The Toronto Blue Jays were one of the heavy favorites to win the American League entering the season. There were a plethora of problems throughout the season, starting with the manager switch from Charlie Montoyo to John Schneider. That move propelled the Blue Jays to a better position and primed them to make some noise in the postseason.

Pitching has been a primary issue over the last few seasons but having Kevin Gausman, Jose Berrios, and Alek Manoah has been fantastic for the squad. The offense continues to be a force and arguably one of the best in the AL, but the goal is for that to translate into the postseason. With a more balanced roster this season, there are numerous reasons why Toronto will win the 2022 World Series.

Rocking the hits game

There was quiet optimism that Toronto would reach astronomical numbers in terms of homers this season. That has not been the case, but they still possess the equally impressive titles of being second in hits and first in batting average this season. The power has not been mitigated as five individuals have tallied over 20 homers this season, led by Vladimir Guerrero Jr's 28 homers.

Guerrero Jr's numbers have dwindled compared to his MVP-caliber campaign last year, but this year has resulted in more winning. Bo Bichette is another lethal piece in the batting order who is leading the team in hits and has contributed 24 HR and 88 RBI so far. Teoscar Hernandez is another piece who got injured this year, but he will be an important asset for the Blue Jays in the postseason.

Blue Jays' aces galore 

From all the recent winners of the World Series, it has been a common indicator that their starting pitching is excellent. As previously mentioned, that was a subpar facet of the franchise when they had the likes of Jose Bautista and Josh Donaldson a few years back. Since that, the front office has bolstered its staff led by All-Star Game starter Alek Manoah.

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Pitching over 177 innings with below 3.00 ERA has been fantastic for Manoah. His frame could be deceiving for some opponents or fans, but he will be a force for Toronto in the wildcard matchups. Furthermore, the acquisition of Kevin Gausman from the San Francisco Giants has benefitted them immensely. Jose Berrios will be the third guy for Toronto, and he is more than capable to fill in that critical role.

Underrated Depth

It may be surprising for some, but the depth of the Blue Jays makes them an interesting opponent in the playoffs. The top and middle of the order are given with the aforementioned names, but it is more than that for Toronto. Having two terrific catchers who can play every day Alejandro Kirk and Danny Jansen will be at a premium in the postseason.

The acquisition of Whit Merrifield will also be an interesting piece because his versatility and athleticism will be critical. Their outfield options are stacked with the signing of veteran Jackie Bradley Jr., along with the usual starters of Hernandez, Springer, and Raimel Tapia. The injury to Lourdes Gurriel Jr. has put a hump on their usual batting order, but he will be back for the postseason run. 

The 2015 and 2016 runs has been missed in Toronto when the Blue Jays were competitive in the AL playoffs. This iteration of the squad is vastly different, but they show similar determination and eagerness to make their fans proud. As the sole baseball franchise from Canada, their fan base will be immense when the postseason begins in October, and it is not far-fetched for the World Series crown to be brought to Toronto.