Toronto tightened its grip on the AL’s Best Record race, moving two steps closer to home-field advantage for the playoffs for just the fourth time in franchise history. With a four-game cushion over Detroit and a favorable finish, the Jays own their destiny in the final stretch as the magic number drifts toward clinching scenarios.

The chase revolves around seven wins by Toronto or losses by rivals to clinch the league’s best record, six to seal the AL East, and three to lock a playoff berth. A potential Friday night clinch looms, though debates persist after a Jays-Royals clash lands on Apple TV while fans crave Sportsnet.

Cal Raleigh’s 2025 season has become a power coronation. He’s sitting at 56 homers with 11 games remaining, on a pace for 60 and chasing the Mariners’ single-season marks while rewriting the record book for switch-hitters. He’s already passed Mantle for the most homers in a season by a switch-hitter and sits atop the AL RBI chart as Seattle rides a home-run tear into the stretch.

His remarkable May–June run, 101 runs and 115 RBIs, and 30 road HRs illustrate a season defined by elite power, timely production, and a shift in how fantasy managers value catchers with multi-positional appeal and monster counting stats.

Kerry Carpenter's pinch-hitter game-tying blast off Cade Smith keeps Detroit alive, but Will Vest falters in the 10th as Cleveland pulls away 7-5. Casey Mize pitched well again, and Spencer Torkelson added a late two-run homer to trim the deficit, yet Detroit couldn’t complete the comeback. The Tigers sit 5½ games up in the AL Central with 11 to play, and the Guardians push to close the gap in a pivotal series opener.

Fantasy takeaway: Carpenter’s late-season hot stretch vs a lefty specialist is noteworthy, and Mize’s swing-and-miss profile continues to trend upward, making him a plausible streaming option. Vest’s bullpen volatility remains a concern for late-inning setups, tempering any immediate trust. Detroit’s lineup still feasts when matching up, but execution in high-leverage spots looms large ahead of a tight race.

The game highlighted Cleveland’s balance—Kwan’s RBI double and timely hits from Ramirez, Arias and Naylor—and Detroit’s depth, with Torkelson delivering a glimmer of power down the stretch. Rest of series implications center on bullpen usage, platoon matchups, and which offense can sustain pressure against the other’s bullpen arms.

Tarik Skubal is lined up to start Thursday for Detroit against Cleveland after a rib-side scare last week. He threw a crisp, max-effort bullpen with no pain, clearing the way for a return appearance.

The Tigers sit seven games from clinching the AL Central at home, and Skubal's 13-5 record with a 2.26 ERA and 224 strikeouts anchors the rotation as they chase the Guardians.

Gavin Williams opposes him for Cleveland in a pivotal showdown; Williams is 10-5 with a 3.16 ERA and 152 strikeouts, a matchup that could swing fantasy expectations and division odds.