Author
Christopher Boan is a writer at OntarioBets.com. He's covered sports and sports betting in Arizona for more than seven years, including stops at ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly and the Green Valley News.
Can Blue Jays Be Latest Worst-To-First Team In MLB?
The Toronto Blue Jays were fifth in the five-team American League East last season, finishing 74-88 for their first last-place finish since 2013. OntarioBets.com, as part of our Ontario sports betting coverage, compiled a list of last-place teams since 2013 (when the Houston Astros moved from the National League Central to the American League West to give MLB its current lineup of six five-team divisions).
We then figured out how often they finished first or at least went to the playoffs, the following season. The worst-to-first 2013 Boston Red Sox were included because the AL East was unaffected by Houston’s move between leagues in 2013.
Worst To First MLB Teams Since 2013
Division Title Year, Team | Win Improvement | Postseason Result |
2013 Boston Red Sox | 28 | Won World Series |
2015 Texas Rangers | 21 | Lost ALDS |
2016 Boston Red Sox | 15 | Lost ALDS |
You can track Toronto Blue Jays odds all season at OntarioBets.com.
Can Blue Jays Join Worst-To-First Club?
While last year’s 74-88 (.457) finish was anything but pretty for baseball fans north of the border, there’s reason for optimism in Toronto this baseball season. Toronto is a mere two years removed from the second of two straight playoff berths.
In fact, the Blue Jays made the playoffs three out of the past five years, though they were swept in the AL Wild Card Round each time (2020, 2022 and 2023). Still, the point remains that the talent is there for another October run if the cards fall right this baseball season, offering hope for Jays backers at Ontario sportsbook apps.
This year, the team at Fangraphs.com projects Toronto to go 83-79, finishing in a two-way tie for third place in the five-team AL East with the Baltimore Orioles. The site projects those two teams finishing three games behind the New York Yankees and two games back of the Boston Red Sox in what is projected to be an extremely tight race.
Should the Jays rebound in 2025, they could join the likes of the 2013 Red Sox, 2015 Texas Rangers and the 2016 Red Sox in the “Worst to First” club over the past dozen seasons for MLB betting. Each team went from the outhouse to the penthouse in their respective divisions.
There were six other teams that made the playoffs as a wild card one year after occupying the basement in their division. Here they are:
What Are Oddsmakers Saying About Jays in 2025?
Entering the Jays’ Opening Day tilt on Thursday, a quick glance at the odds listed by NorthStar Bets Ontario Sportsbook shows us that Toronto’s futures aren’t exactly rosy. The operator lists the Jays at +1100 to win the AL East, ranking last, behind the Rays (+800), Red Sox (+300), Orioles (+260) and Yankees (+137).
When it comes to things like win totals and postseason odds, the future’s not looking any brighter for the hometown Jays, with a preseason win total over/under of 78.5 and +4500 odds of Toronto winning the club’s third World Series title in 2025.
For now, what we know is that anything is possible in the wide-open world of Major League Baseball. The Jays’ AL East rivals from Boston prove that no team can be written off on Opening Day, regardless of how they fared the year before.
At Sports Interaction Ontario Sportsbook, Toronto starts the season with +6600 odds (or 67.0 in decimal odds) to win the 2025 World Series.
USA Today photo by Jonathan Dyer
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