4 Blue Jays who could be the difference between success and failure in 2024

The general consensus is that the Blue Jays underperformed last year, resulting in a disappointing and limp effort during the Wild Card Series in Minnesota. And yet it speaks volumes about the talent and potential on the team, that they still managed to reach 89 regular season wins which, by the way, was just one less than the World Series champion Rangers.

For many, this offseason has already been declared a failure as a result of missing out on Shohei Ohtani. If there was ever an ultimate example of second-best being totally and utterly irrelevant, this is definitely in the running.

Certainly the Blue Jays haven't helped their cause with the players they have signed so far. For the record, this is in no way a dig at Kevin Kiermaier; it's more about just adding Isiah Kiner-Falefa as the only new signing to date.

General manager Ross Atkins is of the opinion the roster the Blue Jays have right now, is more than capable of competing for the World Series. Along these lines, here is a look at four players who could make all the difference when it comes to being genuine contenders:

Cavan Biggio

Cavan Biggio is an interesting candidate to have on here, or maybe more to the point a polarizing one. In one respect he does have the potential to be an integral part of the roster, but this is compromised by being far too inconsistent and unpredictable.

Consider that during his first season in the Majors, Biggio showed that he belonged as he went on the play 100 games. With 14 homers, 48 RBI and 71 walks at the plate, combined with reliable play at second base, he finished fifth in AL Rookie of the Year voting.

The following season, the 28-year-old continued to blossom despite the complications caused by COVID-19, as he produced a .250/.375/.432 slash line, .807 OPS and 122 OPS+. The stage seemed set for him to enjoy a long and successful career in Toronto.

Unfortunately for everyone concerned Biggio failed to build on his early momentum, as he struggled during the following two seasons, highlighted by an inept 2022 when he had career lows pretty much across the board. And then we come to last year, which might have best encapsulated all that is good and bad about his time in the Majors to date.

At one point the Houton, Texas native seemed to be doing his best to play himself off the roster. As we came towards the end of May, he had a truly awful .127/.191/.238 slash line and .429 OPS.

Then something just changed, as if Biggio was able to flip a switch, and he finally began to show the promise he'd displayed during his first two seasons with the Blue Jays. A hot bat at the back end of May and during June saw him hit at a .274 rate in 24 games, providing plenty on encoragement for all concerned.

However, it was then a case of the 2013 29th round draft pick reverting back to his frustrating 'best' in July and most of August, to again have critics questioning his long-term future in Toronto. Then came September/October and, in the words of Jays Journal's Eric Treuden, he went on an absolute tear.

Biggio batted .277 and produced a .781 OPS, as he recorded 14 RBI and 18 walks. As a result he finished the season with a .235 batting average, nine home runs and 40 RBI, which were all notable for being the second-best of his five years in the Majors.

Of course the end of season statistics on their own may not seem that impressive -- and they're not -- but the way Biggio's stat line jumped up from early on in the season, is what has people sitting up and taking notice. If he can discover that consistency which has alluded him for the majority of his career thus far, he can go a long way towards boosting the Blue Jays' lineup and making it more potent.

Daulton Varsho

Daulton Varsho exceeded expectations during his first season in Toronto with the Blue Jays. However, this was specific to his defensive play rather than overall.

Varsho led all players with 29 Defensive Runs Saved, which in turn helped the Blue Jays also lead the way in this category as a team. He ranked second with a 2.8 dWAR and only had one error all season, as the most consistent and durable defensive player in the game.

The same cannot be sad for the 27-year-old's exploits at the plate, where he disappointed all season. He produced a .220/.285/.389 slash line, .674 OPS and 85 OPS+.

The thing is though, that Varsho is actually capable of being a decent offensive presence. Consider that a season earlier in Arizona, he hit 27 home runs and 74 RBI.

In this respect, the 2017 second round draft pick did still rank tied-third on the Blue Jays in homers and fifth in RBI, although this does also allude to the team underperforming offensively as a whole. Regardless, if he can hit more like he did in 2022 (and 2021) with the Diamondbacks, it would greatly help the team.

Another reason the Blue Jays need to see better production from Varsho, is that he can do damage once he's on base. He's a strong runner, who is also good at stealing bases. (He was also first in the AL in bunts last season, which is something to utilize in contributing towards getting him on base more in the first place.)

As per Jays Journal's Ethan Miller, the Blue Jays were so eager/desperate to bring Varsho's bat to life, he was moved all around the lineup. In fact, he was the only player on the team to see at least one at-bat in every position in the order.

Not helping the Marshfield, Wisconsin native is the success of Lourdes Gurriel Jr., who was traded to Arizona in exchange for him (along with Gabriel Moreno). Similarly playing in left field when he wasn't the DH, Gurriel was superior offensively and named to his first All-Star Game.

In one respect, Varsho will likely never be one of the most feared bats in the Blue Jays lineup, but he can still be extremely productive if he gets into a rhythm. If he combines this with continuing to produce at the same level defensively, he will be one of the best overall players on the team.

Alek Manoah

The Blue Jays undoubtedly had one of the best and most durable rotations in the Majors last season. They finished the 2023 campaign with the third-best team ERA among all starters, while also pitching the fifth-most innings.

Kevin Gausman proved himself as the staff ace, on the way to finishing third in AL Cy Young voting. Chris Bassitt was as reliable as expected, José Berríos had a bounce-back campaign and Yusei Kikuchi surprised everyone with a career year.

All are set to be back in 2024 and if they continue from where they left off last year, it will mean major problems again for opposing lineups. The thing is though, the rotation could potentially be even better, depending on a certain X factor.

More specifically, what version of Alek Manoah the Blue Jays get, i.e. the one from 2022 or last year? The answer could mean all the difference in the team underachieving and taking their game to another level.

The 2022 version of Manoah was sensational, despite it only being his second year in the Majors. He produced a 16-7 record, 2.24 ERA, 3.35 FIP and 0.992 WHIP in 31 starts, as he was named to the All-MLB first team and came third in AL Cy Young Voting.

It seemed like the sky was the limit for the Homestead, Florida native, with him set to be the Blue Jays' staff ace for many years. Instead, last season turned into a living nightmare as he experienced an equally sensational crash landing that no one could have predicted.

The early omens were bad when Manoah turned up for spring training overweight. He was pulled from the season opener during the fourth inning after allowing nine hits, two walks and five earned runs, and he never recovered.

At one point the 25-year-old was sent down to the Florida Complex League to work on his game, before the Blue Jays recalled him arguably quicker than they should have done. His situation continued to trend downwards and his season eventually ended early, in part due to his refusal to report to Buffalo.

When it was all said and done, Manoah went 3-9 in 19 starts, as he produced a pitiful stat line that included a 5.87 ERA, 6.01 FIP and 1.740 WHIP. The hope is that everything that has happened will serve as a wake-up call, which both humbles and motivates him to put in more effort.

If nothing else, the 2022 All-Star will at least get the opportunity to compete for the fifth starting spot in the rotation - Atkins said he deserves as much. In truth even if he can be a slightly above average pitcher this year then it will help, but if he can return to somewhere close to his previous form, then the Blue Jays will be really onto something.