With the MLB season just about to start, now is a great time to get on the Blue Jays’ bandwagon, with the core of last season’s exciting young team back for another run at the World Series.
What’s also exciting is that, as of April 4, Ontarians will be able to legally bet on their Blue Jays, and be able to do so at a bevy of Ontario sports betting apps. Click PLAY NOW to lock in your special welcome package at any or all of the options below.
Blue Jays Futures
AL East
The unwillingness of certain players across baseball to get vaccinated means that the Blue Jays should have a sizable home field advantage due to Canada’s border not allowing unvaxxed persons into the country. Reports are that multiple stars in the division are amongst the unvaccinated.
Despite playing in a division with three playoff teams from 2021, the Jays are the favorites and will play a full season with home games in Toronto for the first time since 2019. Having missed out on the playoffs by one game last year, the Jays seem ready to take the next step. The Jays are () to win the division.
To win American League
Toronto boasts an offense that was top 3 in all major categories last year, and it owns a deep pitching staff despite losing Cy Young winner Robbie Ray to the Mariners. Winning the AL won’t be easy as the Astros are permanent contenders (even without Carlos Correa), and the White Sox are a rising power in the Central.
Toronto is () to represent the AL in this year’s World Series.
Blue Jays odds to win World Series
Predicting the World Series for a team that hasn’t made the Fall Classic since 1993 is probably a fool’s errand, but if their pitching holds up – Charlie Montoyo’s club has a legit shot. The Jays are () to win it all.
Toronto offense
Returning most of their elite offense from last year, the Jays should be at or near the top in all offensive categories. Yes, losing Marcus Semien is a bit of a loss, but with 2021 AL leader in hits Bo Bichette, a healthy George Springer, and reigning MVP in any non-Ohtani season Vlad Guerrero Jr., this lineup should be quite strong.
Throw in Matt Chapman, Teoscar Hernández, and Lourdes Gurriel, and you have a lineup that’s six deep in elite hitters. If Danny Jansen stays away from being sub-Mendoza Line for most of the season and Cavan Biggio shows even the slightest improvement at the plate – the Jays will be elite.
Toronto pitching
A potential strength for the team, the Jays have a team without a true ace but it is one that goes five deep in a way that’s essential with the elite bats of the AL East.
Jose Berrios could become that ace, and Hyun-jin Ryu was that ace in the past. Kevin Gausman, Alek Manaoh, and Yusei Kikuchi make up the rest of the rotation. Gausman, who sported a 2.81 ERA last year with the Giants, should replace Ray’s innings.
Manaoh was a rookie who could get lit up at times, but that’s to be expected, and Kikuchi is a fine innings eater as a fifth starter. The real question is whether Ryu can become what he was in 2018-20 again, because if so – this rotation goes from good enough to win a lot of games to great in a real way.
Bullpen
This is why the Jays didn’t make the playoffs last year. Their 3-9 record in extra-inning games doesn’t do it justice as to just how many games were blown.
The bullpen was better in September, but if the it fails them again early in the season this year, look for the Jays to swing a trade to fix it fast.
Season outlook
This is the best Jays team since the 90s World Series winners, and even as last year’s team managed to make a run, with another year under the belt of the young guns, this is the team that can get them back to the promised land.
Whether they pull it off is another matter, but this team has all the talent to make a deep, deep run, and to do it from the position of AL East Champions.
