jaysblue

The human element of the game that computers can't project.

Those were the glory days.

Watch, the moment the Jays sell and wave the white flag on the season, Vladdy will suddenly go on an absolute tear in August and September. It would be the most Jays thing ever - struggle when the games actually matter, then turn into prime Miguel Cabrera once the season is basically cooked.

Tonight should be a beautiful night for the game. Weather in Toronto is perfect today!

Pretty much the season is on the line this week with these important matchups against the Rays and Red Sox. Have to go at least 5-2 during this stretch to hold onto any hope this team has at making the Postseason.

Twins face the Guardians for an important 4-game series this week, which could determine whether the Twins will be buyers or sellers. Reds have announced they're willing to trade any expiring contract. MLB Rumors has said the A’s are receiving trade interest in some of their outfielders. Butler and Soderstrom just signed extensions recently. Butler has been a disappointment so far, but could be a long term option/project in CF with years of control. Soderstrom would be an awesome bat, but definitely would cost a lot.

Did the 2025 team overachieve a bit? Of course they did. They got surprise contributions from guys like Lukes, Clement, Straw, and Heineman during the regular season. Defensively, they were rock solid and arguably the best defensive team in baseball. That simply hasn’t carried over this season. Kirk was also at his offensive best over 162 games, which helped a ton. Springer had a monster bounce-back season, Vladdy wasn’t awful, and they still had Bo producing at a solid level. Pitching-wise, the rotation stayed healthy and did its job. A lot went right. The 2026 team, on the other hand, has obviously been a disappointment. The early injuries didn’t help, but the bigger issue is that too many key players have taken a step back. Vladdy has been awful. Kirk has looked more like the 2023/2024 version offensively. Springer has been a disaster. Straw and Heineman (when here) haven’t been as impactful. Clement has held his own with the bat, but defensively he hasn’t been as sharp. Lukes had a slow start but has at least turned things around, which is encouraging. Missing Barger and his 25–30 HR power has hurt. Varsho’s power disappearing has also been a problem. This lineup just doesn’t have enough thump when the core bats aren’t producing. On the pitching side, the starters haven’t gone deep enough into games. Gausman, Bieber, and Yesavage have all been disappointing relative to expectations, and that has put too much pressure on the bullpen again. Is this all Atkins’ fault? No, not entirely. A lot of this is on the players, especially Vladdy. I actually thought Atkins had a strong offseason. He signed the best starter on the market, who might end up being the AL Cy Young winner, added Okamoto, and strengthened the bullpen with Rogers. At some point, the players have to perform. The front office can be criticized for certain things, but this season’s disappointment is largely because the core players who were supposed to carry this team simply haven’t done enough.

Not part of the MLB script.

They will the make the Playoffs this upcoming season. Don't think they'll be able to go far - likely a 1st or 2nd round exit. Will be fun to watch McKenna and see what type of player he can become.

Grant is probably having a nervous breakdown right now.

Can't believe the season Sean Burke is having.

Valenzuela on the bench today after hitting a HR last night. Ridiculous. Need to keep his bat in the lineup as much as possible.

The absence of Vlad’s bat for the entire season, Springer regressing heavily, and Kirk looking more like the 2023/2024 version offensively has really hurt this lineup. Add in the power outage from Varsho, along with missing Barger for pretty much the entire season, and it’s easy to see why the offense has felt so limited. There just hasn’t been enough consistent thump, especially from the guys this team needed to carry the lineup. On the pitching side, Gausman, Bieber, and Yesavage not performing like front-of-the-rotation arms has been a major issue. That’s forced the bullpen to carry too much of the load again, and it feels like they’ve been overworked going all the way back to April. Defensively, this team also hasn’t been nearly as sharp as it was in 2025. Anyone who’s watched the Jays consistently this season can see that. The miscues, lack of crispness, and overall sloppiness have stood out. Put it all together - underwhelming offense, starters not going deep enough, an overworked bullpen, and a step back defensively - and it’s pretty clear why this season has felt like a disappointment and huge let down in comparison to 2025.

Other clubs like Milwaukee didn't start Miso right after the break. But yeah I get it but also at the same time I understand wanting to save Cease for the Rays and Red Sox next week.

Most of the casual Blue Jays fans down at the dome are already on their 4th $20 beer and socializing at the Corona Rooftop Patio. They don't care about the score.

JS is listening to you.

As for Cease, probably best to have him make 2 starts next week anyways - at home vs. the Rays and on the road at Fenway vs. the Red Sox.

Love it! Yeah they need to get Valenzuela in the lineup as much as possible whether as C or DH. Can't keep him riding on the bench and only making 1 or 2 starts per week. He at least should get 5 starts per week to keep his bat active.

They're tanking on purpose for a top pick next July.

Still have to watch! Will get it on 4K when it comes out.

Agree with everything you said. At some point, reality has to set in. This is about to be their 11th straight losing season, Ohtani is gone, and the organization still hasn’t shown any real ability to build a serious winner around him. If he wants one last real shot at meaningful baseball while he can still impact games, this might be the point where he finally realizes staying loyal to the Angels is just wasting the rest of his career.