As the second half of the major league season begins, the Toronto Blue Jays still have a lot to prove if they want to have a successful season.
So far, the Queen City side sit third in the American League East Division with a 50-41 record. If the playoffs started tomorrow morning, they would be the last team to qualify.
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Here are two things that would improve the Jays’ chances of bringing October baseball to their fans.
A strong comeback for Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
The Blue Jays first baseman isn’t having a bad season, but he’s still a long way from his spectacular performances in 2021. That year, the former Montreal Expos star’s son had a 311 batting average and hit 48 home runs and hit 123 runs. He had come second in America’s Most Valuable Player poll, behind a certain Shohei Ohtani.
Guerrero Jr. returns from the All-Star Game with the first home run triumph of his career. Fans hope this gives him the confidence to wreak havoc against opposing pitchers.
Guerrero Jr. wasn’t bad before the break either. In his last 15 appearances, his average is .271. It’s nothing out of the ordinary, but it’s positive considering he’s apparently had a hard time doing what’s expected of him since the beginning of this campaign.
Alek Manoah has to pull himself together
The 25-year-old pitcher was supposed to be the Blue Jays’ ace this year, but it turns out the opposite was true. Manoah did it 2-7 and a terrible 5.91 ERA in 14 starts. His club even decided to demote him to junior class to regain his confidence. He’s been back in Major League Baseball since July 7, when he gave up just one run in five hits in six innings in a 12-2 win over the Detroit Tigers.
It’s a step in the right direction, but the Jays can’t quite trust their 2022-so-dominant marksman just yet.
However, if Manoah was in control, the Toronto team would have five prime starters and wouldn’t have to make huge sacrifices in the trade market to get a pitcher. It could mean the difference between making the playoffs or taking a vacation in late September.