NFL
By: Greg Rector
The Toronto Blue Jays are in first place at the All-Star break. With a 55-41 record, the Blue Jays are in first place in the American League East for the first time since they won the World Series in 1993. How did this happen? It’s been a tremendous season thus far.
JOHN SCHNEIDER HAS BEEN TERRIFIC
Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider has made all the right moves after a horrendous opening to the season. What Schneider has done is pretty simple. He has his players doing things they are capable of doing, and guess what, the players aren’t all aiming to knock the ball out of the park with every swing. Schneider has made the life of the Blue Jays’ offense much easier for the players he has control over.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr has stopped trying to pull every pitch he sees, and the results have been tremendous. Guerrero Jr has hit 12 HRs and has knocked in 46 RBIs. Earlier this season, he made it onto base in 38 straight games. The young man is living pretty decently after signing his huge contract.
George Springer is swinging a very hot bat for the Toronto Blue Jays. After a disappointing season in 2024, Springer went back to basics in his final season under contract. He has hit 16 HRs and has 53 RBIs, and was truly on fire when the Blue Jays went on a 10-game winning streak before the All-Star break, including winning the AL Player of the Week early in July. He was on fire as the Blue Jays accomplished their first-ever 4-game sweep of the New York Yankees at home.
The biggest reason why Schneider has been so effective as the manager of the Toronto Blue Jays is quite unbelievable, considering both Anthony Santander and Daulton Varsho have missed most of this season. Instead of Varsho manning centerfield, the Blue Jays have had Nathan Lukes and Myles Straw playing, and both players have made significant contributions.
The Pitching Staff
Led by Kevin Gausman, Jose Berrios, and Chris Bassitt, the starting pitching has been solid, but there have been several games where the Blue Jays’ bullpen has saved the day. This pitching staff needs assistance in both the starting rotation and in the bullpen if they hope to hold onto the lead in the American League East. If the Blue Jays make the trades they need to bolster this pitching staff can be decent enough to keep the New York Yankees and the suddenly very hot Boston Red Sox away from the top spot.
Bo Bichette
Bo Bichette has played well this season, and he could still find himself out of Toronto despite hitting 12 HRs and driving in 53 runs. Bichette is due for a new contract, and I don’t believe the Blue Jays can afford to make him as happy as they made Vladimir Guerrero Jr. His situation might make other GMs in MLB consider giving up pitching that the Blue Jays need. I know last year the Los Angeles Dodgers wanted Bichette, but they aren’t in any position to provide pitching help this season. If not, the Blue Jays management under Ross Atkins could lose Bichette for nothing in free agency, and Atkins isn’t the most popular man to begin with in Toronto.
Let’s see what the Toronto Blue Jays do before the trade deadline, but as we love to sing loudly and proudly, “OK BLUE JAYS, LET’S PLAY BALL.”
