The Season That Wasn't Supposed To Be

image via The Toronto Star

Going into the 2025 season I did not expect the Blue Jays to have a winning season. Coming off a 2024 in which they were 74-88 and dead last in their division, it looked like 2025 was going to be a long year. April was not great for the team and they finished the month with an 11-14 record and in the middle of the pack of the American League East.

Then May came along and the team was playing better and throughout June and July the team was one of the hottest teams in the league. I attribute the success of this team to a few things, but the number one thing is that every win is a complete team effort. I know that this is a common thing that the experts say, but there is no one on this team that is setting the majors on fire oher than Bo Bichette who for some reason does not get enough credit for once again leading the majors in total hits. How he did not make the All Star game is beyond me!

image via Sports Illustrated

When Bo is healthy he hits and it's as simple as that. He is very soft spoken and rarely shows emotion which was nice to see during one a post game interview with Hazel Mae after a win. That was the first time I saw him smile so maybe that is a precursor to him enjoying his time here and wanting to stay long term? Only time will tell.

Other than Bo other things that stand out on the team are the emergence of Addison Barger and the contributions of Eric Lauer and Max Scherzer. Lauer has been consistent all year in the starting rotation and has continued to be a pro even with talk of him being used out of the bullpen. Scherzer for me was not expected to do anything at all and to be totally honest I thought he would be out most of the season with his early season injury. He has been a solid rotation piece and a 5-2 record with a sub 4 E.R.A is very good for any starting pitcher. If he can continue to do what he is doing and you add that with Gausman, Bassitt and Berrios in the playoffs, the Jays could be serious contenders. Berrios has struggled a bit, but he is a warrior and gives it his all every time he is on the mound. Bassitt is the same way and everyone in the rotation is a veteran with a bull dog mentality which can only mean good things in the playoffs. Then there is Shane Bieber. The team's biggest acquisition during the trade deadline a couple of weeks ago and if he can provide anything close to his dominant Cy Young self, then the Jays should be front runners in the American League to win a championship. Wish thinking maybe, but with their starting depth and the weapons they added in the bullpen as well, they have built this team the way it has to be to win during the post season. Get whatever you can out of your starters and then toss out pitchers that can strike people out. Even though Varland has sort of stunk so far, he throws 99 plus and Dominguez also has electric stuff. I do not trust Hoffman at all as a closer, but adding two decent insurance pieces was a very good move. Back to Barger. He has thrived this year and like the team has come out of nowhere. He got a chance to play everyday at start of the season and he has ran with it. He is on pace for about 25 home runs and and 80 runs batted in while playing a very good third base and right field. Three outfiend assists is no joke! Do not run on that man!

Other parts of the team that have impressed me is the power bat of Daulton Varsho and the all star play of Alejandro Kirk. He does it all behind the plate and is the best two strike hitter in the league. Period. I think to myself what kind of season Varsho would have had if he was healthy all year because I believe I saw that he hits the most home runs per at bats in the majors. A healthy Varsho most likely hits anywhere between 40-45 bombs which is crazy for a guy that has never hit more than 27 back in 2022. I still think trading both Gurriel and Moreno was a bad move especially since both Gurriel and Moreno have become all star players. Varsho perhaps being the best defensive outfielder in baseball and his newfound offence this season mends the wounds a little of losing two high caliber players, but it is still a move I personally never would have made.

The disappointments of this team are minimal and none of them matter since the team is on top of the American League standings,. Anthony Santander has been an absolute bust and there is no sugar coating how bad he was before he got hurt. Let's hope he bounces back next year since chances are he does not play another game this year because I have not heard anything about him coming back. Gimenez is in the same boat as being a disappointment due to injuries and providing very little offence, but his glove is so elite that he makes up for it. Sort of how Varsho did until this season.

This city always enjoys a winner and it is awesome how the fans have showed up for home games this year. There is a buzz already in the city and there is nothing better than when a sports team is winning here. I am excited to see what this team does if they make the playoffs and all indications are that they should win the division. That sounds crazy to me considering how slow they started and how good the Yankees were out of the gate, but you can never predict baseball right??