‘If you have that answer, let us know:’ Blue Jays pitcher searches for answers to team’s struggles

Well, folks, it’s not looking great. We’re now 43 games into the 2024 season and the Blue Jays sit at 19-23, good for last place in the AL East.

The pitching has been serviceable, but not enough to overcome the bottom-barrel offensive performances we’ve almost come to expect from the club. Down near the bottom of the league in nearly every offensive metric, the Jays are currently putting out the worst statistical offensive numbers we’ve seen from them in quite some time. Their OPS of .661 is the second-lowest in franchise history; you have to go back to 1981 when they put up a .617 OPS to find worse. Their batting average is also the 2nd lowest in franchise history at .227. But why? 

The team hasn’t undergone any massive offensive changes; they lost Matt Chapman to the Giants and Whit Merrifield to the Phillies — two regulars who certainly were a factor last season, but attributing this season’s offensive struggles to their departure would be outlandish. Their bats were also more or less replaced by Justin Turner and Isiah Kiner-Falefa. The more likely area of impact that’s being noticed is on defence. The Jays haven’t looked the same this year, aside from Daulton Varsho roaming the outfield, the defence has been okay. 

Following Friday’s loss to the Tampa Bay Ras, one that saw Tampa pitcher Tyler Alexander carry a perfect game through seven innings, Jays pitcher Chris Bassitt spoke to the media, and it appears the team is as desperate for answers as the rest of us.