Toronto Blue Jays' Playoff Hopes Are Sky-High, Questions Remain

With the best record in spring training, hopes for the Toronto Blue Jays going into the 2012 season are through the roof. The problem is is that this is spring training, and it has the same sort of feel to it as when the Toronto Maple Leafs finish their preseason successfully. 

Spring training is all about smoke and mirrors. 

The Texas Rangers are currently 6-15 and sitting with the worst record in MLB, but there is almost no chance they end up in the basement of the AL West come playoff time. Oakland, on the other hand, is having a remarkable spring, second only to the Jays. The A’s, who have been compared to a Triple-A squad, are 14-4 and rank first in OBP, SLG, OPS and second in runs scored and RBI. In this case, I can guarantee those numbers will not convert over once the regular season begins.

If everything plays out according to plan, the AL East should round out in the usual fashion with the Yankees and the Sox cancelling each other out, and the Rays either sneaking into to the division lead or in one of the two Wild Card spots. 

I’m fully aware that if the Jays were in any other division except the East, the odds are very much in their favour that they catch a hot streak and make the playoffs for the first time since 1993. Still, history shows, unless they win 90-plus games-something they also haven’t done since 1993-their usual fourth place finish is what the fans will see.

Number of Toronto wins

2011 - 81 (91, AL East)

2010 - 85 (95, AL East)

2009 - 75 (95, AL East)

2008 - 86 (95, AL East)

2007 - 83 (94, AL East)

2006 - 87 (95, AL Central)

2005 - 80 (95, AL East)

2004 - 67 (98, AL East)

2003 - 86 (95, AL East)

2002 - 78 (99, AL West)

2001 - 80 (102, AL West)

2000 - 83 (91, AL West)

1999 - 84 (94, AL East

1998 - 88 (92, AL East)

1997 - 76 (96, AL East)

1996 - 74 (88, AL East)

1995 - 56 (79, AL East)

*Wild Card wins with division in parentheses

It’s pretty obvious the Wild Card comes from the AL East almost every year, and I’m very confident every baseball person knows this as well, but one thing I think we don’t remember is that when the Jays were in their heyday (late '80s early '90s), they ranked in the top five of payroll every single year. And I can’t remember anyone every saying that they had the misfortune of playing in an unfair division. 

Toronto payroll

1994 - $41,937,668 (2)

1993 - $45,747,666 (1)

1992 - $43,663,666 (3)

1991 - $27,538,751 (9)

1990 - $18,486,834 (13)

1989 - $16,009,666 (6) 

* Toronto payroll rank in parentheses

While the early season success is great for the fans and sports talk shows, money and power are still what makes this game go round. 

A revamped minor league system and some savvy manoeuvres have brought the Jays to the forefront of a youth movement with Brett Lawrie, Brandon Morrow, Colby Rasmus, Kyle Drabek, Henderson Alvarez, Travis Snider, Eric Thames, Yunel Escobar and J.P. Arencibia.

But the question still remains; Can these young guns overtake two dominant clubs in the Yankees and Red Sox and a Tampa Bay Ray’s team that has proven that youth can do the unthinkable?

Devon is the Founder and Executive Director of The GM's Perspective. He is a former professional baseball player with the River City Rascals & Gateway Grizzlies.

You can follow The GM's Perspective on Twitter and Facebook. His full bio can be seen here.