5 former Blue Jays players whose playoff hopes are still alive

After a strong, yet turbulent regular season in which they went 89-73, the Toronto Blue Jays unfortunately saw their 2023 MLB season end prematurely with their early exit from the postseason at the hands of the Minnesota Twins. For the bulk of the players that will be back in 2024, they will now have to wait for the next season before they can have another shot at the World Series title.

However, for a few former Blue Jays around the league, their quest for the ultimate prize may not be over just yet. Here, we take a look at five former Blue Jays that are currently still in it to potentially win it all, as four teams remain to battle it out for championship supremacy.

Miguel Castro, Arizona Diamondbacks

Many people probably have forgotten that Diamondbacks reliever Miguel Castro was once a member of the Blue Jays way back in 2015 at the commencement of their two memorable postseason runs. In 13 appearances with the big league club that season, Castro went 0-2 with a 4.38 ERA, 1.70 WHIP, with 12 strikeouts in 12.1 innings pitched. Unfortunately for Castro, he was a casualty at the trade deadline that year as he was included as part of the huge package to bring Troy Tulowitzki to town to help with their playoff aspirations down the stretch.

Since then, Castro has moved around in the league until finally finding a home with Arizona for the 2023 season. During the regular season, he was among the solid contributors in the Diamondbacks’ bullpen, as he has produced a respectable 6-6 record with seven saves and 13 holds, along with a 4.31 ERA and 1.18 WHIP, with 60 strikeouts in 64.2 innings of work. However, he has seen minimal action thus far during the Diamondbacks’ postseason run, having appeared in just three games and giving up two earned runs on one hit, three walks and one strikeout in 2.1 innings pitched.

Nevertheless, he has been a big part of their bullpen core all season, and could potentially be a surprise contributor in the upcoming days for the ballclub.

Gabriel Moreno and Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Arizona Diamondbacks

For both Gabriel Moreno and Lourdes Gurriel Jr., their performances with their new ballclub will forever be linked to the huge trade made by Jays’ GM Ross Atkins in the acquisition of defensive specialist Daulton Varsho. The more impact and production they end up providing for the Diamondbacks, the more painful it would probably feel for the Jays’ faithful.

During the 2023 MLB regular season, as many would have predicted, both Moreno and Gurriel would become key contributors to the Diamondbacks’ offensive attack, as they combined for 98 runs scored, 54 doubles, 31 home runs, 132 RBI and 11 stolen bases. Moreno also hit for a strong average at .284 in his rookie season with the ballclub, along with displaying exceptional defence, throwing out almost 40% of the base stealers while posting a 20 DRS. Meanwhile, Gurriel was even named to the 2023 MLB All-Star Game, as well as providing elite defence with 14 DRS and eight outfield assists.

More importantly, Moreno has been a monster during the 2023 playoffs, with three home runs and six RBI, along with a .250 average and 1.107 OPS in just five games played heading into the NLCS. Gurriel, on the other hand, has made up for his underwhelming performance in the NL Wild Card series by going 4-for-13 with one double, one home run and three RBI during the NLDS against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Both players did their part in helping the Diamondbacks sweep both of their opponents in their first two playoff series.

As each day goes by, it appears more and more that they are providing the much-needed impact to convert the Diamondbacks into postseason powerhouses. As they continue to march ahead and run the gauntlet in the 2023 playoffs with the Philadelphia Phillies currently up next, it may end up to be something that the Blue Jays severely regret.