Blue Jays: Evaluating the first half of a difficult 2019 season

Closing thoughts

We could break down things even further by looking at the defensive stats, or a whole host of other categories where things didn’t go so well, but I’m not sure there’s any sense in kicking a dead horse any further.

It hasn’t been pretty for this young squad, and facing the possibility that they could lose some or most of the useful veterans that are still in the clubhouse, the pressure is going to be on the kids to start performing. The immediate expectations should remain low, but we’re already seeing signs of optimism out of the new top of the order, and there’s more talent on the way like Bo Bichette to keep things interesting through the long summer months.

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I will admit to you all here now, this has been one of the toughest seasons for me to maintain my interest, maybe in my entire life. I was mentally prepared for a losing season when it began, and yet I’ve found it difficult to make it through all nine innings on many evenings. That’s not to say that I’m quitting on this team or that I don’t believe in them, but some nights there is only so much a fella can take. I share that with you in hopes that it makes you feel better if you’re feeling the same way.

All that said, I really do believe in the future of this franchise, and the next month or so will play a crucial part in how long this rebuild might take. Will Atkins offer an extension to Stroman or Giles, or will they sell them to the highest bidder? Are the Blue Jays going to be able to get anything of value back for Galvis, Smoak, Sogard, Richard, David Phelps, or any of the other veterans that could be on the block? Will they acquire players who can help right away?

There are a lot of questions that don’t have answers just yet, but what we do know is that things haven’t exactly gone according to plan so far this year. That’s okay as long as things start developing in a more positive manner over the second half, and here’s hoping this talented young team can do just that.