TORONTO — For the likes of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, a three-city road trip doesn’t even approach the longest they’ve taken. Remember, the Toronto Blue Jays spent a full season away from home a few years ago and most of the next one, too.
Still, it’ll be a relief for the Blue Jays to arrive in Toronto after a productive 10-game, 11-day trip on which they went 6-4. Now it’s time for players to settle in at home and get used to a new-look Rogers Centre.
After an off-day Monday, it’s finally time for the Blue Jays’ 2023 home opener featuring Alek Manoah on the mound against the 2-7 Tigers. Kevin Gausman will look to build on his strong start Wednesday and on Thursday, the Blue Jays will honour Miguel Cabrera’s career with a pre-game ceremony ahead of his final scheduled game in Toronto.
With the seemingly unbeatable Tampa Bay Rays following the Tigers into Toronto, the week ahead offers plenty of intrigue. As the countdown to the opener continues, here’s a closer look at what we may learn about the Blue Jays during their first homestand of 2023…
Can Bassitt get on track?
The first 9.1 innings of Chris Bassitt‘s Blue Jays career have been uncharacteristically rough. The 34-year-old right-hander has allowed 12 hits including five home runs while walking as many hitters as he has struck out (five).
Contributing to those results, Bassitt’s also been dealing with a drop in velocity, down from an average of 92.8 m.p.h. on his 2022 sinker to 91.2 m.p.h. this year and from 93.2 m.p.h. with last year’s four-seam fastball to 92 m.p.h., on average, with the Jays.
None of that’s what you’d expect from a pitcher with a lifetime 3.54 ERA, but there’s a lot going on with Bassitt right now. Not only is he still adapting to calling his own game with PitchCom technology — and doing so with the added pressure of the pitch clock — he’s also still searching for his delivery, a process that may also be impacting his velocity.
As reported by Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi over the weekend, Bassitt said “I still am not right” mechanically. A veteran of nine seasons, he has made plenty of adjustments before. The sooner he can make more, the better off the Blue Jays will be. Perhaps a date with the struggling Tigers Thursday will be the chance Bassitt needs to find more comfort on the mound.
How will the newly renovated outfield play?
For the first time in its 35-year history, Rogers Centre will have unconventional outfield dimensions including shorter centre field walls, higher walls in the outfield corners and a right-centre field power alley that’s closer than ever to home plate at just 359 feet.
Eventually, the Blue Jays will have a better read on these quirks than their opponents, and that could benefit them over time, but for now everyone’s equally unfamiliar with the new space. There was no formal Monday workout for the Blue Jays following a long road trip, so they’ll be learning on the go just like the Tigers.
Ultimately it’ll take more than one homestand to determine how the new dimensions play, but we’ll get our first hints at those answers this week. If the defensive skill this team displayed on the road hints at what’s to come, Daulton Varsho, Kevin Kiermaier and George Springer should be up to the challenge.
Can Belt get going at the plate?
The bad news: Brandon Belt has looked completely over-matched at the plate this year, with multiple strikeouts in each of his six games and just one hit in 23 at-bats.
The good news: After a weekend where every Angels starter was left-handed, the Blue Jays will be facing some right-handed pitchers against Detroit. Matt Manning’s scheduled to pitch Tuesday and Spencer Turnbull will go Thursday, providing Belt with valuable chances to find his timing at the plate.
It’s too early to panic here — Belt didn’t get all that many at-bats this spring due to a deliberate ramp-up from 2022 knee surgery and illness late in spring. But when they signed Belt for $9.3 million this isn’t what the Blue Jays envisioned. Major strides forward are needed here and an ideal homestand for the Blue Jays would definitely feature signs of life at the plate from their new designated hitter.
How do the Blue Jays match up against the Rays?
After four series against opponents from other divisions, the Blue Jays will finally play within the AL East when the Rays come to town this weekend. Unfortunately for the Blue Jays, this is just about the worst possible time to play the 10-0 Rays, but if nothing else it’ll be a challenge.
Tampa Bay’s pitching has been elite so far, with Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen both pitching at a high level alongside staff ace Shane McClanahan (Springs and Rasmussen have near-identical pitching lines with each surrendering just three hits over 13 scoreless innings). Meanwhile, 22-year-old Wander Franco is showing signs of breaking out at the plate with a .317 average and a 1.047 OPS to go along with four home runs. It’s been an unbeatable combination.
Also of interest: While matchups against the Rays were more common under MLB’s previous schedule, this is the last time we’ll see McClanahan, Franco & Co. in Toronto for a while. Their next visit comes at the end of September, the final series of the season, when the AL East title may well be on the line.
