While the Toronto Blue Jays’ 2023 season ended on a down note, the regular season gave us plenty of memorable moments to reflect on. Many players contributed to the Blue Jays’ success in 2023, leaving us with notable highlights to look back on until the 2024 season commences.
Favorite Blue Jays Moments From the 2023 Season
Jose Berrios’ Turnaround Season
In his final start of the first half, José Berríos delivers one of his finest outings of 2023. #BlueJays
7.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K & 89 pitches (64 strikes)
Berríos lowers his ERA to 3.50 – 1.72 points lower than his first-half ERA in ’22.pic.twitter.com/pggLfOkalj
— Thomas Hall (@ThomasHall85) July 6, 2023
Jose Berrios had a fantastic 2023 season, earning him his first Gold Glove Award as a pitcher. Berrios showcased immense command on the mound and pitched with a lot of confidence. He improved his numbers from 2022, with a 12-7 record and a 5.23 ERA. In 2023, he recorded a 3.65 ERA with a W-L 11-12. A much-improved ERA and a Gold Glove award represent why Berrios brought success to the Blue Jays in 2023. He had many fine moments on the mound, and lowering his ERA at the end of the regular season was an admirable achievement.
Chris Bassitt’s Shutout
Favourite #BlueJays Moments of 2023:
1st Place: Chris Bassitt’s Complete Game SHOUTOUT vs Braves! ???
pic.twitter.com/RZNhS97GGL— Sophie ??⚾️?? (@SophieShipton_) November 18, 2023
Chris Bassitt was a workhorse for the Blue Jays this season. He put out several quality outings, but one memorable moment for Bassitt was when he threw a complete game shutout against the San Diego Padres. Bassitt had a successful season in 2023, recording a W-L record of 16-8, an ERA of 3.60, and 186 strikeouts. He is the type of pitcher who is very zoned in and focused when he pitches and is also very hard on himself when he makes mistakes. Bassitt is what you would call a perfectionist and plays with lots of energy and a competitive edge.
Danny Jansen’s Blocking Abilities
So @SiddallJoe asked for all three of Danny Jansen’s big blocks in the bottom of the ninth in high-leverage.
Here it is. pic.twitter.com/bY8MCKEgnV
— Brennan qualifying offer Delaney (@Brennan_L_D) August 8, 2023
Danny Jansen was having a solid 2o23 campaign until he got injured. One of his memorable moments was when he blocked multiple wild pitches from pitcher Jordan Hicks. His blocking abilities in that game were quite impressive and helped the Blue Jays win against the Cleveland Guardians in August. Wild pitches can be a tricky task as a catcher in MLB, especially when catching someone like Jordan Hicks, who is one of the fastest and hardest-throwing pitchers in the league.
Horwitz’s First Major League Home Run
Posting Random Blue Jays highlights until Opening Day — Day 47/175:
Spencer Horwitz’s first MLB Home Run! pic.twitter.com/s7b9hoM5Cj
— BlueJays Muse (@BlueJays_Muse) November 21, 2023
Spencer Horwitz had a productive start to his career with the Blue Jays. In 15 games played, he finished with a .256 batting average, seven RBIs, 10 hits, and five runs in 39 at-bats. Horwitz also hit his first MLB home run against the Colorado Rockies on September 3rd. Spencer Horwitz and his fellow rookies Davis Schneider and Ernie Clement played soundly while Brandon Belt, Danny Jansen, Matt Chapman, and Bo Bichette took turns on the IL. The Blue Jays are thankful to have strong talent through their young core players.
Rise of Rickey Tiedemann
We usually talk about MLB players but giving attention to Triple-A and lower is also important. Young talent with the Blue Jays continues to represent positivity. Ricky Tiedemann‘s season in the minors has signaled a possible promotion to Triple-A next season. Tiedemann spent the 2023 season with four different teams at four different minor league levels and finished off 2023 with a 3.68 ERA.
Final Thoughts
While the 2023 season was an inconsistent one in Toronto, there were memorable moments to turn to that brought excitement and joy to fans. These moments can be used as fuel for the 2024 season. Berrios, Bassitt, Jansen, and Horwitz are just four players that contributed to the Blue Jays success in 2023. They each deserve mentioning, as they provided the Blue Jays with wins in meaningful and productive ways. Here’s to hoping these players can continue to bring success to the Blue Jays in 2024.
Photo Credit: © John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
