Spring training is underway and the Toronto Blue Jays, along with 29 other teams are getting ready for the 2021 season. Of course, this year’s spring training is very different than years past due to the coronavirus pandemic. Players and staff are wearing masks, there are testing sites at every facility, and there will be very little fans at the games. Even with all the new health and safety protocols that are in place, this year’s spring training for the Blue Jays feels even a little more different than previous seasons. The Blue Jays are coming off a successful 2020 season where they finished with a record of 32-28 and made the postseason – albeit with an expanded postseason. The Jays will look to build off that success this year, and while they aren’t necessarily a World Series favourite, they are expected to be very competitive and possibly a playoff team. There is a lot of excitement amongst the fans and players as spring training progresses, and that is in part because of the offseason acquisitions that the team made. The Blue Jays signed former All-Stars in Marcus Semien and Kirby Yates, as well as some complementary pieces in Robbie Ray and Tyler Chatwood. However, the news that sent Blue Jays fans into a frenzy, and really signified to them that the Jays plan to be competitive this year, was the signing of former all star and World Series MVP, George Springer. They signed him to the largest free agent contract in the team’s history at 6 years for $150 million. That signing showed that the Jays will build around their young core of players, despite what certain fans and former Jays players think.
The young core is exciting to watch, but them alone was not going to be enough to really compete this year. Springer and Semien are both major upgrades to the Jays’ centre field and second base positions respectively, but they also provide veteran leadership to a very young team. Semien is coming off a down year – albeit just 53 games – but he appeared to be getting hot in the last couple weeks of the season and into the postseason. In 2019, Semien had a career year and finished third in the AL MVP voting. While it is not likely to expect him to be an MVP candidate this year, it is reasonable to expect him to perform closer to what he was in 2019 than the small sample of 2020.
Springer is coming off a good 2020 season where he played 51 games, plus 13 postseason games. He slashed .265/.359/.540 with 14 homeruns during the regular season and .263/.300/.491 with 4 homeruns in the postseason. As a leadoff hitter, Springer provides immediate pop as he has the ability to go deep right away. Last year Springer had four first inning homeruns, one of which was in Game 5 of the ALCS and was on the very first pitch of the game! Along with being an offensive threat to start the game, Springer also plays above average defence in centre field. One of the big things that the Blue Jays needed to improve on is their run prevention, and not all of that comes from pitching. Good defence is needed to support the pitching staff, and both Semien and Springer provide upgrades to the team’s up the middle defensive alignments.
Along with the veteran leadership that Springer and Semien will provide, both men also come from teams with a winning culture. Springer coming from the Houston Astros who have made the playoffs in five of the last six seasons, and Semien who comes from the Oakland Athletics, who have made the playoffs the last three seasons. Both players have the experience of being in a pennant race down the stretch, and that can be valuable as the Jays look to make a push for a postseason spot this year. Without the addition of an expanded postseason this year, the Jays will either have to win their division or be one of only two wildcard teams to make the playoffs. Over the 162, the experience of Springer and Semien could be a big influence for the young players.
As spring training continues, and we get closer to opening day on April 1st, the excitement amongst Jays fans will continue to grow. It will be a lot of fun to see the young core of players continue to grow and get better, as well as see how the new players perform. The Jays are coming into the season as a trendy pick because of the moves they have made to compliment their core, but they still have to produce on the field. This is an important year for the Blue Jays as they take their next step to become a World Series contender, even if they aren’t quite there just yet. There is a lot to look forward to this year, and the excitement has only just begun.