With the home opener only a few days away, the Toronto Blue Jays are in a perfect place to assess their strengths and prepare for each opponent, especially those in the hyper-competitive AL East division. Believe it or not, Toronto does have some edge against their strong rivals on paper despite their overall depth lacking down through the farm system. 
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Without further ado, below are some advantages the Blue Jays could use against their competitors for the upcoming season.
<h2>Baltimore Orioles &#8211; The starting rotation</h2>
In a grander scheme, the Baltimore Orioles haven’t done much to improve their roster this winter compared to other AL East division rivals. Instead, the team mostly opted to stay loyal to its young, rising core once more for the upcoming season while adding a few pieces via free agency in Tyler O&#8217;Neill and Tomoyuki Sugano. 
In their defence, the Orioles have a very strong position player core they can depend on for 162 games with Colton Cowser, Jackson Holliday, Heston Kjerstad, Ryan Mountcastle, Cedric Mullins, Adley Rutschman, and Jordan Westburg. Gunnar Henderson may be starting the season on the injured list for now, but his absence shouldn’t make too much of an impact with the strong depth Baltimore can use in their lineups. 
Where the Orioles fall short is the starting pitching as they have created a patchwork rotation full of young and older pitchers. 
The Orioles’ rotation features Zach Eflin, Dean Kremer, Charlie Morton, Cade Povich, Grayson Rodriguez, and Tomoyuki Sugano. Out of the core, Eflin, Kremer, and Rodriguez have been the most reliable starters so far. But aside from these three pitchers, others are expected to be more volatile. Povich is still finding his rhythm in the majors and Rogers has been disappointing so far. The most unpredictable of them all would be veteran pitchers like Gibson and Morton, given their questionable effectiveness, especially since Gibson just signed with the team and won&#8217;t feature in the rotation right away. The Orioles rotation is currently the oldest in the big leagues at 34.88 years (when Gibson joins the squad), which has some concerns. 
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Kyle Gibson is back in an Orioles uniform.
Gibson on joining a familiar locker room and more. <a href="https://t.co/upzRXeE3bu">pic.twitter.com/upzRXeE3bu</a>
&mdash; Orioles on MASN (@masnOrioles) <a href="https://twitter.com/masnOrioles/status/1903486793174909024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On the other hand, the Blue Jays have a much more stable starting rotation with Chris Bassitt, José Berríos, Bowden Francis, Kevin Gausman, and Max Scherzer being the go-to arms. Scherzer can be a big question mark with his frequent injuries, but the remaining pitchers have mostly been dependable for Toronto despite the rather frustrating 2024 season. As long as Toronto can keep most of their starters healthy while helping them manage their consistency effectively, subduing the Orioles’ starters shouldn’t be a problem for the 2025 season. 
<h2>Boston Red Sox: Catching</h2>
The Boston Red Sox went all out to overhaul the team this offseason. As a result, the team added Walker Buehler, Alex Bregman, and Garrett Crochet to create a much more competent contention core in the tough AL East division. To complement these additions, the Red Sox boasts a strong farm system as well, with top prospect Kristian Campbell getting the nod for Opening Day.  
If there’s one aspect of the roster the Red Sox neglected, it would be the team’s catching depth. After acquiring Danny Jansen from the Blue Jays at the trade deadline, the team let Jansen walk in free agency and opted to keep Connor Wong as the main catcher. 
Currently, Boston lists Wong and Narvaez as their catchers for Opening Day, and this isn’t much of a compelling catching core for a playoff-hopeful team. Catching depth isn’t exactly the easiest hole to fill, so trading for Crochet while giving up on a top-tier catching prospect Kyle Teel will hurt the team’s future in some way moving forward. Wong did have a strong season at the plate, posting a .280/.333/.425 slash line with a .758 OPS, but his defense is cause for concern behind the plate &#8211; he authored a -14 DRS last season and spent time elsewhere on the field throughout the year as well.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
Behind the dish with Connor Wong <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SpringTraining?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SpringTraining</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EvoGeneral?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EvoGeneral</a> <a href="https://t.co/YSugNKiuHT">pic.twitter.com/YSugNKiuHT</a>
&mdash; EvoShield (@EvoShield) <a href="https://twitter.com/EvoShield/status/1900328568241991965?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Compared to Boston’s catching situation, the Blue Jays have Alejandro Kirk and Tyler Heineman as their core catchers, and they have more advantage against the Red Sox. Kirk alone has had a more consistent offensive track record than Wong and Narvaez, which is already giving Toronto a running start in the catching department. 
