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Blue Jays: Looking back at 2020 season Predictions

By Reuben Gasee

BUFFALO, NEW YORK - AUGUST 30: Toronto Blue Jays celebrate after Teoscar Hernandez #42 hit a walk-off two run single to defeat the Baltimore Orioles 6-5 at Sahlen Field on August 30, 2020 in Buffalo, New York. All players are wearing #42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day. The day honoring Jackie Robinson, traditionally held on April 15, was rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Blue Jays are the home team and are playing their home games in Buffalo due to the Canadian government’s policy on coronavirus (COVID-19). (Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images)
BUFFALO, NEW YORK - AUGUST 30: Toronto Blue Jays celebrate after Teoscar Hernandez #42 hit a walk-off two run single to defeat the Baltimore Orioles 6-5 at Sahlen Field on August 30, 2020 in Buffalo, New York. All players are wearing #42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day. The day honoring Jackie Robinson, traditionally held on April 15, was rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Blue Jays are the home team and are playing their home games in Buffalo due to the Canadian government’s policy on coronavirus (COVID-19). (Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images) /
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BUFFALO, NY – SEPTEMBER 24: The Toronto Blue Jays celebrate a win against the New York Yankees at Sahlen Field and celebrate a 2020 postseason berth on September 24, 2020 in Buffalo, New York. The Blue Jays are the home team due to the Canadian government’s policy on COVID-19, which prevents them from playing in their home stadium in Canada. Blue Jays beat the Yankees 4 to 1. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)
BUFFALO, NY – SEPTEMBER 24: The Toronto Blue Jays celebrate a win against the New York Yankees at Sahlen Field and celebrate a 2020 postseason berth on September 24, 2020 in Buffalo, New York. The Blue Jays are the home team due to the Canadian government’s policy on COVID-19, which prevents them from playing in their home stadium in Canada. Blue Jays beat the Yankees 4 to 1. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images) /

Prediction #3- Blue Jays miss playoffs

I originally didn’t have the Blue Jays making the playoffs with the original postseason format of five teams from each league.

When it was announced that it was being expanded from 10 teams to 16, eight teams from each league, I still didn’t have the Blue Jays making the playoffs. I didn’t think they had what it took, as I still thought they were an impact pitcher away and perhaps another bat from being postseason contenders.

Aside from me, most people didn’t peg them with a playoff spot at the beginning of the season as there were better teams in the American League. Yet, they proved everyone wrong and grabbed the eighth seed with a 32-28 record.

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No one had the Blue Jays winning the division as most had the New York Yankees or Tampa Bay Rays as the first seed in the American League East. Despite trading away Mookie Betts and David Price in the offseason, people weren’t ready to write off the Boston Red Sox just yet as they still had an offence that could be dangerous if everything clicked. It didn’t though as they shockingly finished behind the Baltimore Orioles for fifth in the division.

In the AL Central, there’s the Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox who were all deserving of a playoff spot in which they all made it to the postseason.

In the AL West, the contenders were the Houston Astros, Oakland Athletics and Texas Rangers. While the Athletics took the division, the Astros got into the playoffs with a losing record, but finished ahead of the Blue Jays in the seeding as they finished second in their division.

While two teams from the AL Central were going to get playoff spots, it came down to the the third place team in the Central division and the Rangers. The Rangers flopped to a 22-38 record, last in their division which opened up a path for the Blue Jays to make the playoffs.

dark. Next. Best ways to take advantage of payroll crunches

The good thing is, this is supposed to be the start of a dynasty.

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