NFL
By: Greg Rector
The Toronto Blue Jays are in the MLB playoffs and will face the Minnesota Twins in the three-game series. The Blue Jays are not the same team as last year. They have made the playoffs through pitching and team defense no longer relying on their hitting, which is simply because in the 2023 MLB season, they have struggled to hit, especially with runners in scoring position.
Toronto Blue Jays Pitching
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitching staff has been the best in the American League. The only MLB team to have four starters pitch in 32 games each and that’s despite the struggles of Alec Manoah who is now missing in action. The Blue Jays went to a four-man rotation and it worked because Jose Berrios and Yusei Kikuchi both had great seasons. Berrios was back to his old form and that was expected after his struggles in the 2022 season. Kikuchi though was relegated to the bullpen in 2022 and yet in 2023 has been phenomenal.
Kikiuchi’s 11-6 season with an ERA of 3.86 was vastly better than last year. The biggest reason for me was the new pitching clock. Kikuchi was notoriously overthinking himself out on the mound in the 2022 MLB season yet with the faster clock in play he was much more focused and it showed on the field. Kikuchi though won’t be a starter against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Jose Berrios was 11-12 with 3.65 ERA and despite his losing record overall he was like Kikuchi so much better than he was in 2022. Most of his losses like the rest of the Blue Jays pitchers occurred thanks to the lack of hitting by the hitters.
Chris Bassitt has been the second starter for the Toronto Blue Jays and he benefitted the most from the Blue Jays hitting this season going 16-8 with a 3.60 ERA. Bassitt struggled early on with himself to blame as he was with new catchers and he was calling his own pitches. When that stopped Bassitt went on to be an incredibly good starter.
Kevin Gausman should have been in the Cy Young conversation this past season however because of a lack of run support in his starts he finished with a 12-9 record leading the American League in strikeouts with 237 and his 3.16 ERA. Gausman will be the Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher in game one against the Minnesota Twins.
The Bullpen
This is the biggest change to the Toronto Blue Jays. No more soft throwers in the bullpen for the Blue Jays and they are very deep in the bullpen. Jordan Romano has been the league leader in saves all year. Erik Swanson was brought over to the Jays and he’s been spectacular in setting up Romano. When the Toronto Blue Jays went out and acquired Jordan Hicks from the St.Louis Cardinals they brought in an arm that easily sees Hicks hitting 100 MPH pitches routinely. Add in Trevor Richards who was also a spot starter and Tim Mayza as a left-handed reliever and then the final piece is ex-Yankee Chad Green you have a bullpen that has shut down teams.
Toronto Blue Jays Hitting
The most baffling part of the Toronto Blue Jays this 2023 MLB season has been the struggles they have faced with this roster. The Blue Jays have only come from behind by being down by four runs or more four times this 2023 MLB season. Only the Phillies and the Mets have fewer come-from-behind wins.
The lack of power has been stunning especially since Rogers Center was redesigned and the Toronto Blue Jays who two seasons ago led MLB in home runs and finished seventh last season were 18th in home runs in the 2023 MLB season.
George Springer remained healthy this past season and his defense has been great. However, he struggled which led to getting himself on base, and was removed from the lead-off spot in many games. 21 home runs and 72 RBIs.
Bo Bichette missed 27 games and he was headed to having an over 200-hit season yet he is far and away the best hitter in going to the opposite field in all of baseball.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has finally started to hit home runs yet his numbers at home have been abysmal all season long.
The Toronto Blue Jays unlike the two times they won the World Series will be successful in this World Series effort with pitching and defense.
I have the Toronto Blue Jays beating the Minnesota Twins and we shall see where it goes from there.
