While the New York Yankees captured a hard-fought three-game AL Wild Card series over the Boston Red Sox, the Toronto Blue Jays have been preparing for them. The Blue Jays won their first AL East title since 2015, winning the crown over the Yankees via a tiebreaker. Now, both teams will once again square off, this time in the AL Division Series (ALDS). When talking to the media ahead of Saturday's ALDS Game 1, Toronto first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. downplayed any extra motivation he might have. X, formerly Twitter, account Yankees Videos shared that Guerrero Jr. sees every other team as a “personal” matchup.

“Vladimir Guerrero Jr. does not take the bait when asked if he has any extra motivation when playing the Yankees: ‘To any team, it's personal for me…same thing with all the teams,'” the slugger said on Friday to the assembled media.

While Guerrero Jr. maintains that the Yankees matchup doesn't hold extra motivation for himself, some of his past thoughts on the Toronto-New York rivalry betray that line of reasoning. The slugging first baseman has discussed the rivalry a couple of times throughout the years. Now, under the bright lights of October, the Blue Jays and Yanks will clash once again. Can Guerrero Jr. help lead MLB's lone Canadian franchise back to the AL Championship Series for the first time since 2016?

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Blue Jays look to clinch first ALCS appearance since 2016

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Kevin Gausman (34) warms up before playing the Tampa Bay Rays at Rogers Centre.
Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

In Saturday's Game 1, the Blue Jays will send staff ace Kevin Gausman to the bump. He'll likely be followed over the next couple of games by a combination of veterans Shane Bieber, Max Scherzer, and Chris Bassitt. While Jose Berrios isn't expected to be back any time soon, Toronto does have the pitching depth to withstand his absence in the postseason.

The Blue Jays' rotation is one of their strengths. So is their offense, led by Guerrero Jr. at its heart. Toronto will look to make its first trip to the World Series since winning back-to-back titles in 1992 and 1993. Their last ALCS trip in 2016 ended in a five-game loss to the then-Cleveland Indians. Now, they'll need to fight their way past the Yankees to once again get back to the AL pennant. Can Guerrero Jr., Gausman, and the rest of the Jays capture their first AL title in 32 years?