Blue Jays: Use the upcoming week at home to get back on track

Heading into the upcoming week, the Toronto Blue Jays currently sit 18-17 and third in the AL East, 7.5 games back behind the red-hot New York Yankees. The biggest thing for the Blue Jays this season is that the bats have yet to fully find their rhythm, as the club currently sports a -15 run differential on the year and has struggled to put runs on the board, evident by the collective .233 batting average.

It is no secret that the Blue Jays are in some sort of skid right now, going 3-7 over their last ten games and already being shut out three times on the season through just 35 games. As of right now, the Jays have had one of the most difficult schedules of the year, facing numerous tough teams like the New York Yankees, Houston Astros, and the Tampa Bay Rays while also having a long stretch of games with few off days in between. That changes this week however, as the Blue Jays return home for a six-game homestead that could get the club back on track and hopefully trending in the win column.

Arriving at the Rogers Centre first is the Seattle Mariners, who like the Jays, are also 7.0 games back in their respective division. While the probable pitchers currently have former Jays standout Robbie Ray missing the series, the club will most likely be facing Chris Flexen, Logan Gilbert, and Marco Gonzales. Gilbert is off to a great start to the year while Gonzales has also been pitching well but has a 1-4 record due to lack of run support. The Mariners enter today’s contest with a -8 run differential and rank just a couple of points higher in terms of batting average (.235) compared to the Blue Jays.

The Blue Jays have had a difficult schedule to date and currently sit third in the AL East, needing to get back on track through this upcoming homestead.

Following the three-game series with the Mariners comes an off-day on Thursday and then a three-game tilt against the struggling Cincinnati Reds, who currently boast the worst record in baseball at 9-26. They have started to turn things around, evident by their 6-4 run over their last ten games, but still find ways to lose in dramatic fashion, like yesterday’s game where rookie Hunter Greene and relief pitcher Art Warren did not allow a single hit yet the Reds still found a way to lose against the Pirates. Greene will be the biggest test for the Jays as his schedule should align for one of the starts in Toronto as well as welcoming back old friend Brandon Drury, who has been one of the top players on their roster with his .250 average and .854 OPS.

Looking forward to the next week, these two series are ones that Blue Jays could win and use to get back on track like we know the club is capable of doing. The bats have yet to come alive and really showcase what this team is capable of and now that the schedule is starting to get a bit easier over the next month and a bit, it is time to get some wins back, especially against struggling clubs like the Reds.