Series Preview: Blue Jays open season with tough test vs. Cardinals

Baseball

Published 01.04.2023

Series Preview: Blue Jays open season with tough test vs. Cardinals

In a season with excessive expectations, the Toronto Blue Jays begin issues off with a major problem.

Opening Day is Thursday in St. Louis towards the reigning NL Central champion Cardinals. It’s the primary of 10 consecutive video games on the street because the Blue Jays full renovations of the Rogers Centre previous to their dwelling opener towards the Detroit Tigers on April 11.

Thursday marks the primary time the Blue Jays and Cardinals will play an Interleague opponent on Opening Day.

The Blue Jays and Cardinals each have received their previous three season openers.

Probable pitchers

Thursday, 4:10 p.m. ET / 1:10 p.m. PT: Toronto RHP Alek Manoah (16-7, 2.24 ERA in 2022) vs. St. Louis RHP Miles Mikolas (12-13, 3.29 ERA)

Saturday, 2:15 p.m. ET / 11:15 a.m. PT: Toronto RHP Kevin Gausman (12-10, 3.35 ERA) vs. St. Louis RHP Jack Flaherty (2-1, 4.25 ERA)

Sunday, 2:15 p.m. ET / 11:15 a.m. PT Toronto RHP Chris Bassitt (15-9, 3.45 ERA) vs. St. Louis LHP Jordan Montgomery (9-6, 3.48 ERA)

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Latest on the Blue Jays

It has been a reasonably uneventful spring coaching for the Blue Jays, who didn’t have many huge roster selections to make.

But it was a busy low season with Kevin Kiermaier and Daulton Varsho coming in to alter the look of the outfield, Bassitt signing to bolster the beginning rotation and Brandon Belt coming aboard to present Toronto some extra left-handed pop.

Toronto can use bounce-back seasons from starters Jose Berrios and Yusei Kikuchi, who will make their season debuts subsequent week.

Coming off a two-game wild card loss to the Seattle Mariners, the Blue Jays will likely be seeking to make a step up this yr within the American League East.

Latest on the Cardinals

The retirements of Yadier Molina and Albert Pujols change the look of the Cardinals, however they’re nonetheless favoured to repeat as NL Central champs.

Reigning NL MVP Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado lead the offence, whereas the Cardinals signed three-time All-Star catcher Willson Contreras from the Chicago Cubs to switch Molina.

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The beginning rotation appears to be like like the most important concern, particularly with prime starter Adam Wainwright, 41, out to begin the season with a groin damage.

That leaves the Opening Day begin to Miles Mikolas, who signed a three-year, $55.75-million take care of the membership earlier this month.

The Cardinals will search for extra from former Blue Jay Steven Matz, who made simply 10 begins final yr as a consequence of accidents, together with Flaherty (eight begins in 2022).

Matz signed a four-year, $44-million take care of the Cardinals after pitching for Toronto in 2021.

Montgomery additionally will likely be a key member of the rotation after being acquired in a deadline take care of the New York Yankees final yr.

Strong spring

Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette was making onerous contact all spring (.315/.362/.574 with 4 homers and 9 RBI in 54 at-bats) after a great end to final season.

With a few of the contract drama behind him after signing a three-year, $33.6-million deal within the low season, Bichette hopes to maintain driving the momentum into the video games that depend.

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Prized prospect

All the excitement at Cardinals camp has been about 20-year-old outfielder Jordan Walker, who has made the Opening Day roster with out enjoying any triple-A.

Walker, the youngest participant in double-A final season, is ranked No. 4 amongst all prospects by MLB Pipeline.

The six-foot-five energy hitter transformed from third base to outfield final season. He was a first-round decide (21^st total) within the 2020 MLB Draft.

Walker bought off to an awesome begin in spring coaching, main the National League in batting common, slugging, OPS, complete bases and hits by means of March 10 earlier than his numbers dipped.

Canadian Cardinal

Tyler O’Neill of Maple Ridge, B.C. is transferring to centre discipline for the Cardinals after successful the NL Gold Glove as a left fielder in 2020 and ’21.

O’Neill had a down yr final season, connecting for 14 dwelling runs – down from 34 in 2021. He skilled comparable drops in different offensive stats in an injury-plagued season.

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Great Scott

The Cardinals are welcoming 13 Baseball Hall of Famers to the park for Opening Day, together with former Cardinal and Blue Jay Scott Rolen, a member of the category of 2023.

Interleague modifications

This yr, all 30 MLB groups will play one another at the very least as soon as, that means groups will face their division opponents simply 13 instances as a substitute of 19. Each crew has a chosen rival within the different league for a two-game sequence in every park. For the Blue Jays, it’s the Philadelphia Phillies. The two had been opponents within the 1993 World Series.