5 Blue Jays players who were cursed in 2023

Danny Jansen

In the case for Danny Jansen, he actually had a fine season in 2023, unlike some of the other Jays mentioned in this list. As a matter of fact, he was actually one of the Jays’ most clutch and productive hitters all season.

Last year, Jansen finally had his MLB breakout season by hitting 15 home runs and tallying 44 RBI with a solid .260 average in just 72 games played. So if projected over an entire season, we are talking about potentially 30+ HR and 90+ RBI.

This season, Jansen was looking to build upon his success from last year and he did exactly that. In 86 games, he has mustered career-highs in doubles with 15, home runs with 17, and RBI with 53. Most importantly, a lot of his productive output either helped the Jays tie a game or put them ahead, a trait that was severely lacking for most of the other players in the lineup. So why was Jansen cursed? Well, he wasn’t cursed in terms of his performance, but he was definitely cursed all season when it came to injuries.

Just look at the list of his ailments in 2023: groin, forearm, wrist, hand, and finger. It also certainly didn’t help when he was among the league leaders in hit by pitch with 10 during the 2023 season. But the ultimate dagger was the injury that came in early September in which his broken finger put him out for the rest of the season. By knocking out the Jays’ most clutch performer on the roster, they were bound to feel the effects of it heading into the postseason. Indeed that was exactly what happened as the Jays only scored one run in two games to bow out to the Minnesota Twins in the AL Wild Card series.

Hopefully Jansen can avoid being hit by pitches (and thus injuries) the following season so that he can remain healthy to help the Jays as much as possible to return to their winning ways.