TACO STAND – THE BLUE JAYS ARE CURSED!
Welcome to the Taco Stand, a tongue-in-shell look at the Blue Jays, Baseball, and other topics I tangentially connect to the two. In this edition, I’m going to tell you that the Blue Jays are cursed!
The Blue Jays are cursed! And no, I don’t mean cursed to hover around .500 and be painfully average. For four consecutive years the Jays have had a starting pitcher either win the Cy Young award or finish in the top three in voting. That’s pretty good! Except that for four consecutive years, the Jays have now had that same top pitcher drop off dramatically in subsequent seasons. That’s bad. What’s going on here? After a successful season, do these pitchers suddenly decide that their job is done? Do they actually forget how to pitch well? Do they get subjected to changes in the ball and other factors beyond their control while performing a job that has had historically volatile performance? Do they get a ton of pressure put on them in the form of extensive media attention at a young age including a very public return of their estranged father suspiciously when they are beginning to find fortune and success? Nah, all of those explanations are silly. Clearly, the Blue Jays are under the influence of some kind of Stygian curse.
Exhibit A: Hyun Jin Ryu
The Blue Jays made a statement by signing high-profile free agent Hyun Jin Ryu ahead of the 2020 sprint season. That statement was that we were done faffing about and were now willing to go all in on getting the players we needed. And boy howdy was this signing great…at first. Ryu started 12 games in the shortened season, garnering a 5-2 record, good for a .714 win percentage, along with a 2.69 ERA. This was enough for him to secure third in the Cy Young votes for the year.
2021 didn’t go quite as well, seeing that win percentage drop to .583 and the ERA to shoot up higher than 4.36. Then, in 2022, disaster struck, and Ryu was broken. After a lengthy stint on the IL, Ryu returned in the latter half of 2023, and although competent enough, he was no longer the force he once was.
Exhibit 2: Robbie Ray
Former Premier of Ontario Bob Rae had a troubled start to his MLB career. While having tremendous raw “stuff,” Robbie showed a lack of command that would sabotage his efforts. Then, in 2021, working with Pitching WizardTM Pete Walker, it all clicked. Ray found his command, putting up an astounding 248 strikeouts! He was rewarded with Cy Young’s cup.
Then, abandoning us for seeming greener pastures, Robert sailed over to Seattle. Ray wasn’t nearly as sharp in 2022. His ERA rose to 3.71, strikeouts dropped to 212, and his pants started looking a bit too tight. 2023 came along, and, like with Ryu, disaster struck. But for Bert, it came earlier as he was injured in the season’s first game. Ray was never seen again.
Exhibit III: Alek Manoah
It’s 2022, and young pitching phenom Alek Manoah is the talk of the league. Posting a 2.24 ERA, a WHIP under .993, and 6.0 WAR, Alek was unstoppable on the mound. This led to him coming in the top three in Cy Young votes.
Alek then started the 2023 season in a thirty-seven-part docuseries on Sportsnet detailing everything from his preference of Weetabix over Shredded Wheat to the return of his estranged father. This would prove to be the highlight of his season, as the less said about his performance on the mound, the better. The seemingly inevitable disaster would strike even earlier this time, with Manoah being knocked out with injury near the end of the season. Some could argue that the injury would linger into the start of 2024.
Exhibit Δ: Kevin Gausman
Last season Gausman was absolutely fantastic, coming in third in the Cy Young race. His SO9 was just silly at 11.5. ERA a smidge over 3. He was just so darn reliable day in and day out.
This season, Gausman hasn’t fared so well. His fourth start was good and is helping to correct some of his early numbers, but so far the ERA is over 8 and he’s barely over 14 innings in 4 starts. So either Kevin is going through the “not very good” part of the curse, or perhaps the ever-earlier disaster is looming once again…
Although it’s early, if José Berríos continues pitching the way he has been he could find himself looking at a top-three Cy Young finish. If I’m José Berríos, I’m investing in chicken, cigars, and rum because there is only one power that could break this curse. What do you think, sagacious Banterers? Are the Jays cursed?