Thirty four games into the season and the Toronto Blue Jays sit atop baseball with the second best record.  Only the Dodgers are better.  Who would have guessed?   Toronto leads the league in hits, runs, and batting average, and their pitching is up near the top as well.

While the hitting has been surprising, it’s the pitching that has me wondering.  Besides Roy Halladay, the starting pitching has been a patchwork of veterans and rookies throwing great ball.  Nobody, be it the fans or the experts, expected this.  Cito Gaston himself said that this would be a tough year and that it would be 2010 that the Jays would be better.  Maybe its the return of Paul Beeston…hrmmm…

The Jays play in the American League East, which is home to both the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees.  Both of these teams draw upon tremendous drafting and a no-ceiling budget to create contenders year after year.  Furthermore, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays are exceeding all expectations as well.  On a shoestring budget they managed to make it all the way to the World Series last year.

The Blue Jays do not have a shoestring budget.  They are in the middle of the pack with respect to finances, but play in the same division as baseballs two largest fat cats.  Such is the way things are, however.  I remember way back when the American League East was known as the American League Least.  Not anymore!

Go Jays Go!