3 reasons to believe in the Blue Jays' strong start this year

The Blue Jays are off to an excellent start this year, with a 21-16 record as of Friday morning. While they may only be fourth in the AL East, they are in a wild card spot and have the seventh-best winning percentage in the majors.

The question is, do you view the Jays' strong start as a sign of things to come, or just smoke and mirrors? Here are three reasons to firmly believe they will continue to win on a consistent basis and if anything, improve:

Playing away

Thanks to renovations at Rogers Centre, the Blue Jays started their 2023 campaign with a 10-game road trip. It equaled the longest in franchise history to begin a season.

The reason for the elongated road trip was because the Blue Jays themselves requested it, to ensure renovations were completed. As a result, they were the last team in the majors to play their home
opener this year.

This start to the season has led to an unusual situation where the Blue Jays have played 25 of their first 37 games on the road. While their record in those 25 games is just 12-13, there is still reason for
encouragement.

Consider that 55 percent (69 games) of the Blue Jays' remaining 125 fixtures will be played within the friendly confines of Rogers Centre. To this point, they have a strong 9-3 record at home.

This bodes well for a team which in general plays well at home. Last season for example, only three American League teams had better home records.

It also helps more specifically, when considering the competition faced within their own division, the strongest in the majors. While the number of games versus the AL East has been reduced this year, all five teams currently have a winning record.

As such, the Blue Jays need any advantage they can get. Undoubtedly, more remaining home games than anyone else both in their division and the AL in general counts as a key one.