roll in Baltimore after this season's devastating performance. I am looking forward to see what will happen next season in the AL East.