The most feared team in baseball isn't the Los Angeles Dodgers or the Houston Astros. Sure, both clubs will likely make a deep run into the postseason, but the current organization that is striking fear into every single opponent is the young, vibrant Toronto Blue Jays.
If you look around the big leagues right now, you won't find a team hotter than Toronto. The Jays have won 16 of their last 20 games and currently look like a nightmare for any team to play in a one-game Wild Card showdown in October. The Blue Jays offense is arguably the most electrifying around. They rank in the top five of every single major offensive category, hitting .267 as a team and slugging a big league-best 234 homers. When you have the surefire MVP and a Cy Young candidate, it's inevitable you're going to enjoy some success.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr is putting together a historic campaign, leading the majors in almost every single category at the dish. He's batting .318 with a ridiculous 46 homers while also collecting 174 hits on the season. Keep in mind, the Blue Jays star is just 22-years-old. These numbers are insane. But, this team's dominance goes further than just Vladdy. Their lineup is stacked from top to bottom with gritty hitters who can get drive a guy in with an opposite-field single or go yard.
Marcus Semien signed a one-year deal with the Blue Jays in the offseason and has solidified himself a massive payday this winter, putting together his best offensive season ever. The former A's infielder is hitting .268 with 39 homers and 94 RBI's. While his defense isn't great, Semien's bat has been ridiculously productive and a huge reason Toronto is even in the playoff race.
Bo Bichette is electric on both sides of the ball. Teoscar Hernandez and Lourdes Gurriel Jr can rake. George Springer is one of the best players in baseball when healthy. There are so many different guys who get it done at the dish for the Blue Jays in more ways than one. Toronto has a total of five players who have clubbed 20 or more homers this season. Talk about a nightmare for opposing arms.
On the mound, Jose Berrios was a great acquisition at the deadline for the Jays. Robbie Ray has been the main man though as he's well in the running for a Cy Young. The lefty is 12-5 with a 2.64 ERA and has absolutely destroyed hitters, striking out 233 in just 177.1 innings of work. Add in the likes of Alek Manoah, Hyun Jin Ryu, and Steven Matz and you have a pretty solid rotation. Jordan Romano has blown just one save this season while collecting 18. In all facets, the Blue Jays are a team that is very, very good. However, Ryu has been struggling lately and will need to figure it out quickly.
Based on the talent Toronto has, you'd expect them to be even leading the AL East. But some poor pitching in the first half did hurt the squad. The craziest part is, Toronto played most of the season away from the Rogers Centre. Since returning home on August 30th, Charlie Montoyo's squad has gone 20-8 on home soil. Imagine if they were actually able to play in their backyard for all of 2021 instead of splitting time between Dunedin and Buffalo. The possibilities would've been endless.
While they will have to go through a Wild Card game, the Blue Jays should have the utmost confidence they can get by anyone, whether it's the Yankees or Red Sox. If Toronto gets past that and into the divisional series, watch out. This club can seriously make a run deep into October. The Blue Jays are hungry for success and have proved all year long they can truly beat any team in the majors.
In one game, anything is possible. Whether Toronto gets past the Wild Card or not, the future is extremely bright for the Blue Jays. With a fantastic core intact, a World Series title is by no means a pipe dream anymore for this organization.
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