Previewing the Blue Jays' 2019 April Schedule
- AL East Report
- Apr 9, 2019
- 3 min read
Note: All stats in this article are as of the morning of Monday, April 8th.
By: Harold Klapper and Nathaniel Ascher
The Toronto Blue Jays are currently 3-8, as of last night. They have already traded OF Kevin Pillar and DH/1B Kendrys Morales, and are trying to get the most out of their veterans in order to turn them into trade pieces come July. As predicted by our staff, Marcus Stroman has had a nice start. He is 0-2 with a 2.41 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP. Furthermore, Randal Grichuk, who was recently signed to a 5yr/$52 million extension, has the potential to turn into a 25 home run player. Overall, the Blue Jays are one of the most interesting teams in baseball and shouldn’t be taken lightly by other clubs.
Every team wants to have a good start to the season, but it is obviously easier said than done. The surging Mariners are currently MLB’s best with a 9-2 record (as of Monday), and the reigning World Champion Boston Red Sox are 3-8. If your team is off to a blazing or disappointing start, don’t take it too seriously, as it’s only April 9th. Here is a preview of the Blue Jays’ April Schedule in 2019 and how it compares to their schedule last year and other teams in the AL East:
In April of 2018, the Blue Jays had two series against the Rangers as well as games against the Yankees, White Sox, Orioles, Royals, Red Sox, and single games against the Indians and Twins. This schedule proved to be quite challenging as the Blue Jays played against three playoff teams but also had easier games against teams such as the Orioles and Royals. During the stretch of April, they went 15-10 and even had two walk-offs. The Blue Jays got off to a good start last April and their schedule last year is similar to the one they have this current season. In 2019, the Blue Jays have two series against the Athletics and single series’ against the Orioles, Indians, Red Sox, Rays, Twins, and Giants, and a single game against the Angels. This schedule has them playing both very competitive teams and teams that won’t finish the season above .500 and is comparable to what they had last year.
Although the schedule is very similar, the results haven’t been thus far. The Blue Jays have gone 1-6 against the Orioles and Indians and have had a pretty bad start to April. With a similar schedule, the Blue Jays can’t produce the same results. In 2018, they went 5-2 in their first 7 games which is almost the opposite of this current season. This could either be a reflection of losing key pieces such as CF Kevin Pillar and 1B Kendrys Morales or just simply a rough start. Whichever reason it may be, one thing for certain is that the Blue Jays have gotten off to a bad start in April when last year they had a similar schedule and played quite well.
Compared to the rest of the AL East, the Blue Jays have arguably the toughest April schedule. Teams like the Rays, Red Sox, and Orioles all go up against 2018 playoff teams three times, and the Yankees only twice. The Blue Jays, on the other hand, go up against 2018 playoff teams four times, as well as having to play 2019 playoff contenders in the Minnesota Twins, Tampa Bay Rays, and Los Angeles Angels. This schedule will definitely put the Blue Jays to the test, and really see what they are made of in this early stretch of the 2019 season.
Overall, we believe the Blue Jays will end April with an 11-18 record. Even though they have a pretty tough schedule, we believe that they will be able to avoid getting swept from the best teams and win some games off of their easier opponents. Come July however, this Blue Jays team will look totally different. They will try to trade away their valuable veterans like 1B Justin Smoak and SS Freddy Galvis, and call up their young phenoms such as 3B Vlad. Guerrero Jr. and SS Bo Bichette. Look to see the Blue Jays try to get the best out of their veterans and start developing their young players in April.
Get excited Blue Jays fans, ‘cause there will soon be a new phenom up in the 6.
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