The Toronto Blue Jays entered 2023 as a strong bet to be a World Series contender. Have they lived up to the hype to this point? The answer is probably not. Toronto boasts a 38-32 record, which is strong in its own right, but we expected them to contend for the AL East crown. In saying that, it was hard to predict the Tampa Bay Rays would get off to the start they did and grab the division by the horns. Toronto sits ten games back on June 15 while also being 1.5 games back in their chase for a wild card spot in the American League. Toronto has a high ceiling with their current core, but they still need some pieces added before we can picture them ending their 30-year World Series drought. Toronto Blue Jays Pennant Odds +800
It was a disappointing playoff run in 2022 for the Toronto Blue Jays, who, despite having home-field advantage in the wild-card round against the Seattle Mariners, were ousted in two games. The Blue Jays went through a shakeup in the offseason, which saw them sign Chris Bassitt in free agency while dealing for reliever Erik Swanson and outfielder Daulton Varsho. The deals attempted to improve the club’s bullpen and give them a more serious playoff feel with their roster. No more home run jackets and more veteran presences. Brandon Belt and Kevin Kiermaier were brought into the fold and have contributed nicely. In addition, Bo Bichette is putting together an MVP-caliber campaign at the plate, even if his defensive game leaves a lot to be desired. The Blue Jays are listed in a tie with the Minnesota Twins for the fifth-shortest odds to win the American League at +800. At that current number, and with the ceiling we believe this Blue Jays team has, there’s a lot of value in buying into the Blue Jays to win the Pennant.
Toronto Blue Jays World Series Odds +1700If the Blue Jays want to be serious World Series contenders, they’ll likely need starting pitcher Alek Manoah back in the fold. Manoah is currently down in the minor leagues trying to adjust some things, which is something you probably wouldn’t have predicted entering the regular season for an arm who was considered a potential Cy Young threat. Manoah has struggled. Even though we can’t place Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in a similar category, we’ve expected more from the powerful slugger. If we want to classify the Blue Jays in the upper echelon of teams in the big leagues, they’ll likely need Manoah back in the fold, along with Guerrero Jr., to improve his numbers at the plate. Jose Berrios turning back into the consistent arm they dealt for is a positive development, but Manoah gave them an absolute ace at the top of the rotation when he was on his game. Toronto is tied with the Twins for the seventh-shortest odds to win the World Series at +1700. That’s not exactly a ridiculous price by any means, especially when you factor in that the team opened the year with a +1200 price. You can make a good case this number is appealing, and if the Blue Jays continue playing strong baseball in June, the current number will undoubtedly continue rising. As a result, there’s a solid case to be made that this price is too low, and thus bettors should buy into the number.
