The Toronto Blue Jays just clinched the AL East. The Toronto Blue Jays are going to the playoffs. Even at this point, it all seems a bit surreal, but that is what 22 years with no playoffs will do to a franchise. By breaking the longest active playoff drought, the Blue Jays finally had a full season playing to their potential and still have a chance of securing the best record in the American League.
As with any playoff team, Toronto’s season is full of heroes and stars, and everyone deserves a bit of the praise. The preseason called for the Jays to have an explosive offense, and that has been their calling card. Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista, and Edwin Encarnacion have combined for nearly 120 homers and more than 300 RBI, with Donaldson being the front-runner for AL MVP. Russell Martinhas been solid. The likes of Kevin Pillar and Devon Travis have also performed well, rising above expectations. Over at the pitching side, David Price has been better than advertised after his mid-season pick-up, while veterans RA Dickey and Mark Buehrle have been steady after rough starts. Roberto Osuna has been a pleasant surprise as the team’s closer, but then again Toronto was supposed to have a good bullpen.
Toronto’s success is a good reflection of a team that had its key players meet or exceed preseason expectations, which is not such a common occurrence. And yet, there is always a place reserved for the unsung heroes and the surprise contributors. And for the Blue Jays, that player has been Marco Estrada.
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