Guests: Blue Jays home run leader George Springer, New York Mets bench coach John Gibbons and starting pitcher Jonah Tong

September is upon us and the tension of the pennant race has ratcheted up. George Springer knows all about it, having played on three straight division winners with the Houston Astros and he is off to a tremendous September start, with three home runs and a 2.031 OPS to begin the month. Having moved into second place in the American League in OPS, behind only the Yankees' Aaron Judge, Springer joins us to talk about his incredible resurgence this season and what the Jays need to do down the stretch to take the division crown.

John Gibbons was the Jays' manager the last time the team won the AL East, in 2015, and the current bench coach of the New York Mets, who hold the final wild card spot in the National League. We chat with Gibby about his memories of the Jays' great run when he was at the helm, as well as some of the challenges facing the current team. As always, Gibby is the best.

Finally, Jonah Tong makes his first appearance in Deep Left Field. The 22-year-old Markham, Ontario native began his career with a win in his major league debut on August 29. The former Toronto Met who was the 75th-best prospect in the game going into this season according to Baseball Prospectus, made a meteoric rise through the New York Mets' system this year, posting a 1.43 ERA in 22 starts at Double-A and Triple-A combined with 179 strikeouts in just 113 2/3 innings.

Listen here now or at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts Thursday afternoon. If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.