Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette is congratulated by manager John Schneider. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
The Toronto Blue Jays will open the 2023 campaign in St. Louis against the Cardinals on Thursday. Before the season kicks off, let’s make three bold predictions about the Blue Jays in the months ahead.
Thanks to a rash of injuries for the New York Yankees to open the campaign and a stacked lineup in Toronto that was made even stronger through offseason trades, the Blue Jays start the 2023 season as a favorite to win the American League East.
That’s something the franchise has only accomplished once in the last 24 years, so it would be a seismic shift in the division if the Blue Jays can harness their talent and knock the Yankees off their perennial perch.
Toronto Blue Jays bold prediction: They win the AL East
There will be no better time for the Blue Jays to grab the division lead at the start of the season when the Yankees rotation is in shambles and a new look lineup in the Bronx featuring heralded rookie Anthony Volpe will still be finding its rhythm. A nine-game road swing to open the season, starting Thursday in St. Louis, won’t make that task easy for the Blue Jays. However, if the Jays can navigate a winning road trip to start the year as well as a difficult April schedule that includes trips to Houston and New York, it bodes very well for their chances of getting off to a fast start and building enough cushion to hold off the Yankees when they get healthy.
It won’t be easy though. The final 12 games of the year are exclusively against the Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays, meaning it will be a nail-biter for the Jays in the last few days, but they will still hold on to win the division and a bye in the postseason.