This was not supposed to be the story—not for the Toronto Blue Jays. And definitely not in a year when the expectations are sky high for them. Not to forget they spent big in the off-season, even extended Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s contract with an eye-watering deal, and the roster looked ready to contend. But 50 games in and the narrative has changed quite dramatically.

With a 23-24 record heading into the week, the Toronto Blue Jays are stuck in the mud. They are two games under .500 and facing a truth that no one wants to hear—they have become a team that no team wants to play, or worse, are afraid to play.

Arden Zwelling in the At the Letters podcast said other teams are thinking, “We’ve got a soft spot coming up,” talking about the Jays. This kind of statement should rattle a clubhouse. Though the statement is harsh, it’s not out of sync.

Zwelling mentioned that opposing teams might be circling Toronto on the calendar. And it’s not because the talent is not there, but because the results have been anything but convincing. A big part of the problem is their offense—or lack of one. The Jays have hit just 40 home runs this season. This has placed them among the bottom five of the league, yes, the bottom. The one leading the pack is Daulton Varsho, with six homers.

Behind Varsho are George Springer, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Anthony Santander—each stuck at five. Santander and Andres Gimenez were, in fact, brought in to inject life into the lineup, but they have brought no results. Zwelling said it without hesitation, “They are moving in the wrong direction. They’re back to two games under .500, and their playoff odds have decreased since we last spoke.” 

And according to Zwelling, no matter how close they come to winning games, unless they win, it doesn’t matter. The Blue Jays, for example, were in a tight race with the Tigers, but they didn’t. At this point, they are not just losing games; they are losing ground. With 50 games left before the All-Star break, the clock is ticking. Fans are getting impatient, many calling for John Schneider to be dismissed. Now Jays have to get above .500 or risk falling out of the playoff race even before the summer heats up.

Toronto Blue Jays’ rotation could get a shakeup with a star return

The disheartening part for the front office and fans of the Jays is that not just the offense, but even the pitching has been a huge question mark. This was the only thing that the Jays were supposed to lean on, and now it’s more like, “Please just get through the five innings.” However, one name is looming in the shadows, and that’s Max Scherzer.

The Toronto Blue Jays didn’t bring in a three-time Cy Young winner just to be a cheerleader. They brought him to stabilize the rotation and bring fire. But shockingly, after a brief March 29 appearance, he was sent to the IL for thumb inflammation. Since then, the fans have been waiting, and finally, that wait might come to an end—because there is an encouraging update about Scherzer.

Turns out he faced live hitters in a 33-pitch session, and it went brilliantly. No pain, no setbacks, just him doing what he does best, as per Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. For the Jays, whose starters have posted a 4.49 ERA, this is a happy update. While at 40 years old, Scherzer is for sure not the same force he once was, he still has an elite-level command. And everyone saw glimpses of his previous fire in the spring training.

Now, no one is expecting a miracle from Toronto. But if all goes well and Max Scherzer can even get close to his old self, he could be the one turning things around for the Jays. Do you think he can? He is probably set to return on May 29.