Bo Bichette Leads Toronto Blue Jays On World Series Quest

Toronto Blue Jays are 12.00 to win the AL East at BetMGM Sportsbook. Bet now!

In the second half of the season, several things need to happen if the Toronto Blue Jays are going to catch the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the American League East and make a run for a World Series title.

Among other players, Alek Manoah, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette will be key to the Jays’ success.

Alek Manoah’s Successful Return Crucial 

One important factor in the season's second half will be the successful return of Alek Manoah. The 6-foot-6, 285-pound right hander recently made his first start after returning from a month-long stint in the Jays’ minor league system to get into better shape and tweak his delivery. 

Manoah's first start against the Detroit Tigers was positive – a 12-2 Jays win, with Manoah going six innings and giving up one earned run while striking out eight and walking none.

The deeper Manoah went into that start, the more he began showing the bullish on-the-mound attitude that helped make him a Cy Young finalist last season. 

Toronto Blue Jays Betting Odds

Currently, BetMGM Sportsbook has these AL East odds: Rays 1.33, Baltimore Orioles 5.5, New York Yankees 11.00, Jays 12.00 and Boston Red Sox 126.00. The Jays have been generating 13.5% of tickets and 18.7% of the handle there. 

As for team win totals, BetMGM has the Jays at 88.5, with 82% of tickets on the Over and 94% of the handle on the Over.

Also, BetRivers Sportsbook has the Jays as a Top 5 team to win the American League by percentage of money (10.8%) and percentage of tickets (10.4%).

Bichette Key To Season's Second Half

This season, a lot of focus has been on Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who won the MLB home run contest this week and whose power numbers have been inching up of late.

Guerrero Jr. is now at 13 home runs, 58 RBIs and a .274 average, not the elite numbers from him two years ago but solid nonetheless.

Shortstop Bo Bichette joined Guerrero Jr. in the All-Star game on Tuesday and is putting together a season that has some comparing his career so far with Derek Jeter’s career trajectory.

Bichette’s bat has been a big story this summer. He is among the league leaders with a .317 average and has 15 home run, 52 runs batted in and a .496 slugging percentage.

But it’s Bo Bichette defence that’s been newsier. Bichette seems more polished at the position this season, with just eight errors, putting him six back of the American League leader, Boston’s Enrique Hernandez.

Bichette has played in 88 of the Jays’ 91 games this season. His .972 fielding percentage (putouts + assists/putouts + assists + errors) ranks among the league leaders for shortstops who have played that many games.

Bichette stirs the drink in Toronto. That’s why BetMGM has him as a Top 15 player for league MVP at 41.00 (the Angels’ Shohei Ohtani is first at 3.00).

Arizona Diamondbacks Series Will Test Jays

The Blue Jays open up Friday night at home against the Arizona Diamondbacks. First pitch is at 7:07 p.m. ET.

That’s going to be an interesting series. The Jays are at 50-41, .549, seven games out of first place in the AL East. The Diamondbacks have been one of the surprise stories over in the AL West -- 52-39, tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers for first.

On Thursday, PointsBet Canada had the moneyline at Jays 1.56, Diamondbacks 2.50.

Beginning with this series, the Jays are looking to go from being a good team to a great one out of the second-half gate.