After Toronto posted a 75-87 record with Roy Halladay in 2009, almost everyone felt the team was headed to even darker days without the two time Cy Young winner. The Blue Jays proved their detractors wrong, though, by winning 85 games last season. Despite 2010's progression, baseball prognosticators are anticipating another fourth place finish for Toronto in the American League East as the latest 2011 MLB Predictions have the club listed at +1400 moneyline odds to win the stacked division.
Toronto's 10 game improvement from 2009 to 2010 did not come from one particular source, but a combination of several,
including a reduction in team ERA and a jump in home runs.
The Blue Jays scored 798 runs in 2009 compared to 755 last season; however, their home run total jumped from 209 in 2009 to 257 in 2010. Obviously the increase in power, which came predominently from a shocking Jose Bautista (led the league with 54 dingers), at the right times proved more critical to success than the overall run total.
Unless Bautista, whose power surge came out of nowhere, falls off the map, the Blue Jays should expect the same kind of key run production this season. The team did lose Vernon Wells (31 homers last year), but the roster still has plenty of double digit boppers, including the aforementioned Bautista as well as Aaron Hill, Edwin Encarnacion, Adam Lind, and Travis Snider.
Amazingly, the Blue Jays team ERA fell from 4.47 with Halladay (2009) to 4.30 without him. Toronto's staff has the potential to reduce that number even further this season with a staff that includes Ricky Romero, Brandon Morrow, Brett Cecil, and Kyle Drabek (came over in the Halladay trade).
Romero, who posted a 14-9 record to go with a 3.73 ERA last season, will anchor the young rotation (all the Blue Jays starters, including Jesse Litch, are 26 years old or younger), but Morrow and Drabek appear to be the equal of the Los Angeles native in terms of talent and potential.
2011 may not be the Jays year, but this team certainly has the makeup to give the Red Sox, Yankees, and Rays trouble.
Toronto Blue Jays MLB Predictions 2011 World Series Odds:
To Win 2011 World Series +4000
To Win 2011 AL Pennant +2000
To Win AL East +1400 (Four of Five)
Regular Season Wins – Over 76.5 (-125)/Under 76.5 (-105)
