It's a new year, and the newly upgraded Rogers Centre is ready to make waves.'
The upgrades have raised the outfield walls (all previously 10 feet, now ranging from 8 feet to 14 feet, 4 inches) and brought them in rather significantly. The outfield wall in left center has been moved in seven feet (375 to 368), and more significantly, the outfield wall in right center has been moved in 16 feet (375 to 359). With these new hitter-friendly dimensions, I expect we'll see a lot more home runs at the already home-run-heavy Rogers Centre in 2023.
There have also been some moves in Toronto's front office. Having been appointed the Blue Jays' interim manager on July 13, 2022, John Schneider has now officially taken on the position permanently. The team performed well under his leadership last season, though their exit from the playoffs ended earlier than expected with their elimination in the Wild Card series.
So, are the Blue Jays ready to go all the way in 2023, or will it be yet another year of far-too-high expectations?