Now that April has come to an end, I’d like to examine how the Blue Jays are performing compared to the 2012 Season.  This season was taunted as being a breakout year for the Toronto Blue Jays after the acquisition of a number of players in the offseason including NL Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey,  four time Gold Glove winner Mark Buehrle, Josh Johnson, Maicer Izturis, Melky Cabrera, 2011 NL Batting Chmapion José Reyes, and Emilio Bonifacio.

After their April 30th game against division rival Boston Red Sox, the Blue Jays are 10-17 for .370 winning record.  After their game on April 30th 2012, the Toronto Blue Jays were 12-11 for .522 winning record.  Last year they were three games behind the division leader, while this year they are 8.5 games behind the division leading Boston Red Sox.  They currently sit 6 games out of a wildcard spot.

The Blue Jays have looked bad defensively all season and a number of badd plays and costly errors have led to their losses.   The team’s ERA is 4.69 while giving up 29 homeruns and 130 runs.  Opponents are hitting .263 of Toronto pitching, while the team’s WHIP (walks and hits per inning pitched) is 1.43, one of the worst stats in the AL.  The Blue Jays have committed 16 errors as a team.  The Blue Jays’ pitching has given up 98 walks for 3rd place in the AL, only three off lead leading Los Angeles Angels.  And their pitchers have combied for a 4.52 ERA, for 13th place in the AL.

Their offense has not lived up to the preseason hype.  While they have hit 35 homeruns,  a large number of them have been solo homeruns.  As a team they are only hitting .231, putting them in 14th place in the AL in this category.  Their OPS (On base plus slugging) is .697.  They have struck out 219 times so far this season.

At this point it is becoming desperate for the Blue Jays to win games, and they have yet to win more than two games in a row, including being swept in a four game series by the New York Yankees from April 25-28.   While it is easy to blame injuries, especially to José Reyes, but the New York Yankees have a record of 15-10 and have lost key players including Derek Jeter, Mark Texeira, Alex Rodriquez, and Curtis Granderson.

The Blue Jays have looked poor, and a total shake up is required in my opinion.  Manager John Gibbons’ job is likely on the line if the team does not start winning.  The threat of being benched or missing a start may help encourage some players to start playing better.  However, I believe that more practises will also go a long way to help improve what is obviously ailing the Blue Jays this year and benching players who have a poor outing.  Otherwise, it will be yet another year before the Blue Jays have a chance of seeing the postseason and fans will be left wondering, ‘What happened?’