Do you think the BlueJays will make the playoffs?

Question

If yes, East or Wild Card

Answer 1

Yes, they will be the wild card team as the Yankees will win the division. Jays look really good this year and with Thomas in the lineup have major power in the 4 hole. The Red Sox will enjoy the playoffs from the comfort of their living rooms.

Answer 2

As a Blue Jay I would love to answer yes to the question. Are the Jays talented? Yes. Offense boarders on scary. The only problem is the bench is very weak. Weakest positions are SS and C. Otherwise solid.
Pitching is a huge question mark filled with questions and if's. The pitchers in camp competeing for two open positions all are capable and IF healthy will help the Jays immeasurably. The IF is huge though. It is almost impossible to go through an entire season and not have anyone get hurt. The jays were proof of that last year (All starters except Lilly were out for a long time at some point).
Can they make the playoffs. Yes. Will they? Probably not.

Answer 3

No they will not. Being they are in the east, between the Yankees and the sox they really don't have a chance there. Come mid season even if the Jays are in the lead the other teams will get the players they need to improve. As for the wild cars, the Indians, the other sox and Twins will all be competitive this year again. If the Jays were in the NL they would be a playoff team for sure, maybe even make it to the series, but that is not the case, so we will never know.

Answer 4

Lineup: Toronto's offense was its strength in 2006, and it should be again in '07, when the club returns virtually the same lineup-with Frank Thomas included. The Jays hit for a high average and have plenty of pop, which plays right into their Moneyball philosophy. The Jays are much more potent at home, especially in the power department.

Rotation: Toronto's pitching staff has started to reflect the philosophy of ace Roy Halladay. The Jays are pitching more to contact, and the team's WHIP has improved. Injuries and other issues hindered the staff in 2006, leaving the team with plenty of question marks heading into '07. Halladay and fellow starter A.J. Burnett, a strikeout pitcher. are solid, but there's a revolving door at the bottom of the rotation.

Bullpen: He isn't often regarded as such, but B.J. Ryan is among the best in the business. He was 38-for-42 in save opportunities, and his other numbers-1.37 ERA, 0.86 WHIP-were outstanding. The Jays will need a repeat performance from him because such fill-in options as Brandon League and Jason Frasor wouldn't be very reliable.

I don't think they have much of a chance because of the up-grades that Boston and New York have made.

Answer 5

I think they have a better chance than the people who've already answered and many of the critics give them.

The Jays most pressing issues are going to be establishing a #3 starter, having consistancy from AJ Burnett and establishing a set-up pitcher for BJ Ryan.

The hitting is going to be rock solid from top to bottom. Reed Johnson is an undervalued lead off hitter. I'd like to see the Jays bat Aaron Hill #2. He has a bit of power in his bat, and his average has really picked up. Alex Rios most likely is #2 though, if he continues to do what he did before the AS Break especially. Wells, Thomas, Overbay and Glaus make up one of the best 3-4-5-6 combos in the game. And Gregg Zaun and Royce Clayton have the ability to have good performances on occassion.

How well Gustavo Chacin pitches is going to be critical though. Counting on Thomson and Ohka is risky, which is while there best to settle into #4 and #5 spots.

Don't underestimate some of the other pitchers they have in camp too, like Casey Jannsen and Shawn Marcum, who pitched better than Jays fans could have expected last year.

Look for maybe a wild card like talented prospect Dustin McGowan who has the third best stuff on the team behind Halladay and Burnett, but hasn't been able to hone his craft. And Josh Towers who had a solid '05 season, before falling off the horse big time in 2006.

Brandon League-Jason Frasor will team up on the set-up duties.

So, to answer your ultimate question. The East is not unthinkable, if the issues outlined above play out right for Toronto. The wild card is not going to be easier, but you have to think if the likes of the offensivley limp Angels and A's, the pitching shallow Indians and Twins are the competition...I like Toronto's chances to be with the Boston, White Sox and Yankees side of that race.

(PS to all the Jays haters, if you can't name more than 3 players on the Jays roster, you probably shouldn't be giving any harsh critiques)

Answer 6

No, they will not. The Blue Jays and the rest of the second tier AL East teams are in a bad situation for the foreseeable future. With the spending habits of the Red Sox and Yankees, the rest of the division will have to be content chasing third place in the division until something drastic happens, like a salary ceiling or a George Steinbrenner-type owner in Toronto.

Answer 7

Not this year..i just think the yankees and the red sox are too dominant and will take up the east and wildcard but maybe in a yea or 2 they'll be back in the playoffs.

Answer 8

Both the Yanks and Sox seem to have improved their questionable pitching staffs this year and maintain their tough offenses. While think the Blue Jays may be competitive for the Wild Card, I don't think they have quite enough to get there.

Answer 9

They have improved their team. THey will stick around at the top of the East, but eventually Boston and the jankees will take them both, East and Wild Card. But I would love to see them overtake both Sox and janks and win the East! But realistically probably won't happen.

Answer 10

Wild Card is possible if Halladay stays healthy for the entire season and the rest of the pitching staff comes around. The offense will be there.