The Toronto Blue Jays are set to toss out the first pitch on another season that could end in another and much-deeper playoff run for the team. Bolstered by a few new and very talented players alongside the core of stars in Vladimir Guerrero, Bo Bichette and George Springer, the team is ready to contend for a championship right now. We checked in with award-winning Blue Jays broadcaster and former big league catcher, Joe Siddall, at spring training in Florida to ask about how the team is shaping up.
Anything surprising you at spring training this year, Joe?
You know, this might sound like an interesting answer. I haven’t been surprised by a whole lot. But the reason I haven’t been surprised by a whole lot is because I think this team is fairly set. And that’s a great thing.
What makes you most excited about this young team?
I think the most exciting part of the future is the way that the Blue Jays organization has built this team, and it’s taken time. But when you get to players the calibre of Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., that basically arrive in the major leagues at the same time and spend their first six years in a Blue Jays uniform, at least, at the same time, that’s remarkable.
Did the Blue Jays disappoint last year?
You know, I thought for sure, if they didn’t make the playoffs, it would have been a major disappointment. I just assumed. And fans should have assumed they were making the playoffs last year, and they did. I’ve always said, when you enter October baseball, it’s really a crapshoot. Anything can happen. I call it like a one-month tournament for the hottest teams, right? And we saw how it ended and it didn’t end very well.
Do you think Vlady is primed for a bounce back this season?
I do. I do. When I look at the top of the batting order, I’m a big fan of saying, “Your horses have to run for you.” And for me, the horses in the Blue Jays lineup are right at the top: It’s Springer, Bichette and Guerrero. And you could argue that they all had a bit of a step back last year. When I think of Vlady, I think of that MVP calibre season he had a couple of years ago. And I just think he is capable of that again, because it’s a talent that people call generational talent. And I think they call it that for a reason. Because he just can do things that other people don’t do. And Bo Bichette to me is a guy that I think is simply going to arrive this year. I see a batting title possibly in his future. I see an MVP challenge possibly in his future. I think Bo is ready.
What do you think of the new Rogers Centre?
I can’t wait to see, just like a lot of players that I’ve talked to throughout spring training here. Everybody’s really looking forward to heading north to see the changes. The new players can’t wait to see not only the new changes, but just the vibe in Toronto and in Canada. They know what it’s like now, and they keep hearing from their teammates what it’s like to basically play for a country. So I’m anxious personally to see the stadium and the renovations and, more than anything probably, that [gap in the] outfield wall that we keep hearing so much about.
What impact will that have, especially given the Blue Jays new outfielders?
I think the outfield will be well-prepared. I mean, they won’t know until they get there and see it and do it, but when you have as athletic of an outfield as they have, that’s how you prepare for something like this. And I’m not sure if things coincided here, if they knew that they were going to build a quirky outfield like that [adding things like raised bullpens], so they upped their outfield defence, but I think the improvement in the outfield defence was to me job number one in the off-season.
What’s your prediction for the season?
I’m going to say that they will win the American League East. And I think they’re going to win the American League East with probably 96 wins, if I had to make a prediction. And I say that because they’re a very deep team. They’re there. They’re good inside and out.
