So how about that month of May right? Of their 49 wins before the All-Star Break, 21 of those came in the month of May, compared to the next highest total (from a full month) of 12 wins in April. It's safe to say that without that stretch (why even bother saying this), the Jays would not be in second place where they currently sit in the AL East.
Outside of that month, there have been some positives from the season so far. The Jays have had a (somewhat) breakout in Marcus Stroman, who has proven to be a dominant starting pitcher thus far. Mark Buehrle continues to put up solid numbers, despite not always getting the decision that he deserves. The Jays sent 3 players to Minnesota. Muni makes us giggle every once in a while. Is there anything that I'm missing? Frankly that's all I can think of at this point.
At the beginning of the season, the Jays were a blank canvas on what to expect. Some said that the World Series potential was still there, some said they will be just as bad, some said they will be better, but most of us had no idea what the hell to expect. After a disappointing start to April, Blue Jays fans set in for what was expected to be another slow season, filled with disappointment and probably some big injuries, as usual.
But then MAY. As yes, May. So much optimism, so much hope. We had no idea that was coming, how could you predict a run like that? After what happened seemingly overnight, the Jays were immediately playoff contenders once again. They were that team that no one wanted to even think about pitching to, and everything seemed to click perfectly.
The Jays started May 2.5 games back of first place, but finished with a 2.5 game lead over the Yankees for first place in the division. And then, all of a sudden, it just fell apart. Sure, its effects didn't resonate in the standings for a few weeks to come, but everyone felt it was coming.
The hitters weren't hitting, the pitchers (while stronger than the batting) were not producing in clutch situations, and it just didn't work. Of course the talent is still there now, but with key pieces injured for a few more weeks, pitching not showing any major signs of improvement, and nothing being done to fix it is not a healthy combo.
The once vibrant optimism that lit up every Blue Jays fan is seemingly gone, and I don't sense it coming back any time soon. But who knows with this team, and believe me I want to have hope restored once again, but it just seems improbable.
As a Toronto fan, I'd start looking forward to the Raptors season by now so you can at least have some optimism in you.
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