TORONTO: The fact that there will not be a pennant race in Toronto has long been established. The Toronto Blue Jays are not playing significant baseball in the latter stages of the season for the first time in five years, dating back to 2019.
There is no sugarcoating it: watching the 40 or so games that are still on the schedule seems a little tedious because the Blue Jays have not been entertaining to watch this season and have nothing to play for.
It makes sense that some fans have decided to largely ignore the remaining Blue Jays games and spend their final few weeks of summer outside. However, if you still make time to watch Blue Jays baseball every day, here are five narratives you should stick with for the remainder of the 2024 campaign.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s chase for the AL batting title
Guerrero has steadily risen up the American League batting average scoreboard as he continues to pile up hits for the Blue Jays. Guerrero is batting.320 after Tuesday’s 6-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels, which puts him fourth in the batting order behind Bobby Witt Jr., Aaron Judge, and Steven Kwan. With a.347 average, Witt is difficult to catch, but he can remain in the mix if Guerrero continues to have strong weeks.
Guerrero’s at-bat performance is reason enough to watch him even if he is not the batting champion. Although his 22-game hitting streak came to an end this past weekend, he is still among the major league’s top hitters and has cemented his place among the league’s best hitters. With his home run on Tuesday in the third inning, he has now reached 24 after only managing five at the end of May. For the third time in his career, will he hit more than 30 home runs in a season?
The kids are playing
The Blue Jays have gradually been depending on a group of young players, including Will Wagner, who was called up this week, Spencer Horwitz, Leo Jiménez, Addison Barger, Joey Loperfido, Steward Berroa, and Bowden Francis, ever since it became evident that this was not their year. More young players may be called up between now and the end of the season (more on that later), giving them the opportunity to play.
The Blue Jays front office is using this time to assess existing players and identify those who may be able to contribute to the team in the future, as attention has shifted to the upcoming season and beyond. For many, therefore, the next six weeks will be like an audition for the 2025 roster.
Individuals such as Horwitz, who has been active since June, have probably already accomplished enough to secure a berth on the roster for the upcoming season. Jiménez, who launched his first professional home run on Monday, has appeared more at ease since he started playing shortstop on a daily basis. Others, meanwhile, like the recently acquired Loperfido, who broke a 0-for-24 slump on Tuesday with an eighth-inning RBI single, are still getting a feel for the team.
Even if the standings may not matter, many of the young players on the team view these games as important on a personal level.
More Blue Jays debuts?
Will Wagner won’t be stopped! #TOTHECORE pic.twitter.com/prYJM9kdqg
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) August 14, 2024
In the Blue Jays’ 4-2 victory over the Angels on Monday, Wagner finished 3-for-4 with a double, providing the template for a great rookie season. Wagner was obtained from the Houston Astros in the Yusei Kikuchi deal. Billy Wagner is the son of former MLB standout closer Billy Wagner. The 26-year-old infielder has not done anything but hit since joining the Blue Jays organization. Prior to getting called up this week for his first taste of major league action, he was 10-for-25 in seven games with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons.
Naturally, Wagner raised the standard for his first-game experience with the team, but there may be more for the Blue Jays before the season is out. In his first start for the Bisons last Saturday, starting pitcher Jake Bloss—who was also acquired from Houston as part of the Kikuchi trade—threw 2 2/3 scoreless innings while giving up three hits, a walk, and two strikeouts.
The Blue Jays sent Bloss to Florida to assess him in a less competitive setting, purposely slowing his rate of advancement after the 23-year-old made his Major League debut with Houston earlier in the season and ascended three minor-league levels. But before the season is out, the Blue Jays might still call him up to the big league team, particularly if they want to see if he can fit into their rotation the next year.
Jonatan Clase, a quick outfielder acquired from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for Yimi García, is another player who might make his Blue Jays debut. With the Bisons, Clase is hitting.263/.317/.421 through 10 games. Before the season finishes, it would be beneficial to see what Clase can contribute to the major league level since the outfielder adds a speed element that the Blue Jays are currently lacking. When the rosters expand to 28 in September, Clase might be a candidate to be called up.
Who will return from the IL?
After rehabilitating at the team’s Florida facility, Bo Bichette and Jordan Romano visited the Blue Jays in Toronto last weekend so the medical staff could assess their progress. While Romano has been on the IL since May 30 due to elbow discomfort and underwent arthroscopic surgery on July 3, Bichette has been out since July 20 due to a right calf injury.
Manager John Schneider recently informed media that Romano is expected to start throwing in mid-August, while Bichette is expected to start baseball activities the following week.
It is important to keep an eye on whether Bichette or Romano can return from the IL with a month and a half left. They will have a brief opportunity to put a positive spin on the lackluster 2024 seasons if they can. Between the two, Bichette’s likelihood of returning before the year is out looks higher due to the soft-tissue injury he is recovering from than Romano’s surgically repaired elbow. Romano may require more time to complete his rehab tasks than Bichette because he must start with a throwing program and work his way up.
Former Jays in playoff races
Okay, so this has very little to do with Toronto’s season, but if you are craving serious baseball, you may follow the playoff races involving Blue Jays players who were moved before the deadline.
Kikuchi’s Astros and Justin Turner and García, who are now Mariners, are fighting hard for the AL West championship. Since the deal, Kikuchi has been a fantastic player for the Astros, who are currently 1 1/2 games ahead of the Mariners in the division.
Yusei Kikuchi's first three starts as an Astro: 16.2 IP, 10 H, 5 ER, 6 BB, 24 K. That's a 2.70 ERA
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) August 14, 2024
Kikuchi has a 2.70 ERA through three starts while giving up five earned runs on ten hits, 24 strikeouts, and 6 walks. In his seven Mariners appearances, García has allowed only two earned runs, while Turner has batted 8 for 36 in 10 contests. Who plays in October could be decided by the Mariners and Astros in their remaining three-game series in September.
In the meantime, the Boston Red Sox and Danny Jansen are attempting to maintain their lead in the AL wild-card chase. After the deal, Jansen has played in seven games for Boston, going 7 for 19, but the Red Sox have dropped their previous four and are currently battling for the third wild-card place.
(Photo of Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)
