2007 Toronto Blue Jays Preview
If you take one thing away from our 2007 Toronto Bluejays predictions it is to take the UNDER 87.5 win total. This team is hyped up for all their big names they have signed the past two seasons and the fact that they squeaked past a Red Sox team that cashed it in early a season ago. Don’t expect the same out of either of these two teams heading into 2007 as we see a return of the Red Sox/Yankees heated rivalry through the final stretch of the season. Bet on sports using your checking account!
This team will have a great chance to do big things with the two great starters they have up front with Roy Halladay and AJ Burnett. Both of these guys have the potential to compete for a Cy Young, but Burnett has always struggled to stay healthy. Is this the year he breaks through? Toronto certainly hopes so. Behind these two studs there is Chacin, Ohka, and Thomson. These three guys certainly aren’t big names, but they should provide enough innings to keep Toronto in contention. The bottom of the staff however rates them lower overall than both the Sox and Yanks.
In the bullpen it will be up to Ryan to close games, which he is more than capable of doing. The problem might be holding it through the late innings leading up to the ninth as the Jays do not have the deepest or strongest of bullpens. It’s a good thing that Halladay and Burnett eat up a bunch of innings so you will see a lot of complete games or at least eight inning starts out of these two.
The lineup has potential in the middle, but is weak up front and towards the end. Overbay was signed to a big extension and is a decent first basemen, and Troy Glaus has a lot of power at third. This leaves the Jays with talent at the corners but the middle is protected by Clayton and Hill, not exactly two guys who are going to scare opposing hurlers. Catching is Greg Zaun.
In the outfield Vernon Wells is a big bat who needs to put together an entire season instead of the spurts we have seen in the past. Rios hit better than .300 last year but doesn’t have a lot of power or overwhelming speed. Reed Johnson will be starting in left. This guy is young but can hit for average and has moderate power. Obviously this lineup from top to bottom has some weak spots so can the team keep up with the run production we will see from both the Yankees and Red Sox? It’s doubtful.
With all of these expectations we are finding it hard to believe that the team is going to get to the 88 win total. I’m predicting more of a 85 win season making the UNDER one of our favorite future bets of the year.
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