Toronto Games: How The Odds On The Blue Jays Affected?

The Toronto Blues don’t have a home for the 2020 season because of COVID-19 which made the Canadian government prohibit the Blue Jays from traveling back and forth to the United States. This has affected the odds that were placed on the Jays. Let’s see how they have been affected.

Marco Mendicino, the Immigration Minister of Canada, stated there would be serious risks if they proceeded with the regular season of MLB, so they decided to conclude it as it was not in the country’s interest to let the team travel back and forth to the United States. He also talked about the COVID cases and how they have decreased significantly, and they want to keep it that way. 

Mark Shapiro, the Blue Jays president supported the decision as he agreed that the safety of the residents of Canada is the most important thing. He also praised the government for their efforts, and how well they have managed the spread of the virus. Shapiro is cautious of sending his team to Florida due to the spike in COVID-19 cases. 

Buffalo Bisons’ Sahlen Field is a viable site, but it has some infrastructure issues. Shapiro also said that if they manage to gather the right amount of resources by focusing on Buffalo, then they can make it in time to play the games. Before this pandemic, the Blue Jays had signed an agreement with the Pittsburgh Pirates to share their stadium, PNC Park for the 2020 season, but the state government of Pennsylvania shut it down which was their main reason to go to Florida.

Impact on the Blue Jays.

The 2020 season was always going to be tough for them as there are only 60 games, and the pandemic will play a big part. They now have to play in a different stadium, but the good news is that their home form was not that good, going just 35-46 compared to 32-49 on the road. Their home record was one of the worst records in baseball history. 

Their striking percentage was not so impressive at home, with an overall of .300 on-base and .697 OPS. The Blue Jays standings this year are also not so impressive. They got heavy treatment from other top-quality teams such as Yankees and Boston Red So, just like every other year. They are currently spotted at the 5th position in the MLB league table (East). 

The most significant difference for their home games will most likely come in the home run department as the Rogers Centre led the league for the most home runs per game(1.317 per game). But this won’t affect their win-loss record because even though they played half of their games in the most home-run friendly park, they barely cracked the top ten in total home-runs.

What are the odds?

Let’s face it, no one was expecting great things from Toronto but the oddsmakers have lowered their season win total due to the stadium problems.

Their last 5 seasons’ win/loss record has not been great as well:

2019: 32W-49L

2018: 33W-48L

2017: 34W-47L

2016: 42W-39L

2015: 40W-41L

This season they needed to win more than 47% of their games to have a chance but due to the stadium problems, that tally seems impossible. Their current season odds are:

1. Toronto Season Win Total: 27.5(down from 28.5)

2. Toronto to Win AL East: +2500(down from +3000)

3. Toronto to Win AL Pennant: +4000

4. Toronto to Win World Series: +8000(down from +10000)

Let's not forget that MLB is an adamant league, and their division is very competitive as well. This has been a weird season for the Jays, but it would be stunning if the Jays were to surpass New York in American League East, grab the Pennant from teams like Bombers and Astros only to advance to the World Series and face a team like the LA Dodgers or the Atlanta Braves.

What’s the best option? 

The total park factor difference is also not that impressive between the Rogers Centre and PNC Park. The Rogers Centre's park factor is 100, leading by a factor of 2 as compared to PNC Park. For the last couple of seasons, their home record is not that great. They have had a losing record and were just 42-37 in the 2017 season. Overall, it will not be a huge deal if this happens.