Alek Manoah named Opening Day Starter

Mar 24, 2023 - 4:50 PM

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I’m in the final stretch of my pending nuptials but need a little brain break, so here’s your Friday news.

Opening Day is less than a week away, and we now know who will be throwing out the first (game) pitch for the Toronto Blue Jays:

If you’d like more Manoah in your life, Sportsnet has your back!

Kevin Gausman was in consideration for the nod as well. Could he have another huge season?

We’ve also been told that Yusei Kikuchi has made the starting rotation.

In other news, John Gibbons is about to tell all in his new memoir:

Perhaps most of what is said about the 2018 season won’t be a surprise to us, but I’m sure there will be some peak content in there.

MLB has named the Blue Jays lineup as 3rd best in MLB, after the Astros and the Padres:

This was one of the most explosive lineups in MLB last season, but it could run a bit hot and cold in part because of its lack of balance. Now, after the additions of Varsho and Belt, it is quite possibly deserving of the No. 1 spot (really, you could say that about any of the top three teams on this list … it’s essentially a coin flip). Last year, Toronto ranked second in MLB in wRC+ in 2022 (118), and the Blue Jays return four regulars (Springer, Kirk, Guerrero and Bichette) who were at least 29% better than league average last season, per wRC+. Add in Varsho, who discovered his power stroke in his first full season in Arizona last year, and Belt, whose veteran lefty bat balances the DH options, and this group can be an even bigger nightmare for opponents this year.

6 days to go!