Wong did have a better offensive record compared to Kirk last season, but in the long run, his offensive and defensive contributions aren’t as clear for Boston. Remember, the Blue Jays also <a href="https://www.sportsnet.ca/mlb/article/blue-jays-alejandro-kirk-agree-to-five-year-58m-extension/">extended</a> Kirk for five years not too long ago – that already tells us everything we need to know about what Toronto thinks of Kirk’s potential.
<h2>New York Yankees: Infield depth</h2>
The New York Yankees technically don’t have many holes in their rosters after a very successful offseason. While injuries have hurt the rotation heading into the year, they still feature Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, and Marcus Stroman, which is a promising start despite losing Gerrit Cole and Luis Gil. But their Achilles heel is in their infield with not many players standing out other than Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Anthony Volpe on the roster. 
Even though Ben Rice, Oswaldo Cabrera and Oswald Peraza’s skills can potentially change the Yankees’ infield production for the better this season, the Blue Jays have a slight edge over New York’s depth at least on paper. Toronto still has Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who can easily become an offensive threat to New York’s pitching, and these two players already bring much more experience and production to the table compared to the current Yankees’ infielders. 
In the Yankees’ case, it also doesn’t help that DJ LeMahieu is injured and newer first baseman Paul Goldschmidt is very much a wild card with his aging curve. In contrast, Toronto brought in Andrés Giménez from the Cleveland Guardians, who can become an X factor with his fielding ability, along with Ernie Clement who earned a Gold Glove nomination at third base this past year. Add in a full year of Will Wagner, who is an on-base machine,  the Blue Jays have the opportunity to exploit the relative weakness in the Yankees’ infield heading into the new season. 
<h2>Tampa Bay Rays: Active outfielder depth</h2>
The Tampa Bay Rays haven’t lacked much in the depth department with their excellent development system in place. However, every team is bound to have its weaknesses and for the Rays, that has been their active outfielder depth heading into the 2025 season.
I could have also argued about the Blue Jays rotation being an advantage here as well, especially after Shane McClanahan&#8217;s most recent setback will see him start the year on the IL, however, the outfield situation in comparison feels a lot weaker. Currently, Tampa only has Jonny DeLuca and Josh Lowe as their active outfielders according to <a href="https://www.mlb.com/rays/roster">MLB</a>. While the Rays still have José Caballero, Christopher Morel and Richie Palacios in their depth charts as potential outfielders, this depth isn’t quite as competitive as the Blue Jays who have Anthony Santander, George Springer and Daulton Varsho as their mainstays, while also boasting Joey Loperfido, Jonatan Clase, Nathan Lukes, and newcomer Alan Roden, who mashed his way onto the Jays Opening Day roster. 
For the Rays, having Morel in the outfield could be the difference maker they need but it’s not enough to fend off Toronto’s production in the outfield if key outfielders in the Blue Jays roster can live up to their potential. DeLuca and Lowe hit six home runs and 10 home runs, respectively. Toronto has a clear leg up here as Santander clobbered 44 home runs, Springer tagged 19 of his own, and Varsho clubbed 18 home runs as well. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
Rays Roster seems set:
C: Danny Jansen, Ben Rortvedt 1B: Yandy Diaz, Jonathan Aranda 2B: Brandon Lowe, Curtis Mead SS: Taylor Walls, Jose Caballero 3B: Junior Caminero OF: Josh Lowe, Christopher Morel, Jonny DeLuca, Richie Palacios
SP: Ryan Pepiot, Taj Bradley, Drew Rasmussen,…
&mdash; Jake (@TBRaysCentral) <a href="https://twitter.com/TBRaysCentral/status/1903873642045522182?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Even with Varsho <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/daulton-varsho-to-begin-2025-season-on-injured-list">starting</a> on the injured list to start the season, the Rays won’t be able to make up for the outfield production against the Blue Jays, barring consistently outstanding performances from their contributors in the outfield.
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With the home opener only a few days away, the Toronto Blue Jays are in a perfect place to assess their strengths and prepare for each opponent, especially those in the hyper-competitive AL East division. Believe it or not, Toronto does have some edge against their strong rivals on paper despite their overall depth lacking down through the farm system. 
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Without further ado, below are some advantages the Blue Jays could use against their competitors for the upcoming season.
<h2>Baltimore Orioles - The starting rotation</h2>
In a grander scheme, the Baltimore Orioles haven’t done much to improve their roster this winter compared to other AL East division rivals. Instead, the team mostly opted to stay loyal to its young, rising core once more for the upcoming season while adding a few pieces via free agency in Tyler O'Neill and Tomoyuki Sugano. 

