We all the know the story by now.
The Toronto Blue Jays were hovering around .500 at the trade deadline, with another mediocre season on the horizon. The Jays had talent, but needed an extra boost to really propel them into true contenders. General manager Alex Anthopoulos knew that, and delivered, bringing in an impressive mix of stars and veterans to help the club, with the most important pieces being pitcher David Price and shortstop Troy Tulowitzki.
The Blue Jays had been putting out a mix of number two and three starters, such as R.A Dickey, Marco Estrada and Mark Buehrle, but sorely lacked firepower at the top of the rotation. Price provided Toronto with what they needed most, an ace.
Tulowitzki provided a slick-fielding shortstop who would add another bat to wedge in between Jose Bautista, Josh Donaldson, Edwin Encarnacon and Russell Martin. He’d also replace the well-liked Jose Reyes, who was making fielding shortstop look harder and harder with each inning he played. He represented a complete upgrade at the position, and brought some more swagger (somehow) to the clubhouse.
When Anthopoulos put his foot down on the pedal, Toronto went into overdrive. With a brand new roster, in August, they posted a 21-6 record, with a +87 run differential. They barely slowed down in September, posting an 18-9 record, with a +38 run differential. Over two months, Toronto went from 53-51 record on August 1st, to being first place in the American League East with 93-69 record, 24 games above .500, by the end of the season. Blue Jays fandom returned, and the club captured its first playoff berth since 1993, the year of their second World Series triumph.
Anthopoulos’ new toys came mostly as expected. Price won 9 games in 11 starts with a 2.45 ERA, and is likely going to win the AL Cy Young due to his impressive season split between Detroit and Toronto. Tulowitzki ended up getting injured and only batted .237, but he’s back healthy, just in time for the playoffs.
Ben Revere, who’s acquisition was unheralded considering the names who went to Toronto on deadline day, also shined with the club. He hit .318 and had 71 hits in 55 games, and gave the club a reliable bat, no matter where he was slotted in the order. Less heralded acquisitions LaTroy Hawkins and Mark Lowe also helped solidify a shoddy bullpen.
With those big names coming in, Toronto’s big boppers made sure the team scored runs in bunches. Since the start of August, Edwin Encarnacion, Jose Bautista, and Josh Donaldson have combined for 55 home runs – which has given the pitchers plenty of run support. With the Blue Jays pitchers being markedly improved from the first half (4.18 ERA) to the second half (3.33), everything has clicked at once for the club.
What also clicked were some unexpected contributions. Brett Cecil went 29 straight innings without allowing a run, Marco Estrada slowly became an ace, and Kevin Pillar might have revealed his true identity as Superman.
Facing the Texas Rangers in the ALDS, Toronto has a lot to prove. Being dominant for one half of the regular season is impressive, but doing it in the playoffs is the real challenge. This group has the talent to win the World Series, but having the best talent doesn’t always equal results. Now’s the time to figure out if this group’s for real.
