MLB 2008: What to Know About the Toronto Blue Jays

Well we are now officially underway into this 2008 baseball marathon of a season, and with teams surging and faltering all over the league, it’s safe to take a look at some of the trends and in depth observations I have made so far about my beloved Toronto Blue Jays.

I’m sure all of Toronto was extremely excited after the first full week of the season, after completing a convincing sweep of the Boston Red Sox. Now, granted the sox were a tired team after traveling over 15 thousand or so miles in a span of a week and a half, and it showed on get away day last Sunday. However the Jays outplayed the Sox in all aspects of the game.

It was apparent to me though, that the Jays were just a more lively team throughout the series( taking the extra base, hit and run, solid pitching performances, timely hitting, etc.,)

We've seen this before from the Jays, especially early on in the season at home, where the Jays will look like a complete playoff team for three or four glorious days, and then fall back into inconsistent play against a lesser opponent i.e. Oakland Athletics

This leads to my first point-

#1-This is the same old Blue Jays team. I don’t know what it is about the Blue Jays, but they never seem to put a solid winning streak together which the "true" playoff contenders always seem to do.

The Jays beat up the Sox, and what do they do in their following series, get swept at home, by the lowly regarded Oakland Athletics. Where was the energy? Where was the passion? This has happened the past couple years under Gibbons and the current management. The Jays can never seem to put winning series' together. We would hold our own against the top teams of the AL, and then the devil rays would come to town, and the Jays would drop 2 out of 3 and look ugly in doing it.

Hey, I know it’s early, and the losses to Oakland could have gone either way, with a break here or there, but life is about shoulda, woulda, coulda, and the sweep to Oakland really dampened my thoughts on this team.

#2- The Jays still struggle with RISP. This is probably the most alarming factor to me. I know Gibbons is stealing more bases and trying to do the small things to create runs, but its just not happening as well as I'd like. To go with this point, can the Jays hit into any more double plays wasting 1st and second with no one out. It’s getting frustrating to watch.

The Jays don’t have trouble getting guys on base, but getting them home is a different story. This was the case last year as well, with countless times the Jays often stringing a few hits together but not getting the timely hit to drive guys in.

Watch the teams at the top of both leagues and you'll see that they usually always convert on opportunities to score runs. This must improve soon, and (maybe will with the addition of Scott Rolen), but for now, it seems to continue to be a struggle for a team hitting .271 5th in the majors so far in the early going.

# 3- The Jays could use a left-handed bopper to go along with Wells, Hill and Thomas. The lineup right now on a daily basis just isn’t balanced enough against RHP. I dread when the Jays face a righty with power-type stuff, because it’s the type of pitcher that usually gives the Jays the most trouble. Just a thought here, come deadline, if we need a boost, JP must go out and get a left handed bat with power. No offense to Lyle Overbay, who is a professional hitter, but he’s not a David Ortiz, or like any of the number of Yankee left handed boppers, or even Carlos Pena on the Rays. We need some extra bop from the left side to compete with the big boys offensively.

#4- Pitching will be the key to the season. The rotation looks like the best in the AL from what I've seen so far. With the Indians struggling, tigers and mariners, and the Angels' injuries, right now you have to say the Jays have the best top to bottom rotation.

Halladay looked dominant on Friday in his personal house of horrors, going the distance while scattering 6 hits and striking out six. Halladay barring injury looks to be the ace we'll are used to seeing take the hill every 5th day.

The jury is still out on AJ Burnett, who looked awesome in New York, but his past two starts, including today, have not looked really sharp. The breaking stuff just isn’t there and command of his fastball has been inconsistent at best.

Dustin McGowan continues to develop very nicely, and although there are some growing pains, this kid is a gamer and is on his way to a solid season. Along with McGowan, Shaun Marcum has looked great this season, showing no setbacks of his breakdown last September when he suffered from torn cartilage in his knee.

Marcum is the type of pitcher who you'll watch and wonder how he dominated through the lineup, piling plenty of K's on the way.

Barring injury, this is the top rotation in the AL. Book it now. Not a biased statement.

Oh and did I forget to mention Jesse Litsch:  2-0, not bad young man.

#4- Rios is worth all of that 69 million in his contract extension. Kid's a star in the making, and his patience this year at the plate has been a pleasant surprise. Watch out, this guy can be a future batting champ.

#5-Forget Robinson Cano, We need to get Aaron Hill more recognition. Coming into today batting almost .400, this kid is the best second basemen in the AL right now. I’m not just going by 2 weeks of this season either. Compare the stats, and the defense, Hill is just as good if not better than the hyped Cano. Hill needs to stay in the 2-hole where he was used this weekend, and come July should be the All Star game.

#6- We need Scott Rolen. Plain and simple. The lineup just isn’t as good, and although Marco Scutaro has played gritty baseball, the defense is always suffering. Scutaro made a horrible play the other night against Oakland throwing home on a sure inning ending double play grounder. Rolen is the veteran leader on the field we need to go to the next level. I can’t wait to see him out there.

#7- Hey everyone, lay off Frank Thomas. The guy has three homers and 10 RBI's already and although the average may look ugly to most, he still manages to get on base and has the passion that I love to see from this team.

#8- I want to see more passion from this team. Opening night was awesome, granted we lost, but watching Roy Halladay coming off the hill yelling and screaming in frustration got me going. Also, when he told Melky to get back in the dugout after his HR when taking a curtain call, it got my adrenaline going.

We need this kind of personality on the whole team. We have lacked an identity. We're looked upon as the "soft Blue Jays" by most fans that I sit and talk with:  A team that will play you tough, but has no personality to it, to really excite fans. I want to see more emotion. We need an identity.

#9- BJ Ryan is the key to our entire season. Have any of you watched Jeremy Accardo so far this year? It’s been horrendous to watch. Where has that fantastic splitter he used so much last year gone? I’m not sure, but we need it back. Frankly, Accardo just isn’t a dominant type closer like BJ bottom line.

Ryan came in today and got the save after allowing a leadoff triple. BJ has the type of stuff and guts to get out of these situations. It’s a no-brainer, if Ryan gives the Jays quality appearances, the Jays are a way better team. He only expands the depth of the pen and relieves the pressure on the other arms down there, but can he hold up, will be the question. So far, so good for the Jays, and its nice to have him back

#10 and my last observation- Lets not get too excited or too down on the team at this juncture so far. Reading Blue Jay forums, from one day to the next whether we win or lose, I see that fans are finicky based on the performance day in and day out. Now hey if you want to say "seasons over" in July when were 15 games out following a loss to Kansas City, then I wont bother, but not after a loss in the second week of April.

Its early folks.

 So far, so good for the Jays, can’t ask for more really

The Jays are 7-5 heading to Baltimore in 1st place.

Hey, ill take that in a heartbeat

Watch out AL East is the statement made so far by the Jays.