The 2023 Toronto Blue Jays and the final stretch run - by Moses

Manager - John Schneider (Current Record 72-60)

Pitching Staff

1.  Kevin Gausman (RHP)

2.  Hyun Jin Ryu (LHP)

3.  Jose Berrios (RHP) 

4.  Yusei Kikuchi (LHP)

5.  Chris Bassitt (RHP)

6.  Bowden Francis (RHP)

7.  Nate Pearson (RHP) +

8.  Trevor Richards (RHP)

9.  Yimi Garcia (RHP)

10.Jay Jackson (RHP)

11.Tim Mayza (LHP)

12.Genesis Cabrera (LHP)

13.Jordan Hicks (RHP)

14.Jordan Romano (RHP)

Batting Order vs Lefties

1.  Whit Merrifield (LF/2B) bats right

2.  Davis Schneider (DH) bats right

3.  Vlad Guerrero Jr. (1B) bats right

4.  George Springer (RF) bats right

5.  Danny Jansen (C) bats right

6.  Daulton Varsho (CF) bats left

7.  Santiago Espinal (3B/2B/SS) bats right

8.  Ernie Clement (SS) bats right

9.  Cavan Biggio (2B) bats left 

Batting Order vs Righties

1.  Daulton Varsho (LF) bats left

2.  Davis Schneider (3B/2B/LF) bats right

3.  Brandon Belt (1B/DH) bats left

4.  Vlad Guerrero Jr. (DH/1B) bats right

5.  George Springer (RF) bats right 

6.  Kevin Kiermeier (CF) bats left

7.  Alejandro Kirk (C) bats right

8.  Santiago Espinal (SS/2B/3B) bats right

9.  Whit Merrifield (2B/LF) bats right

Bench

1.  Cavan Biggio (2B/1B/3B/RF) bats left

2.  Santiago Espinal (2B/SS/3B) bats right

3.  Ernie Clement (SS/2B/3B) bats right

4.  Spencer Horwitz (LF/1B) bats left +

Injured Reserve

1.  Bo Bichette (SS) - on 10 day IL

2.  Matt Chapman (3B) - on 10 day IL

3.  Erik Swanson (RHP) - on 15 day IL

+ - September 1st Call-Ups

1.  Nate Pearson (RHP)

2.  Spencer Horwitz (LF/1B)

  By this baseball insider's account the Jays will have to win at least 20 of their remaining 30 games to squeak into this years playoffs as a wild card team.  A probable summarization considering they have the weakest sets of opponents compared to their competitors' schedules.  I predict that the Jays will win 92+ games this year to claim the second wild card spot (93-69).

My starting 4-man starting rotation for the playoffs is as follows;

1.  Kevin Gausman (RHP)

2.  Hyun Jin Ryu (LHP)

3.  Jose Berrios (RHP)

4.  Yusei Kikuchi (LHP)

  

  With this rotation we'll have two righty starters and two lefty starters and two capable replacement starters in Chris Bassitt (RHP) and Bowden Francis (RHP).  Ironically the pitcher with the most wins in the starting staff (Bassitt) is left out of the 4-man going into the playoffs to accommodate Hyun Jin Ryu's successful return from the injured reserve after Tommy John's surgery.  Bassitt is a solid starter and could be a starter used in the division series (if one starter falters miserably on assignment in the wild card series), if we make it that far.  The truth of the matter is that the Blue Jays are five deep in their rotation (and that doesn't even include Alek Manoah as a zero possibility for the rest of this year).  Berrios, Bassitt, and Kikuchi were each excellent all year.  Perhaps Berrios will work his way into the equation as the number two man in the rotation alongside Hyun Jin Ryu and Chris Bassitt.  As of now Kevin Gausman is the ace of the staff and has a distant chance of winning this year's CY Young Award and the contrast from game one with Gausman and Ryu for game two (is intriguing at the least) and takes us to the comparison between Gausman and Mike Scott from years' past (as they both had/have awesome splitters).  Berrios in the next start with Kikuchi to follow shapes up a rotation that boasts two lefties and two righties and depth if one of the starters doesn't have his A-stuff that day in Bassitt and Francis.    

Here is my feeling for the 2023 Awards at the conclusion of the season;

American League MVP - Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Angels)

National League MVP - Ronald Acuna Jr. (Atlanta Braves)

American League CY Young - Gerrit Cole (New York Yankees)

National League CY Young - Justin Steele (Chicago Cubs)

American League Rookie of the Year - Tanner Bibee (Cleveland Guardians)

National League Rookie of the Year - Gabriel Moreno (Arizona Diamondbacks)

Obvious Gold Glove Award Winners For the 2023 Campaign; 

Catcher - Gabriel Moreno (Arizona Diamondbacks)

3rd Base - Matt Chapman (Toronto Blue Jays)