One explosive offensive inning isn’t enough to erase a month of bad baseball. For Max Scherzer, the time for celebrating last year’s success is over, and the time for a harsh reality check has begun.

The Blue Jays’ 9-13 record in the AL East depicts their struggle in 2026. Entering Sunday, they had a 94 team wRC+, the 20th best mark in baseball. But Sunday hinted at their renewed dominance. Offense dominated and pitching survived, yet far away from being called a World Series contender.

“No, because you can’t just rely on last year,” Scherzer shared with USA TODAY Sports.

“This is 2026. It’s not 2025. That was a great year. I’ll celebrate that. Talk all you want about that, but this is 2026. This is the American League. It’s tough. The AL East is tough. It’s not going to happen the same way. We’ve got to win.”

The AL East division is considered the strongest in baseball, with four teams – Yankees, Blue Jays, Red Sox, and Orioles – all projected to have playoff potential. It consistently boasts the highest percentage of winning teams, with all five teams often finishing above .500 (2024). In 2023, the AL East boasted a .670 winning percentage against the rest of MLB. That is not the end of the competition.

The division routinely sends multiple teams to the postseason, producing 20 of the 32 American League wild-card teams since 1995. Over its 50-year history, an AL East team has gone on to play in the World Series 28 times, with 16 of those teams winning the championship.

Playing in that division, it took 21 games for the Blue Jays to prove their worth this season.

They scored 8 runs in the first inning against the D-Backs on Sunday. The first eight batters reached base until Brandon Valenzuela struck out to record the first out of the inning. Their seven hits and eight base runners to reach base tied the record for most in Toronto’s history.

It was last achieved in 2014.

Even the pitching staff dominated, including Kevin Gausman‘s 4 SOs from his first 6 innings. But per Scherzer, it is far from the desired level.

Even after the win on Sunday and Monday against the Los Angeles Angels, they are still last in the division and 4 wins behind the top New York Yankees.

History could be a deflection because last year, the Jays were 26-28 by late May, eight games from the top. Still, they gave the Dodgers a run for their money till the very end of the World Series Game 7.

Scherzer was there, and he knows how the same history could bring an uneasy comfort in the clubhouse.

“We know we can play with anybody in this league. We just need to start doing it,” Scherzer added.

The Blue Jays struggled enough in 2026, and if Sunday was any hint of their rebound, Scherzer wants the clubhouse to carry that momentum. The job is not done, and the World Series is still far from being comfortable. Fortunately, it’s just about time that the Jays’ injured cavalry start getting back to the dugout.

All eyes on the Blue Jays’ IL

“Let’s call a spade a spade. It’s not a World Series hangover. We’re playing bad baseball, not a World Series hangover, just bad baseball,” Scherzer continued.

The Jays ranked 23rd in terms of total runs scored (83) and ERA (4.56) in the first 21 games, which was ‘bad baseball.’ But the blame also goes to their long list of injuries.

Starting rotation was battered with Trey Yesavage, Shane Bieber, and Jose Berrios all sidelined with injuries. Alejandro Kirk, the Jays’ 2025 postseason hero, was sidelined with a broken thumb. Imagine a team missing a slugger who scored 5 home runs in 18 games during October 2025 and a pitcher who was the first rookie to record 12 strikeouts in a World Series game.

Yesavage is scheduled to start his final rehab this week and could get back to the team by next.

Once the cavalry starts to get back, we may again see the full-strength Jays. However, that doesn’t mean the team is out of danger.

At least after seeing Jeff Hoffman on Saturday, fans can’t be sufficiently assured. Hoffman is currently standing with a 7.71 ERA, and he gave up 4 ERs in his 1 inning on Saturday.

The Blue Jays are still far from their 2025 mode. But Sunday would hopefully make way for what’s coming next. And we saw it in their next win, too.