In their defence, the Orioles have a very strong position player core they can depend on for 162 games with Colton Cowser, Jackson Holliday, Heston Kjerstad, Ryan Mountcastle, Cedric Mullins, Adley Rutschman, and Jordan Westburg. Gunnar Henderson may be starting the season on the injured list for now, but his absence shouldn’t make too much of an impact with the strong depth Baltimore can use in their lineups. 

Where the Orioles fall short is the starting pitching as they have created a patchwork rotation full of young and older pitchers. 

The Orioles’ rotation features Zach Eflin, Dean Kremer, Charlie Morton, Cade Povich, Grayson Rodriguez, and Tomoyuki Sugano. Out of the core, Eflin, Kremer, and Rodriguez have been the most reliable starters so far. But aside from these three pitchers, others are expected to be more volatile. Povich is still finding his rhythm in the majors and Rogers has been disappointing so far. The most unpredictable of them all would be veteran pitchers like Gibson and Morton, given their questionable effectiveness, especially since Gibson just signed with the team and won't feature in the rotation right away. The Orioles rotation is currently the oldest in the big leagues at 34.88 years (when Gibson joins the squad), which has some concerns. 

https://twitter.com/masnOrioles/status/1903486793174909024

On the other hand, the Blue Jays have a much more stable starting rotation with Chris Bassitt, José Berríos, Bowden Francis, Kevin Gausman, and Max Scherzer being the go-to arms. Scherzer can be a big question mark with his frequent injuries, but the remaining pitchers have mostly been dependable for Toronto despite the rather frustrating 2024 season. As long as Toronto can keep most of their starters healthy while helping them manage their consistency effectively, subduing the Orioles’ starters shouldn’t be a problem for the 2025 season. 
<h2>Boston Red Sox: Catching</h2>
The Boston Red Sox went all out to overhaul the team this offseason. As a result, the team added Walker Buehler, Alex Bregman, and Garrett Crochet to create a much more competent contention core in the tough AL East division. To complement these additions, the Red Sox boasts a strong farm system as well, with top prospect Kristian Campbell getting the nod for Opening Day.  

If there’s one aspect of the roster the Red Sox neglected, it would be the team’s catching depth. After acquiring Danny Jansen from the Blue Jays at the trade deadline, the team let Jansen walk in free agency and opted to keep Connor Wong as the main catcher. 

