Yankees, Blue Jays tied atop AL East for first time since July 2 with four games to go in MLB season

Toronto has one advantage that could prove to be the X-factor

With just days remaining in Major League Baseball's regular season, the Toronto Blue Jays have company atop the American League East. 

For the first time since July 2, the New York Yankees are tied for the division lead following Wednesday's night slate of action. Whereas the Blue Jays lost to the Boston Red Sox, 7-1 (box score), the Yankees defeated the Chicago White Sox, 8-1, (box score). (Yankees star Aaron Judge became the franchise's first player since Babe Ruth to record consecutive 50-homer seasons.)

Aaron Judge becomes first Yankee since Babe Ruth to put up back-to-back 50-homer seasons

R.J. Anderson

Accordingly, the Blue Jays' lead (five games as recently as Sept. 16) has been reduced to almost nothing.  

"Almost" is a key word there because the Blue Jays do have one advantage working in their favor. Toronto won the head-to-head matchup with the Yankees by an 8-5 margin. Why does that matter? Keep in mind that MLB did away with Game 163 scenarios when it expanded the playoffs a few years ago. Ties are now sorted out based on a series of regular season measures, beginning with head-to-head record. In turn, the Blue Jays own the tiebreaker and would prevail in the event they and the Yankees finish deadlocked. 

If that weren't enough, the Blue Jays and Yankees are also now tied for the best record in the AL. There's a real scenario where the AL East winner serves as the No. 1 seed on the Junior Circuit's side of the bracket, thereby earning a first-round bye, while the runner-up finishes with the second-best record in the AL, yet has to partake in a wild card series. 

The Blue Jays still have four games remaining on their docket: Thursday night's series finale against the Red Sox, and then a three-game set against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Yankees, meanwhile, will finish their three-gamer against the White Sox on Thursday before hosting the Baltimore Orioles for three over the weekend.