Blue Jays Prediction: Record will improve in 2019 despite the rebuild

Despite the fact that the Blue Jays are clearly in a rebuild and have lost several significant veterans, I still expect an improvement on their record in 2019.

The 2018 season was supposed to be the Blue Jays’ last ditch effort with their veteran group at proving they could contend for a World Series title. With a record of 76-86, the Blue Jays not only didn’t push for a playoff spot, but it felt like everything that could go wrong, did. As a result, the full-on rebuild has begun in Toronto and we’re going to be watching a much younger group next season.

Josh Donaldson, Troy Tulowitzki, J.A. Happ, Roberto Osuna, Marco Estrada, Curtis Granderson, Steve Pearce and more are in other uniforms, which would normally add up to a pending disaster in Toronto. The lineup is going to feature maybe inexperienced big leaguers, and many of whom who will be trying to prove they belong at all at the highest level, like a Teoscar Hernandez or a Billy McKinney, not to mention the low cost free agents that will inevitably get brought in to fight for a roster spot.

On the other hand, the Blue Jays have some excellent young talent that should get to experience their first big league season, and it should be very exciting to watch even if it’s not likely to be a contending year. In fact, I’ll go on record as saying I’ll bet the 2019 Blue Jays have a better record than the 2018 version.

Allow me to explain.