Red Sox vs the AL East: final rankings
By Conor Duffy
Sep 8, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista (19) celebrates a home run with Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion (10 ) during the fifth inning in a game against the Chicago Cubs at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports
4. Toronto Blue Jays
Average rank: 3.38 (4)
Average offensive rank: 2.44 (1)
Average pitching rank: 4.33 (5)
The Blue Jays added to an already deep, talented offense this offseason by acquiring Russell Martin and Josh Donaldson this offseason. That pair combined with an already phenomenal core of Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion, and Jose Reyes (all five of these players finished as the top man at their position) should create quite possibly the best lineup in all of baseball.
However, Toronto did very little to improve upon a weak pitching staff this offseason and that could wind up hurting the Blue Jays. Though Marcus Stroman is a talented youngster and could develop into an ace in the future, the Blue Jays have no true top-of-the-rotation starters and that has severely damaged their ranking here. While their lineup ranked at the top of the division, their starting pitching finished last and Toronto’s third-place bullpen couldn’t do enough to help them. The Blue Jays might be able to outslug teams from time to time, but their lack of strong pitching has a good chance of uprooting their postseason aspirations.