Toronto Blue Jays in desperate need of some major changes
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Photo credit: Sportsnet
With so many tightly contested games, it raises the question of just how close the Blue Jays truly are to becoming legitimate contenders in a relatively weak American League.
This version of small ball can only carry the team so far, and eventually, the Jays' strong pitching will likely experience a decline. They need to start generating more home runs or else we'll have a lot to worry about.
Frank Zicarelli from the Toronto Sun writes that despite a flawed lineup that lacks a traditional leadoff or cleanup hitter, the Jays have managed to stay afloat and remain competitive for the time being.
"The modern game, whether fans all of ages like or dislike it, has become homer-centric. And it's there where the Jays have been coming up short, most recently in Saturday's 12-inning 8-4 loss to the visiting Seattle Mariners." -Zicarelli
Zicarelli also writes that the Jays need to find more power in their lineup. The return of Daulton Varsho could help address some of those power issues. The injured center fielder hit 18 home runs last year and set a career high with 27 homers in 2022 while playing for Arizona.
Rehabbing from a shoulder injury that required surgery, Varsho was scheduled to play as the designated hitter in the Jays' Class-A lineup on Saturday night. He could make his season debut in Toronto by the end of this month, which is extremely positive news for the Blue Jays.
"For the Jays, a single here, a double there, a stolen base, hits strung together that lead to a run, one can argue it beats the alternative of going scoreless. But its a template that does not profile into a sustainable model." -Zicarelli
Until the long ball becomes a consistent part of the Jays' game, their long-term prospects of staying competitive remain a deep concern moving forward for this team.
The Blue Jays will look to bounce back against Houston on Tuesday following a 7-0 blowout loss to the Astros on Monday.
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 23 | 2262 ANSWERS Toronto Blue Jays in desperate need of some major changes Are you worried about the Blue Jays' lack of homeruns this early into their season? | ||
| yes | 1891 | 83.6 % |
| no | 371 | 16.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
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