23 predictions for the Toronto Blue Jays 2023 season

10.) John Schneider proves he's the man for the job

The guy's been in the organization for two decades and he's only 42-years-old. A former player-turned-coach-turned-manager, he's still young and has left a great early impression on the players and the fans. He's going to be a rockstar.

9.) Danny Jansen wins a Gold Glove Award

Last year, Baseball-Reference says he was worth 1.0 dWAR (Defensive Wins Above Replacement) and he caught 27 percent of would-be base stealers. Since Alejandro Kirk may be more of a designated hitter, Jansen runs away with the starting catcher role and excels.

8.) Bo Bichette does not lead the league in hits three times in a row, but....

He does finally break the 200-hit mark. Luis Arraez of the Twins wins another batting title and leads the AL in hits this time around.

7.) And while we're at it, Bichette is going to take a massive step forward on defense

I understand that there are concerns, I'm right there with you. Last year he was worth -0.8 dWAR but that was on the heels of a season in which he was worth 1.0 dWAR in 2021. Let's call 2022 a fluke and all be impressed by his development as a defensive shortstop.

6.) None of Trevor Richards, Yimi García or Tim Mayza finish the year on the club

Wait, what? Richards is released early on after failing to find anything even close to success on the mound. García pitches well and is part of a package at the trade deadline that we'll get to in a minute. Mayza gets bit by the injury bug once again and misses a significant chunk of time.

5.) The Blue Jays make a huge trade at the deadline in their march to the postseason

Ian Happ will be the big fish acquired at the trade deadline and it will be for a much smaller package than anyone could've seen coming. Somehow, the Jays are able to make it work for only García, CJ Van Eyk and Otto López. Happ, an upcoming free agent, is the missing piece this club needed.

4.) Ricky Tiedemann makes his big league debut as a reliever

Tiedemann will once again dominate the opposition in the minor leagues. With no easy spot to slot into in the rotation, he will join the Jays as a reliever and will blossom into a late-inning weapon down the stretch.

3.) Hyun Jin Ryu does not, after all, make his triumphant return

After hitting a snag in his recovery, Ryu is forced back to the shelf and will end his Blue Jays tenure with a whimper rather than a bang.

2.) The Blue Jays win 98 games, falling one short of the franchise record (1985)

Most things go smoothly for the club aside from the serious injury sustained by a core player. This team is strong enough to push forward despite the loss.

1.) The Blue Jays make it farther in the postseason than they have in the last ten years

After making it to Game 6 in the ALCS back in 2015, the Jays push the needle and take the Astros all the way to Game 7. You decide who emerges victorious.