Currently, Boston lists Wong and Narvaez as their catchers for Opening Day, and this isn’t much of a compelling catching core for a playoff-hopeful team. Catching depth isn’t exactly the easiest hole to fill, so trading for Crochet while giving up on a top-tier catching prospect Kyle Teel will hurt the team’s future in some way moving forward. Wong did have a strong season at the plate, posting a .280/.333/.425 slash line with a .758 OPS, but his defense is cause for concern behind the plate - he authored a -14 DRS last season and spent time elsewhere on the field throughout the year as well.

https://twitter.com/EvoShield/status/1900328568241991965

Compared to Boston’s catching situation, the Blue Jays have Alejandro Kirk and Tyler Heineman as their core catchers, and they have more advantage against the Red Sox. Kirk alone has had a more consistent offensive track record than Wong and Narvaez, which is already giving Toronto a running start in the catching department. 

Wong did have a better offensive record compared to Kirk last season, but in the long run, his offensive and defensive contributions aren’t as clear for Boston. Remember, the Blue Jays also <a href="https://www.sportsnet.ca/mlb/article/blue-jays-alejandro-kirk-agree-to-five-year-58m-extension/">extended</a> Kirk for five years not too long ago – that already tells us everything we need to know about what Toronto thinks of Kirk’s potential.
<h2>New York Yankees: Infield depth</h2>
The New York Yankees technically don’t have many holes in their rosters after a very successful offseason. While injuries have hurt the rotation heading into the year, they still feature Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, and Marcus Stroman, which is a promising start despite losing Gerrit Cole and Luis Gil. But their Achilles heel is in their infield with not many players standing out other than Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Anthony Volpe on the roster. 

Even though Ben Rice, Oswaldo Cabrera and Oswald Peraza’s skills can potentially change the Yankees’ infield production for the better this season, the Blue Jays have a slight edge over New York’s depth at least on paper. Toronto still has Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who can easily become an offensive threat to New York’s pitching, and these two players already bring much more experience and production to the table compared to the current Yankees’ infielders. 

In the Yankees’ case, it also doesn’t help that DJ LeMahieu is injured and newer first baseman Paul Goldschmidt is very much a wild card with his aging curve. In contrast, Toronto brought in Andrés Giménez from the Cleveland Guardians, who can become an X factor with his fielding ability, along with Ernie Clement who earned a Gold Glove nomination at third base this past year. Add in a full year of Will Wagner, who is an on-base machine,  the Blue Jays have the opportunity to exploit the relative weakness in the Yankees’ infield heading into the new season. 
<h2>Tampa Bay Rays: Active outfielder depth</h2>
The Tampa Bay Rays haven’t lacked much in the depth department with their excellent development system in place. However, every team is bound to have its weaknesses and for the Rays, that has been their active outfielder depth heading into the 2025 season.

I could have also argued about the Blue Jays rotation being an advantage here as well, especially after Shane McClanahan's most recent setback will see him start the year on the IL, however, the outfield situation in comparison feels a lot weaker. Currently, Tampa only has Jonny DeLuca and Josh Lowe as their active outfielders according to <a href="https://www.mlb.com/rays/roster">MLB</a>. While the Rays still have José Caballero, Christopher Morel and Richie Palacios in their depth charts as potential outfielders, this depth isn’t quite as competitive as the Blue Jays who have Anthony Santander, George Springer and Daulton Varsho as their mainstays, while also boasting Joey Loperfido, Jonatan Clase, Nathan Lukes, and newcomer Alan Roden, who mashed his way onto the Jays Opening Day roster. 

For the Rays, having Morel in the outfield could be the difference maker they need but it’s not enough to fend off Toronto’s production in the outfield if key outfielders in the Blue Jays roster can live up to their potential. DeLuca and Lowe hit six home runs and 10 home runs, respectively. Toronto has a clear leg up here as Santander clobbered 44 home runs, Springer tagged 19 of his own, and Varsho clubbed 18 home runs as well. 

https://twitter.com/TBRaysCentral/status/1903873642045522182

Even with Varsho <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/daulton-varsho-to-begin-2025-season-on-injured-list">starting</a> on the injured list to start the season, the Rays won’t be able to make up for the outfield production against the Blue Jays, barring consistently outstanding performances from their contributors in the outfield.

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