Tao of Stieb

What ultimately becomes of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette will be truly decisive as to the legacy of this closing competitive window, and the outlook for the Blue Jays' future. Fans are simply hoping for reason to believe again.

Why should fans of the Toronto Blue Jays commit to the next six months of misery and suffering and torment? Tao of Stieb has the answers.

Spring has sprung in delightfully different Dunedin, Florida, and with the start of this year’s schedule of spring training games, the Toronto Blue Jays are now engaged in a heated battle for Grapefruit League supremacy.

The Toronto Blue Jays’ serious pursuit for Shohei Ohtani should indicate that they intend to again be a significant player in the free agent market. Unfortunately, there is a steep drop off with the remainder of players available.

After four straight seasons ending in an acutely painful manner, a bland reassurance by management that all was well wasn’t the response that anyone was seeking, writes Tao of Stieb.

“Meaningful baseball in September” is what fans pine for when their team is languishing. But once a team like the Blue Jays begins to play those consequential games, September is the month when the long season gets very short.

If previous seasons were met with enthusiasm by fans, this year was met with expectation. Being competitive this year would not suffice, nor would hanging around the edges of the wild card race. It isn’t quite an “all in” season, but fans have staked a large portion of their passion into this season’s success.

For a franchise that has had more than its share of crushing conclusions, the end of the 2022 campaign ranks amongst the very worst.

It certainly feels as though this weekend’s series will tell us much about who these Toronto Blue Jays are, and how high we can let our expectations soar for the rest of the year. Try to remember to breathe. And enjoy the ride.

Baseball seasons are long. Luckily, this Blue Jays team is also one of the most fun to watch in recent memory, and if fans need some energy to sustain their enthusiasm, they’ll certainly find it between the lines and in the dugout over the next six months.