Blue Jays: Potential for history this weekend against the Detroit Tigers

While Jays Journal may be a site dedicated to all things Blue Jays, there are some moments in history that don’t happen very often within major league baseball: a pitcher getting 300 wins, a batter reaching the 3000 hit mark, the list goes on and on.

After a grueling nine-game road trip that saw the Blue Jays walk away with a 3-6 record, the club heads back North of the border where they will face the Detroit Tigers for a three-game series this weekend before the powerhouse Chicago White Sox come to town for four games. The Tigers currently sit third in the AL Central and sport a .472 winning percentage on the season, another rough year in a division that the White Sox are running away with.

Opposite the Blue Jays will be Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera, the one who could make history against the Blue Jays pitching staff this weekend.

This weekend series for the Blue Jays could become historic as Detroit Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera is one home run away from 500.

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Cabrera enters this series with 499 home runs to his name, a feat achieved only by 27 players in the history of the game. The future Hall of Famer has been a staple in the Tigers roster for over 14 years now, spending his first five seasons with the Florida Marlins before being traded to the Motor City back in 2007.

For his career, the righty slugger has faced the Blue Jays 76 times and has amassed a .267/.349/.460 slash line with 13 home runs, 47 RBI, and a .808 OPS in that time span. At the Rogers Centre, Cabrera has seen a dip in the overall slash line to .238/.331/.429 but does have seven home runs and 17 RBI in the Blue Jays home barn for his career.

As a team, the Blue Jays pitching staff has surrendered 153 home runs on the season, ranking them 12th in the league. The Jays will be sending Robbie Ray, Hyun Jin Ryu, and Steven Matz to the mound, with Ray leading the charge with his 2.88 ERA but also 24 home runs allowed on the season. Ryu and Matz have 15 and 13 long balls respectively.

Considering the bullpen for the Jays has struggled to keep the ball in the park during this last road trip, there is a good chance that Cabrera could make history this weekend and become the 28th player to cross the 500 home run threshold before Monday rolls around.

If you are sitting in the outfield seats this weekend, I would recommend bringing your glove, as a historic ball could be finding its way to you if Cabrera has any say in the matter.