Blue Jays GDT: 2023 v1 | Fri, Apr 7 | @ LAA | 9:30pm ET/6:30pm PT | Bassitt vs Sandoval

[The Nemesis]

It's time! The curtain rises on the 2023 Blue Jays with this 3-game series against the Cardinals before they move on to the Royals on Monday.

Our matchups for the series are:

Game 1 - Thursday, 4pm ET/1pm PT: Manoah vs Mikloas
Game 2 - Saturday, 2pm ET/11am PT: Gausman vs Flaherty (Friday is an off day so that opening day rainouts can go the next day without borking the schedule right out of the gate)
Game 3 - Sunday, 2pm ET/11am PT: Bassitt vs Montgomery

Your 2023 Blue Jays roster is:

Rotation
Alek Manoah
Kevin Gausman
Chris Bassitt
Jose Berrios
Yusei Kikuchi

Bullpen
Anthony Bass
Adam Cimber
Yimi Garcia
Tim Mayza
Zach Pop
Trevor Richards
Jordan Romano
Erik Swanson

Lineup (not the batting order, also doesn't account for heavier split time/platoon situations)
C: Alejandro Kirk
1B: Vladimir Guerrero Jr
2B: Santiago Espinal
SS: Bo Bichette
3B: Matt Chapman
LF: Daulton Varsho
CF: Kevin Kiermaier
RF: George Springer
DH: Brandon Belt

Bench
C Danny Jansen
IF/OF Cavan Biggio
IF Whit Merrifield
OF Nathan Lukes

Click to read more...

 

[ACC1224]

Pardon my ignorance but is this today? I don't see any dates listed.

 

[theaub]

162-0 or bust

 

[thehockeysong]

Pardon my ignorance but is this today? I don't see any dates listed.

Yep - opening day is today!

 

[dubplatepressure]

nice.

 

[red devil]

Weather looks great for today always need to check when playing outdoors and tomorrow has thunder shower so with the Jays off tomorrow that worked out.

 

[TMLeafer]

Now spring has officially arrived!

 

[tmlms13]

Kikuchi lead spring training in strikeouts.

There is a sentence I was not not expecting a month ago. Maybe the overdrive guys are right it is the robbie ray tight pants

 

[phillipmike]

FanGraphs 2023 Staff Predictions

Allow us to make a series of informed and possibly incorrect predictions about the 2023 season.

blogs.fangraphs.com

Playoffs and Division: Jays have the most votes (19 out of 26) to win the division and all 26 writers predict the Jays will make the playoffs.

AL #1 seed: Jays have the 2nd most votes (6) in the AL to the Astros for the #1 seed. The Jays have the most votes for the #2 seed (12) in the AL.

AL Pennant: Jays have the 2nd most vores (10) to the Astros (11) for the AL Pennant.

WS Matchup: Most common WS match up predict is the Jays vs Padres (6). Jays vs Mets are tied for 3rd with 3 predictions Jays vs the Cards also got a vote.

AL MVP: Vladdy is tied for 4th with 1 vote for AL MVP.

AL Cy Young: Gausman tied for 4th with 2 votes for the AL Cy Young award.

AL Rookie of the Year: No Jay got a vote.

I want what Paul Sporer is on. Angels make the playoffs as a WC AND win the WS.

 

[canucksfan]

 

[hockeywiz542]

 

[red devil]

 

[saska sault]

Exactly the line up I wanted to see, think Chapman having a big year really makes this line up incredibly dangerous having him act as a clean up type hitter for the second half of the order. If Merrifield can bounce back even slightly and Kiermaier is fully healthy.. man, should be fun.

 

[canucksfan]

Surprised Belt isn’t where Varsho is.

 

[Eyedea]

I want what Paul Sporer is on. Angels make the playoffs as a WC AND win the WS.

FG projections have them on the cusp (2nd in division and behind Jays/Rays for WC spot) so it wouldn't be outlandish to predict them to get a WC spot. I actually don't mind their roster construction and think their rotation is good. They've addressed their lineup depth as well and hopefully Rendon is able to stay healthy for them to compete. Their pen looks absolutely tragic right now though and we're gonna have to wait a bit for the Ben Joyce show.

 

[EpochLink]

The Summer of George starts today

 

[Eyedea]

Surprised Belt isn’t where Varsho is.

I believe there was some discussion during ST about separating Varsho/Chapman because of their similar profiles? Sandwiching Kirk + Belt between them at least spreads the power output and gets a couple OBP guys in there. Also gives greater potential for Varsho to run.

 

[Seath The Scaleless]

FG projections have them on the cusp (2nd in division and behind Jays/Rays for WC spot) so it wouldn't be outlandish to predict them to get a WC spot. I actually don't mind their roster construction and think their rotation is good. They've addressed their lineup depth as well and hopefully Rendon is able to stay healthy for them to compete. Their pen looks absolutely tragic right now though and we're gonna have to wait a bit for the Ben Joyce show.

Yeah that lineup is pretty deep. They won't be completely screwed like before when someone inevitably gets injured.

Rotation has a lot of upside after Ohtani with Detmers/Sandoval, and Jose Suarez as a backend SP isn't bad at all

 

[Suntouchable13]

Feels surreal that this is 2023! I remember 2013 hype like it was just a couple of years ago. Can’t believe it has been a decade since RA Dickey, Jose Reyes trades.

 

[Morgs]

Lineup looks good to me. Kirk probably deserves to be higher, but i see no reason to not give Varsho the 4 hole to start. There's so little swing and miss around him that it balances the lineup a bit better, and keeps him away from Chapman/Kiermaier. Plus the speed and power should play with the guys in front and behind him.

 

[phillipmike]

FG projections have them on the cusp (2nd in division and behind Jays/Rays for WC spot) so it wouldn't be outlandish to predict them to get a WC spot. I actually don't mind their roster construction and think their rotation is good. They've addressed their lineup depth as well and hopefully Rendon is able to stay healthy for them to compete. Their pen looks absolutely tragic right now though and we're gonna have to wait a bit for the Ben Joyce show.

The WC spot isn’t really the issue though I can’t see them out performing one of the Yankees, Astros, Jays, Rays, Guardians or Mariners. But if they do, they have the Twins and White Sox who have better teams imo. Then I have the Angels next with the O’s and maybe Rangers.

The real issue I have is the WS prediction where they are winning it all.

 

[theaub]

Angels bullpen is horrific which is kind of important in the playoffs.

 

[Eyedea]

The WC spot isn’t really the issue though I can’t see them out performing one of the Yankees, Astros, Jays, Rays, Guardians or Mariners. But if they do, they have the Twins and White Sox who have better teams imo. Then I have the Angels next with the O’s and maybe Rangers.

The real issue I have is the WS prediction where they are winning it all.

Yes a WS win would be pretty crazy but we did recently see the Braves win it all after an 88 win season (and the Jays missing out on playoff baseball with 91).

 

[frizzer1]

How good a hitter is Varsho?
His numbers look similar to Chapman.
Does he make enough contact to bat cleanup?

 

[thehockeysong]

How good a hitter is Varsho?
His numbers look similar to Chapman.
Does he make enough contact to bat cleanup?

Time will tell, but I think the team is hoping the ban on shifts combined with a move into the Rogers centre (new more hitter friendly version) will mean a boost in production for Varsho.