Blue Jays aiming for first American League East championship since 2016
Second-longest win streak in franchise history puts Toronto atop league standings
Zafir Nagji, Sports Editor |
It’s been almost a full decade since the Toronto Blue Jays were a serious contender for a World Series title, but after winning over 60 per cent of their games since May, the Canadian club sits on top of Major League Baseball’s standings.
Earlier this year, Toronto signed 26-year-old first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to a 14-year contract extension worth $500 million USD, a move that signified the Blue Jays’ buying into winning a World Series title with their current core. That group includes other young stars, like 27-year-old Bo Bichette, who leads the league in hits with 130 and counting, and well-aged veterans like 35-year-old George Springer, who leads the team in home runs with 18.
Toronto only hits the 17th-most home runs of any team in the league, but, because the Blue Jays lead the league in hits (959), hitting percentage (26.4 per cent) and runners on base (784), they are the eighth-best scoring team in the league, tallying 4.72 runs per game.
Toronto’s pitching has been artful to watch all season, striking out 959 batters, third-most of any team this season. Chris Bassitt and José Berríos are tied for most games started by any pitcher in the league with 22 starts this season, with Bassitt ranking eighth in the league in win percentage at 68.8 per cent and second in overall wins with 11 victories. Bassitt is also the most versatile pitcher in the league, contributing on the offensive end by leading all pitchers with 135 hits.
Accentuated by expectation-exceeders like Addison Barger and Nathan Lukes, the Blue Jays turned a rough start to their season, winning just 14 of their first 30 games, into a league-best 63-44 record. On their way to the top of the standings, the Blue Jays won 10 games in a row from June 29 to July 8, being given no rest days in between games as they swept the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Angels.
Additionally, Toronto’s front office made intelligent trades to shore up the team’s pitching depth, acquiring Shane Bieber from the Cleveland Guardians and Seranthony Dominguez from the Baltimore Orioles.
Fans of the MLB’s only Canadian club have waited since 2016 to see their team get past the Atlantic League Wild Card round, and the Blue Jays have not hoisted a World Series title since their back-to-back championships in 1992 and 1993. With their new core outperforming all expectations this season, though, the whole country will be rooting for their baseball club as they look to win their third World Series in franchise history.
