Blue Jays: Five bold predictions ahead of the 2022 season

As my father used to say, “even a blind squirrel can find a nut every now and then”, which is a sentiment that applies to my 2021 Blue Jays predictions.

I was surprised to learn that I was correct on four out of five of my predictions for last season, and even a little touched that our own Dave Corcoran decided to review that piece from a little over 10 months ago. As it turns out, here are the four “bold” predictions that I was right about prior to the 2021 season:

• Vladimir Guerrero Jr. would be the team’s best hitter
• Jordan Romano would end the year as the closer
• They would make a big, in-season trade for a starter
• The Blue Jays would finish the season at home in Canada at the Rogers Centre

Oddly enough I hit on most of my predictions, as Vlad Jr. went on to finish 2nd in the AL MVP race while leading the American League in home runs, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, OPS+, total bases, and runs scored. Romano turned out to be a reliable closer, and did indeed win the job for the foreseeable future. The Jays made a big splash to acquire Jose Berrios in July, and they returned home to the Rogers Centre on July 30th.

The prediction that I was WAY off on was the success I thought was coming for Rowdy Tellez. I guessed that he would finish the season as a full-time player and hit at least 30 home runs, and that obviously didn’t happen. He was shuffled between the MLB and Triple-A roster at different times, and eventually traded to Milwaukee in a swap that brought Trevor Richards to help an ailing bullpen. As much as I can pat myself on the back for the other four, I wasn’t even close on this one.

With that in mind, I thought I would take another shot at a “Five Bold Predictions” piece, and even do it a little bit early, especially since we don’t have a lot to talk about at the moment. Chances are I’ll do another one once the final roster is in place and the regular season is about to start, but for now here are the five “bold” predictions that I see for 2022, and hopefully I’ll be as close as I was last year.