Vaughn Dalzell breaks why the AL East is wide open and a team like the Toronto Blue Jays is set up to make a run.
AL East Champion: Toronto Blue Jays (+600)
The AL East is heating up with five teams potentially playoff eligible and in the postseason hunt.
What once seemed like a division led by the Rays is now wide-open as Baltimore has taken a 1.5-game lead over Tampa Bay. Toronto sits 5.5 games back of Baltimore but has a four-game homestand coming up against the Orioles after this three-game series with the Angels concludes.
That four-game set with the O’s will shift the AL East standings, especially with the Rays taking on the Astros and Yankees over the next week.
Since the All-Star break, Toronto’s offense has been top three in batting average (.285) and OBP (.368), plus top 10 in hits (127), walks (51), SLG (.452), and OPS (.820) over 13 games (8-5 record).
On the other hand, the Blue Jays’ pitching staff is second in ERA (3.51) and save opportunities (10), while ranking tied-third in saves (5), eighth in strikeouts (126), and 12th in OBA (.241) during that 13-game span.
Four of Toronto’s five losses since the break came by two or fewer runs compared to seven out of the eight wins coming by two-plus runs, so the Blue Jays could very well be 12-1 opposed to 8-5 during that span.
The Blue Jays have an upcoming four-game home series versus the Orioles and plenty of fringe to non-playoff teams on deck in August (Cubs, Reds, Guardians, Phillies, etc.) before playing a favorable September schedule.
Toronto starts September with nine games versus Colorado, Oakland, and Kansas City before playing Texas, then AL East opponents Boston, New York, and Tampa Bay to close out the season.
I expect Toronto to close the gap between Tampa Bay and Baltimore and with September being prime for the Blue Jays to put themselves in a position to win the AL East, let me get a piece of the current +600 price on FanDuel.
Pick: Toronto to win the AL East (0.5u)
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