The Toronto Blue Jays enjoyed a fairly successful 2021 regular season. Typically, 91 wins is good enough to get you into the postseason. Unfortunately for Toronto, they finished just one game behind the Red Sox and Yankees for the two Wild Card sports and were ultimately sent home.
But the Blue Jays knew they were a few pieces away from becoming an elite ball club entering this past offseason. So Toronto went out and spent money on the free agent market and they are now looking like a legitimate contender to not only make the playoffs, but possibly even win the division. Some of their top offseason acquisitions include RHP Kevin Gausman and third baseman Matt Chapman. The Blue Jays are ready to roll with sky high expectations as Opening Day draws closer.
Without further ado, here are four bold predictions for the Toronto Blue Jays 2022 season.
4 Bold Predictions for the Toronto Blue Jays 2022 Season
The Blue Jays will Lead the MLB in Home Runs
Okay, maybe this is not too crazy of a prediction. But with teams like the Yankees, Dodgers, Giants, and Braves to think about, leading the league in homers is no simple task. However, let me list you the players in this lineup who feature 30-plus home run potential: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, George Springer, Matt Chapman, Teoscar Hernandez, and Randal Grichuk. This is a lineup that is going to mash in 2022 without question and they have an argument for best offense in all of baseball.
Balls are going to be flying out of the Rogers Centre this year.
Alek Manoah will Make the All-Star Team
24-year-old Alec Manoah emerged onto the scene in a major way in 2021. Despite being limited to just 20 games, the young right-hander posted a quality 3.22 ERA and 1.05 WHIP over the course of 112.2 innings pitched. Additionally, he struck out 127 batters and limited opponents to a .192 batting average.
He showed that he could pitch well even in the difficult AL East. With Manoah set to enter his first full season in the big leagues, he might be set for a true breakout campaign in 2022 which should land him on the All-Star team.
Matt Chapman Finally Puts it all Together
Matt Chapman is arguably the best defensive third baseman in all of the MLB. However, the offensive part of this game always seemed to lag behind his elite glovework. But Chapman has the potential to become a strong hitter, and this newly found change of scenery might do the trick.
Chapman was one of the best hitters in Oakland even with his struggles. In 2019 he hit 36 home runs and drove in 91 RBI’s while hitting just under .250. The 2019 campaign was easily his best offensive season up to date.
In 2021, Chapman was able to produce 27 homers. But everything else was rather ugly. He hit a measly .210 while getting on base at an underwhelming .314 clip. But there was reason to be hopeful. Chapman posted a far more respectable .272 batting average on batted balls in play. So Chapman was actually pretty good when he made contact. But the main reason for Chapman’s struggles last year were due to an increase in strikeouts. His previous career high strikeout total was 147. In 2021, Chapman set a new high with 202 strikeouts.
But in Toronto Chapman won’t be one of the main bats opponents have to worry about. Their gameplans will revolve working on trying to take care of Guerrero Jr., Bichette, and Springer which should lead to an uptick in fastballs for Chapman. And more fastballs should lead to less strikeouts and the potential for a career year for the third baseman.
The Toronto Blue Jays will Win the American League East
Winning the AL East may be the most difficult thing to accomplish this season. There are four teams with legitimate chances of taking the division by storm. But the Jays missed the playoffs in 2021 and their motivation is through the roof heading into 2022. Additionally, they are more than just an offensive juggernaut now. They have an extremely capable pitching rotation with Gausman and Jose Berrios leading the way. Their bullpen is solid and this is a team poised to make plenty of noise this year.
The Blue Jays will likely need to win at least 95-plus games to have a realistic shot at capturing the division. After all, the division winning Rays won 100 games a season ago. But one look at this roster tells you that this is a team that can win more than that if everything goes according to plan.
Look out for the Blue Jays in 2022.
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