Blue Jays: Five Bold Predictions For The 2019 Season

SURPRISE, AZ - NOVEMBER 03: AFL West All-Star, Vladimir Guerrero Jr #27 of the Toronto Blue Jays bats during the Arizona Fall League All Star Game at Surprise Stadium on November 3, 2018 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
SURPRISE, AZ - NOVEMBER 03: AFL West All-Star, Vladimir Guerrero Jr #27 of the Toronto Blue Jays bats during the Arizona Fall League All Star Game at Surprise Stadium on November 3, 2018 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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SURPRISE, AZ – NOVEMBER 03: AFL West All-Star, Vladimir Guerrero Jr #27 of the Toronto Blue Jaysbats during the Arizona Fall League All Star Game at Surprise Stadium on November 3, 2018 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

2. Randal Grichuk and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. combine to hit over 70 home runs.

With the departures of Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion coupled with Josh Donaldson‘s injury-plagued season, the Blue Jays lacked their typical offensive firepower that fans had become accustomed to in seasons prior. In the 2019 season, look for that firepower to come back stronger than ever through Randal Grichuk and Vlad Jr.

In Grichuk’s case, hitting over 35 home runs isn’t too much of a bold prediction. After a slow start to the 2018 season, Grichuk made a slight mechanical tweak that saw him hit 23 home runs in 99 games after June 1. Projecting those stats over 162 games results in 35-40 home runs over a full season.

As for Vlad Jr., there are some quiet doubts that his in-game power won’t immediately show in 2019. While it’s true that Guerrero Jr. is more of a line-drive oriented hitter right now, he still hit 20 home runs in 95 games last year in the minors.

Maybe he doesn’t hit 40 this year, but 30 home runs with a sparkling batting average seem to be a realistically optimistic prediction for baseball’s top prospect.