Time to Really Find Out If The Blue Jays Are For Real

For the first time since 2010 the Toronto Blue Jays have won 4 series in a row. It’s been a stretch that has gone from hard to harder but the Jays won consecutive series over Indians, Rangers, Red Sox and Athletics.

Not only that but the Jays are on a 6-game winning streak having beaten the World Series champion Red Sox and the best team in baseball to this point Oakland Athletics.

The Jays are spoiling fans with two 5-game winning streaks in the same season. IN THE SAME MONTH!

They have a 17-7 record in May and are 16-5 in their last 21 games.

I feel safe in saying that for most fan bases this would be more than enough to convince you that your team is going to be competitive this season.

But Blue Jays fans are jaded. 20 years of irrelevancy will do that you.

Fortunately for the Jays and their fans, the Jays have their own personal test to see if they are for real as they start a series with the Tampa Bay Rays.

You know the whole story of how the Blue Jays have been absolutely owned by the Rays the last 7 years. You’ve seen it for yourself and it gets talked about excessively whenever the Rays play the Jays.

Sure they won a series against the Rays at home last season but that really isn’t that comforting if you ask me.

I have to admit over the years Rays’ series are the only ones I ALWAYS have enthuasiasm for just to see if the Jays can beat them.

Of course if the Jays don’t win this series with the Rays the good vibes aren’t going to go away. But at the same time losing a series to the Rays even after they’d been so hot would feel like typical Jays.

Remember who broke up the Jays 11-game win streak with back to back losses last season, the Rays.

The Rays have always had the Jays number even when they are hot.

And the Rays are on a 4-game winning streak of their own with a win against Oakland and 3 straight against the Red Sox. How do you like that?

I don’t know how I got this far in this post without mentioning the standings. The Rays are 23-28 and 6 games back of the Jays. So winning this series just doesn’t make you feel good about the Jays but it puts even more distance between them and the Rays. That would just be beautiful even in May.

I can’t remember the last time I could say that even if the Rays sweep the Jays they’ll still be ahead of them in the standings.

The Jays have been the best team in baseball during the month of May. They are hot but are they winning a series against the Rays hot?

If they are it’s going to be really hard for even the most cynical Blue Jays fan to not buy into this team.