Toronto Blue Jays Turning Corner, Working Way Up Power Rankings
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The Toronto Blue Jays signed Vladimir Guerrero Jr to an extension a few weeks ago and all the distractions are now behind them. The team can just play baseball now.
Since April 9, the day of the Vlad Jr. extension, Toronto is .500, but they are hitting the ball well.
In those 10 games, the Blue Jays are slashing .252/.317/.368. They are not showcasing a bunch of power, but the team is averaging 8.7 hits per game. Those hits are not translating to a lot of runs, but the pressure on opposing pitchers is there.
With their recent play and their overall record, Toronto has moved up three spots in the MLB.com power rankings. The Blue Jays are now No. 12 on the list.
This ranking should not come as a surprise. Toronto has been a top-10 team at the plate and on the mound.
On the season as a whole, the Blue Jays are fourth in batting average, sixth in on-base percentage, fifth in total hits and they have been hit by a pitch the fourth-most times in the MLB. Again, the Blue Jays have been lacking the power, but the potential is there.
Guerrero Jr. has a massive amount of power. However, he has slugged just one home run this season. Anthony Santander and George Springer have the ability to hit plenty of home runs, but they have not been able to leave the yard many times yet. Additionally, Bo Bichette has zero home runs on the year.
Toronto plays at one of the most hitter friendly stadiums. The Rogers Centre has a home run park factor of 153, which is the third-highest in the MLB. Because of this, the Blue Jays can be expected to start hitting for power sooner rather than later.
The pitchers on the team have been very good. But there is one that has stood out more than the rest.
Chris Bassitt has a real chance to win the American League Cy Young this year.
The right-hander has has an ERA under 1.00 through his first four starts and he has struck out 31 batters in 23.1 innings. Bassitt has allowed one run in two of his four outings while having shutout appearances in the other two.
Along with Bassitt, Kevin Gausman and Bowden Francis are both pitching extremely well.
The pitching staff should remain consistent all season. Once the position players start hitting for power, the Blue Jays will continue to climb the power rankings.
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Cameron Zunkel is a sports writer from the western suburbs of Chicago. He played Division-II baseball at the University of Illinois at Springfield where he earned a masters degree in Communication. Cameron also played independent league baseball for the Joliet Slammers and Schaumburg Boomers of the Frontier League. He has been in journalism since 2022 and has a passion for baseball specifically, but he enjoys all sports. His other work includes writing sports betting articles for ClutchPoints. In his free time, you can catch Cam at the gym, on the golf course, or coaching the youth in the beautiful sport of baseball.