The Toronto Blue Jays and Texas Rangers are sure to keep things civil in a friendly American League Division Series rematch that won’t fester any animosity on either side.
Just kidding. Tensions are sure to brew in this bitter rivalry.
Last year, Toronto survived a memorable five-game ALDS over Texas in a bizarre, ugly Game 5 during which fans littered the field with trash after a controversial, yet accurately called play. Texas’ players, however, were more upset over Jose Bautista brashly discarding his bat after ending their season with a game-winning home run.
That animosity boiled into the 2016 season, when he slid past the second-base bag into Rougned Odor in May. The Rangers infielder retaliated by punching him in the jaw. Think both teams will remember that?
Let’s not get too bogged down in their bad blood. Lost in all the craziness, the Blue Jays and Rangers competed in an enthralling series last fall. While the Rangers won an AL-best 95 games in 2016, they did so with a mild plus-eight run differential. Sporting a plus-93 run margin, the 89-73 Blue Jays have a legitimate case for entering as favorites on the road.
Then again, Texas’ offense is rolling into Thursday’s Game 1 with help from some key midseason acquisitions. Let’s run down each position to see which squad has the edge.