| 2020 Toronto Blue Jays | ||
|---|---|---|
| American League Wild Card | ||
| League | American League | |
| Division | East | |
| Ballpark | Sahlen Field (temporary) | |
| City | Buffalo, New York (temporary) | |
| Record | 32–28 (.533) | |
| Divisional place | 3rd | |
| Owners | Rogers, CEO Mark Shapiro | |
| General managers | Ross Atkins | |
| Managers | Charlie Montoyo | |
| Television | Sportsnet Sportsnet One (Dan Shulman, Buck Martinez, Pat Tabler) | |
| Radio | Blue Jays Radio Network Sportsnet 590 the FAN (Ben Wagner, Mike Wilner, Kevin Barker) | |
| ||
The 2020 Toronto Blue Jays season was the franchise's 44th season in Major League Baseball.
On March 12, 2020, MLB announced that because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic (including in Toronto), the start of the regular season would be delayed by at least two weeks in addition to the remainder of spring training being cancelled.[1] Four days later, it was announced that the start of the season would be pushed back indefinitely due to the recommendation made by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to restrict events of more than 50 people for eight weeks.[2]
On June 23, commissioner Rob Manfred unilaterally implemented a 60-game season. Players were to report to training camps on July 1 in order to resume spring training and prepare for a July 23 or 24 Opening Day.[3] The team was forced to play their home games in the home of their AAA affiliate in Buffalo, New York.[4]
Due to the pandemic and the shortened season, Major League Baseball instituted certain rule changes which included the use of a universal designated hitter, a runner on second base to start extra innings, and a revised schedule.[5] On July 30, the league and the union agreed that all remaining doubleheaders on the season would be seven innings.[6]
On September 24, the Blue Jays clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2016, and on the next day they clinched their first winning season since 2016 as well. As the eighth seed in the expanded playoff format, they faced the top-seeded Tampa Bay Rays in one of four 2020 American League Wild Card Series where they were swept 2–0 in the best-of-three series.