Team Strengths: Toronto finished fifth in the majors in home runs last season. While much of that power came with reduced highs and middling on-base percentages, those should enhance with Danny Jansen taking over at catcher, the looming ascension of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and subtracting Aledmys Diaz and Yangervis Solarte.
Team Weaknesses: The Blue Jays had the fourth-worst ERA in baseball last year (4.85). The primary culprit was the starting rotation, which introduced a 5.14 ERA as Marcus Stroman and Aaron Sanchez struggled with injuries, J.A. Happ has been traded and Marco Estrada diminished. While the Blue Jays developed pitching well in the early part of the decade, the well has dried up. The Blue Jays selected a pitcher using their first-round selection in four straight drafts from 2013-16. Not one of those four are in the majors or rank amongst the top 10 prospects of Toronto.
What They Were About It: The Jays brought in diminishing veterans Matt Shoemaker and Clayton Richard to round out the rotation. There’s thickness beyond the starting five with Sean Reid-Foley and potential acquisition Trent Thornton, but neither projects to be too impactful in the spinning.
Last Outlook: The Blue Jays must have a solid offense, particularly after Guerrero Jr. comes up, but the lack of arms means third place is likely their best-case scenario.
