Toronto Blue Jays 2009 Preview

Logan on 03 8, 2009

Toronto Blue Jays 2008 Review:

The 2008 Toronto Blue Jays really suffered at the hands of the “injury bug,” something you cannot do in the toughest division in baseball. A slew of players including Lyle Overbay, Alex Rios, Aaron Hill, Vernon Wells and newly acquired Scott Rolen all spent time on the disabled list. Despite all these injuries, the Jays did manage to finish ten games above .500 with a record of 86-76, only 3 games behind the New York Yankees and good enough for fourth place. Obviously Roy Halladay had a lot to do with this, piling up twenty wins and a very impressive 2.78 ERA, but don’t overlook what A.J. Burnett did in 2008 finishing with 18 wins and 231 strikeouts.

Toronto Blue Jays 2009 Preview:

The Toronto Blue Jays will no doubt be expected to take a step back in 2009. Although they will more than likely finish in the fourth spot of the AL East again, I can’t imagine them being above .500 while doing it. The Jays were just one of the victims of the Yankees’ free agent spending spree as they were unable to re-sign A.J. Burnett. Burnett was an important piece of that starting rotation, which really held the team together. Without him all the pressure falls on Halladay, and he cannot do it all. The lineup is shaping up nicely for the Blue Jays, but it most likely will not improve too much from last year as they have not made many changes.

Toronto Blue Jays Surprise Player of 2009:

This was an easy choice. 21 year old Travis Snider made his debut on August 29th last year batting ninth and playing left field against the Yankees in Yankee stadium. In only his second at-bat, Snider doubled for his first major league hit, albeit it was off Carl Pavano. Snider would go on to hit .301 with 2 home runs and 13 RBI in only 24 games with Toronto during his short stint in 2008. Snider will more than likely be the DH in a lineup that should provide him plenty of opportunities to succeed in the upcoming season.

Toronto Blue Jays Projected 2009 record:

4th place in the AL East with a record of 79-83.