How about those Toronto Blue Jays?
If you’re the type to romanticise the thought of sports success being contagious, boy oh boy, have you reached the perfect post/writer. (Also, where have you been all my life?)
With NBA offseason wrapping up and training camp drawing oh-so-near, the buzz around Toronto typically starts growing for the Raptors. However, this year, all the buzz is centred around the neighbours down the road at Rogers Centre.
The ‘Boys of Summer’ find themselves atop the American League (period) standings with just over two weeks left in the regular season. Not even the most ardent Jays’ fans would have predicted such success. (I promise this is a Raptors post, so please bear with me as I channel my inner Blake Murphy) The Blue Jays’ unexpected rise from Wild Card hopeful to World Series contender can be attributed to 4 factors:
If you squint just enough, you can see how those factors can also translate to the Raptors. Imagine the calendar has just flipped to 2026, Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, and Immanuel Quickley are all garnering All-Star buzz. Gradey Dick and Collin Murray-Boyles look like the next iteration of Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl have yet to miss a game and are clicking on all cylinders.
Yes, the first 3 of 4 factors are likely not going to happen….but that’s also what we thought of the Blue Jays in April. The 4th factor has already started taking shape. Boston (Jayson Tatum) and Indiana (Tyrese Haliburton) have each lost their best players to Achilles injuries. Milwaukee’s 3rd-best player is either Kyle Kuzma or Gary Trent Jr. New York is one Pablo Torre Finds Out episode away from being caught for circumventing the salary cap for Jalen Brunson. How much faith do you have that Detroit, Orlando, or Atlanta will make the gigantic leap from First-Round fodder to Eastern Conference title contenders? Cleveland may be the only sure bet in the East, which is ideal news for any team with rags-to-riches dreams, like the Raptors.
Alright, I’ve buried the lede long enough. If every one of those factors works in Toronto’s favour, that introduces a handful of new realities:
As the trade deadline approaches, the suddenly contending Raptors can aim for improvements at the margins, whether it be depth at the Guard and Wing positions, or solidifying the backup Center position.
Honourable mentions: Trey Murphy, Walker Kessler, Daniel Gafford, Nic Claxton, Rob Dillingham, Coby White
Are there targets you’d like to see Toronto pursue? If the Raptors were hypothetically as good as I’ve outlined above, would trades even be necessary? As Webster tries to fill the enormous shoes left behind by Ujiri, he’ll have a golden opportunity to make his mark if the right trading partner chooses to dance.