The Yankees know they will have their hands full this season with their perennial rivals, the Red Sox, and the defending AL East champion Rays.
But the real bullies of the American League East in 2022 could be the Yankees’ neighbors to the north, the mighty Toronto Blue Jays, who visited the Bronx on Monday night for the first of a four-game series.
“They are powerful. Dangerous,” Aaron Boone said. “They can hurt you up and down the order. They’re pretty athletic, too. They obviously get the ball out of the stadium, so you have to run against them. . . They’re as tough an offense as you’re going to face.”
Toronto hit seven home runs in three games in its first series against Texas. On Monday, Jameson Taillon kept the Blue Jays in the park and off the board until the third inning, when George Springer gave Toronto the lead with a two-run homer to left field.
In 2021, the Blue Jays hit a franchise-record 262 home runs, the most in the majors. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the son of the Hall of Famer, had 48 of them, the highest total in history by a player 22 or younger.
Guerrero hit his first home run on Sunday, a highlight-reel bomb that clocked 117.9 miles per hour and traveled 467 feet. But the Blue Jays suffered their first loss of the season, 12-6 to the Rangers, underscoring possible pitching shortcomings after AL Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray left for Seattle.
Last season, the 91-win Blue Jays missed the playoffs because of a lousy game. They had one fewer win than the Yankees, which was quite an accomplishment considering the Blue Jays basically played 126 road games instead of the normal 81.
Canada’s COVID-19 restrictions kept the Blue Jays out of Toronto until July 30. They only played in the stadium formerly known as the SkyDome 36 times, going 25-11. Their other home games were played in Dunedin, Florida, and Buffalo (after they played their entire truncated schedule at home in Buffalo in 2020).
This season, with an extra wild-card team in each league, it’s not hard to imagine the top four teams in the AL East getting it.
Canada’s current COVID restrictions could end up being a boost to the Blue Jays’ chances. Players who are not fully vaccinated cannot enter Canada. Period.
It was not a problem for the Rangers. All 28 players on the list were allowed to enter the country.
Other teams, including the Yankees, may not be so lucky. If the restrictions are still in place when the Yankees make their first visit to Toronto on May 1, unvaccinated players will not be able to go.
Aaron Judge, who confirmed last season that he was not vaccinated, has chosen not to publicly update his status. The same goes for Anthony Rizzo, a cancer survivor who was not vaccinated in 2021. He said in spring training that he wanted to keep his current jab status private.
Obviously, it would be a huge blow to the Yankees if Judge and Rizzo miss nine games in Toronto this season.
And it’s not just the Yankees. How many teams will show up in understaffed Toronto for the Blue Jays’ remaining 78 home games if restrictions remain in place?
What if the ban continues through the postseason, which the Blue Jays plan to be a part of this time?
Some would say it would be poetic justice if the Blue Jays received a buff after being forced to be COVID nomads for two seasons. But maybe they don’t need any help.
Reporting to spring training after the lockout, Guerrero said, “What we did last year was the trailer. Now you are going to see the movie.”
Reference-www.newsday.com