MLB Betting: Blue Jays Season Review So Far
The one-third mark of the 2022 MLB season is officially upon us, and we’re starting to get a feel for how the Blue Jays could fare come the end of the year for MLB betting.
Opening day came with high hopes for Toronto, despite the team failing to make the playoffs last year. For the most part, that optimism remains, with many fans believing Charlie Montoyo can lead the team to its first World Series since 1993.
But with more than half of the regular season left to play, can the Toronto Blue Jays keep up their momentum? Let’s take a closer look at their performance and prospects to better understand the Toronto Blue Jays’ odds at Bodog, and the team’s potential successes still to come.
Blue Jays Season So Far
Going into June, the Blue Jays sit second in the American League East division, with a 30-20 record and .600. That puts them behind the Yankees who, so far, have performed the best in the entire MLB, with 36 wins from 51 games and .706.
Toronto got off to a good start, beating the Texas Rangers 10-8 in the first game and going 2-1 up by the end of the third day of the series. After trading blows with the Yankees to go 2-2, they then beat the Oakland Athletics twice in mid-April.
The Blue Jays have continued this pace for much of the last few months, managing to win the bulk of their games, but not holding complete dominance over their opponents.
Against their American League challengers for the World Series this season, the Blue Jays have put up a strong fight, rising to beat the Astros on four separate occasions, and losing only in two other games. When it comes to the Yankees, Toronto still trails slightly behind, but they’ll be facing their Big Apple rivals at home in a couple of weeks, where we could see the tables begin to turn.
Standout Moment
2022 marked the first season that the Blue Jays would get to spend entirely at home in over two and a half years. While the team did manage to fit in several months’ worth of games on Canadian soil at the end of 2021, this year is the first opportunity for players to perform an entire schedule of games in front of a home crowd since September 2019.
April 8 was naturally a special day for the team and its fans, made all the more memorable given they were 7-0 down in the fourth innings, but somehow found the might to turn the pace of the game in their favour and win.
And not only was the Blue Jay’s first opening night game on Canadian soil for three years, but it was the first time the team won their first game of the season in more than a decade.
The home-side advantage clearly helped out Toronto who had been exiled in Buffalo for the best part of two seasons, continuing for the rest of the year with a 17-8 record at home.
Key Players
Driving the Toronto Blue Jays’ strong start to the season have been several stand-out players. One of these is Alejandro Kirk, a Mexican catcher and designated hitter who joined the team in late 2020. 2022 marks his first time playing a season at home, and he’s made the most of the opportunity.
His batting average of .292 leads the team and puts him very close to that elite class of .300 hitters – a marked improvement on his 2021 record of .242. This shows just how much he has bounced back from the hip flexor injury that had him sitting out for more than two months last spring.
Following closely behind Kirk is Danny Jansen. The 27-year-old catcher from Illinois has been in Toronto since August 2018 and has enjoyed his best season yet in 2022. His impressive .283 batting average has contributed enormously to the games he’s played in, especially in recent weeks, where Jansen has noticeably stepped it up a gear. Should this continue, we peg him as a major asset for the Blue Jays for the rest of the season.
Vladimir Guerrero leads the way in home runs, having picked up 10 so far this year from 48 games. 2021 was also a record-setting year for the Canadian, who hit a league-leading 48 home runs and 123 runs. He’s a little behind that pace so far this season, but being in double-digits already is a feat worthy of mention on its own.
Guerrero is followed closely by George Springer who has built a .277 batting average so far this season, alongside 30 runs and nine home runs. In his second year at Toronto, Springer is making himself a key part of the team and is expected to remain so all season.
Blue Jays Betting
With so many factors working in the Blue Jays’ favour, it’s no surprise that demand is high for the team when betting on baseball.
This is reflected in Toronto’s odds, which are considerably better than they were back in the fall. In fact, back in November, the Blue Jays were down in 10th place with odds of +1600. Not completely out of contention, but there were still some uncertainties despite the general, optimistic spirit.
The odds quickly tumbled, though, and Blue Jays betting odds reached +700 by early May. Although the team has won all of its last eight games, their odds have drifted a little to +900.
If you still think they’ve got what it takes to make it to the World Series and emerge victorious, then this change in Toronto Blue Jays odds could prove a great opportunity, improving your returns. It’s certainly still on the cards for the Blue Jays as they are stepping up and getting the job done.
With big hitters like Guerrero, Kirk, Jansen, and Springer, the Blue Jays could be ready for their best season since 1993. If they keep it up, those +900 odds won’t be around for much longer, so get your slips in for MLB betting at Bodog, and prepare to touch base on yet another payday.