2019 Toronto Blue Jays season


The 2019 Toronto Blue Jays season was the 43rd season of the Toronto Blue Jays franchise, and the Blue Jays' 29th full season at Rogers Centre. The Blue Jays were managed by Charlie Montoyo in his first year as the Blue Jays manager. The Blue Jays began their season at home against the Detroit Tigers on March 28 and ended their season at home against the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday, September 29. They finished with a record of 67 and 95, a worse record than the previous season, and failed to qualify for the postseason for the third consecutive year.

Offseason

On September 26, 2018, it was announced that John Gibbons would not return to manage the Blue Jays for the 2019 season.

October 2018

On March 25 and 26, the Blue Jays returned to Montreal's Olympic Stadium for two games against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Standings

American League East

American League Wild Card

Records vs opponents

2019 draft

Regular season

Opening Day

March and April

On opening day, Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Jordan Zimmermann pitched a perfect game through 6 2/3 innings against the Blue Jays before giving up a hit to Teoscar Hernandez. Marcus Stroman also pitched seven scoreless innings for the Blue Jays. Toronto lost the contest 2–0 in 11 innings, after Christin Stewart hit a two-run homer in the 10th inning. On April 1, Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher David Hess pitched a no-hitter through 6 1/3 innings before manager Brandon Hyde took him out of the game, in a game the Blue Jays wound up losing 6–5. On April 4, in the first game of a four-game set against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field, starter Trevor Bauer pitched seven innings of no-hit ball against the Blue Jays before being removed from the game after throwing 117 pitches, as the Blue Jays lost 4-1. In the final game of the series, Indians pitcher Mike Clevinger pitched five innings, while giving up one hit and striking out 10 Blue Jays batters in a 3–1 Cleveland win. The Blue Jays managed only 19 hits while tallying 57 strikeouts in the series, the second most in franchise history, while striking out at least 13 times in four consecutive games for the first time in franchise history and only fourth time in MLB history.

May

The Blue Jays were swept by the Minnesota Twins in a series at home from May 6 to May 8 as they were shutout in back-to-back games, before Billy McKinney's solo home run in the final game of the series ended a 25-inning scoreless skid for the team. The team had their worst month of the year in May, finishing with a 7–21 record while losing four straight games or more on three separate occasions.

June

On June 2, the Colorado Rockies finished off a three-game sweep of the Blue Jays at Coors Field. From June 7 to June 9, another national league team, the Arizona Diamondbacks, swept the Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre in a series where Toronto only managed to score four runs. In a game at Yankee Stadium against the Blue Jays on June 25, the New York Yankees set a new MLB team record by hitting a home run for the 28th consecutive game, with DJ LeMahieu hitting the record-setting home run in the first inning in a 4–3 win.

July

On July 24, Shane Bieber of the Cleveland Indians tossed a complete game one hitter against the Blue Jays, striking out ten batters and walking one as the Indians won 4–0, taking two of three games from the Jays.

August

On August 8, rookie Bo Bichette set a new MLB record for most consecutive doubles to start a career with nine when he doubled in the bottom of the sixth inning against the New York Yankees. On August 11, Masahiro Tanaka of the New York Yankees pitched eight innings against the Blue Jays while giving up only three hits in a 1–0 win that split a four-game set between the two teams. Aroldis Chapman came in the 9th inning to close the game for the Yankees, inducing a double play from the bat of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. following a 13-pitch at-bat, for which the rookie received a standing ovation from the crowd at Rogers Centre. On August 18, Yusei Kikuchi of the Seattle Mariners pitched a complete game two-hit shutout against the Blue Jays in a 7–0 win as the Mariners took two of three games from the Blue Jays.

September

On September 1, Justin Verlander of the Houston Astros pitched a no-hitter against the Blue Jays, the third of his career in a 2–0 win.

Game log

Roster

Statistics

Batting

Pitching

Transactions

March

'
Level
TeamLeagueManagerWin–loss recordPositionPostseason
Triple-ABuffalo BisonsInternational LeagueBob Meacham71–69North Division
3rd place
4½ GB
Double-ANew Hampshire Fisher CatsEastern LeagueMike Mordecai31–36
32–40
Eastern Division
5th place
8 GB
5th place
9 GB
Advanced-ADunedin Blue JaysFlorida State LeagueCesar Martin41–24
39–31
North Division
1st place
+5½ G
1st place'''
+2½ G
,
Postseason Cancelled
Class-ALansing LugnutsMidwest LeagueDallas McPherson32–37
36–34
Eastern Division
6th place
12 GB
4th place
6½ GB
Short Season-AVancouver CanadiansNorthwest LeagueCasey Candaele15–23
15–23
North Division
4th place
8 GB
4th place
8 GB
Rookie AdvancedBluefield Blue JaysAppalachian LeagueLuis Hurtado31–36East Division
4th place
10½ GB
RookieGCL Blue JaysGulf Coast LeagueDennis Holmberg27–23North Division
3rd place
7 GB
RookieDSL Blue JaysDominican Summer LeagueJohn Tamargo Jr.35–35Baseball City Division
3rd place
11½ GB