Coming off a high-stakes AL East clash with the New York Yankees, the Toronto Blue Jays turn their attention to another contender as they open a three-game set with the Houston Astros on Tuesday.
Like the Blue Jays, Houston enters the series with a two-game division lead. The Astros dropped two of three to the Texas Rangers over the weekend.
The Astros have managed to hold on to the top spot in the AL West despite their recent struggles and a rash of injuries across their roster.
While it’s not an intra-division matchup, there is still plenty at stake this week between the Blue Jays and Astros. Not only are both clubs trying to hold firm to their division leads, but a first-round bye is still up in the air for the two division winners with the best records in October.
Toronto (82-61) holds a lead over the Astros (78-66), but with fewer than three weeks left in the 2025 schedule, nothing is set in stone.
-
-
Watch Blue Jays vs. Astros on Sportsnet
The Toronto Blue Jays face another potential playoff foe when the Houston Astros visit Rogers Centre on Tuesday. Catch the action on Sportsnet or Sportsnet+ starting at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT.
There will be no shortage of storylines to follow during this heavyweight bout, but here are four worth keeping an eye on as the series gets underway at Rogers Centre.
Bo Bichette’s status
There’s no overstating the difference that Bichette has made in the Blue Jays’ lineup this season. His absence was clearly felt in Sunday’s 4-3 loss to the Yankees, when the club couldn’t find the big swing it needed without its star shortstop.
Missing his steady presence in the cleanup spot, Toronto went 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position, squandering multiple opportunities in situations Bichette has thrived in throughout 2025.
The 27-year-old has been one of baseball’s most consistent run producers this year, pacing the Blue Jays with 93 RBIs while owning MLB’s highest batting average with runners in scoring position (.381). To take it a step further, Bichette leads the American League in FanGraphs’ clutch metric, which measures how well a player performs in high-leverage situations, trailing only Freddie Freeman MLB-wide.
So, while the Blue Jays hope that Bichette will return to the field on Tuesday after cutting up his shin while sliding into home on Saturday, whether he takes up his spot at short and if there are any lasting effects of the play will be worth monitoring this week.
Does Yordan Alvarez keep raking?
After missing much of the summer with a fractured hand, Alvarez has kept Houston’s offence afloat since returning on Aug. 26.
One of MLB’s premier left-handed sluggers, Alvarez has slashed .425/.529/.700 with a trio of home runs and two four-hit games since coming back.
It’s nothing new to see Alvarez consistently punish baseballs, but after a sluggish start to the season — he had a .646 OPS before landing on the IL in early May — his production has been a welcome development for a slumping Astros lineup.
Houston has been one of the American League’s lightest-hitting teams in the second half. The Astros own the Junior Circuit’s third-worst OPS (.690) since the all-star break, and before Alvarez’s return, they had been hard-pressed to find above-average production beyond Christian Walker or Carlos Correa.
For the Blue Jays, finding a way to keep Alvarez in check will be crucial. It’s easier said than done, however, as the Cuban star enters this week’s series with a 1.051 OPS and 12 homers in 35 career matchups against Toronto.
How do Shane Bieber, José Berríos bounce back?
Over the course of Toronto’s wild series in Cincinnati last week, 52 runs were scored across three games. That included a disappointing two-inning outing from Berríos and a five-run second inning in an otherwise clean start from Bieber.
Although the Blue Jays ended up winning both games, you can bet Bieber and Berríos are aiming for sharper showings when they take the mound against the Astros.
It lines up as a solid matchup for Toronto’s first two starters of the series, as Houston runs out a right-handed-heavy lineup and has struggled mightily against opposing righties all season (.711 OPS). Bieber, in particular, looks well-positioned for success. The Astros are among MLB’s least productive teams against right-handed four-seam fastballs and sliders — Bieber’s two most commonly thrown pitches.
As the Blue Jays navigate their final 19 regular-season games, both Bieber and Berríos have key roles to fill, starting with these important starts against Houston. For Bieber, the bounce-back is already underway after he settled in with four shutout frames following his rough inning in Cincinnati. Berríos, meanwhile, has been searching for a steadier form since July, so a strong start against a contender would be an encouraging springboard into the stretch run.
Which bullpen proves stronger?
The Blue Jays and Astros have seen their bullpens follow similar arcs this season. Both excelled in the first half before stumbling after the all-star break, including particularly rough Augusts.
Houston has been working to recover from the loss of Josh Hader, who went down with a left shoulder capsule sprain in early August, leaning on Bryan Abreu, Bryan King and Steven Okert. Abreu has performed admirably as a fill-in closer, but getting to him has been anything but smooth.
Since Hader’s injury, Houston’s bullpen is 26th in MLB in ERA and home runs allowed and 28th in hard-hit rate.
Toronto’s relievers, meanwhile, showed some promising signs in the Bronx, as the group allowed just one run and two hits to the Yankees. It’s the tiniest of samples, but after posting a 4.76 ERA and 14.2 per cent walk rate in August, the Blue Jays will take any progress they can get.
With all that said, both sides will be counting on their starters to work deep into games so that they can deploy their relievers strategically, as the series is sure to deliver another early taste of post-season baseball.
