What would the dominant baseball narratives be if this season were 17 games long.

Offense is down again at the start of the big league season, with hits even harder to come by.

There almost certainly won’t be a $700 million deal for any player in the baseball’s next free agency class, nothing like the record contracts for two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani and four-time All-Star slugger Juan Soto the past two winters.

The Toronto Blue Jays have finally landed a high-profile free agent, agreeing to a $92.5 million, five-year contract with Anthony Santander.

Baseball can’t run away from its lack of runs.

Pitchers Génesis Cabrera of the Toronto Blue Jays and Yohan Ramírez of the New York Mets have been suspended for three games each by Major League Baseball for their actions in separate games and Mets manager Carlos Mendoza was banned for one game.

Royce Lewis hit home runs in each of his first two at-bats to carry the Minnesota Twins to a 3-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in the opener of their AL Wild Card Series.

Whit Merrifield hit a three-run homer, Danny Jansen went deep and the Toronto Blue Jays routed the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-1.

Matt Manning combined with relievers Jason Foley and Alex Lange on a no-hitter as the Detroit Tigers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 2-0.

Luis Arraez went 5 for 5 again to raise his batting average to.

The Toronto Blue Jays have rewarded John Schneider for his strong performance as their interim manager.

When Aaron Judge’s American League record-tying 61st home run dropped into Toronto’s bullpen, coach Matt Buschmann picked it up.

Aaron Judge walked four times and stayed at 60 home runs, one shy of Roger Maris’ American League record, as the New York Yankees clinched the AL East title by beating the Toronto Blue Jays 5-2.

Randy Arozarena hit his 20th homer and drove in six runs as the Tampa Bay Rays beat Toronto 10-6, tying the Blue Jays at the top of the AL wild-card standings.

Wander Franco had three RBIs, Jonathan Aranda homered and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays 10-5 in the opener of a big four-game series between playoff contenders.

Atlanta finally passed the New York Mets this past week.

Yankees ace Gerrit Cole twice banged on the dugout roof, shouting in frustration and getting booed as scuffling New York lost for the 15th time in 19 games, beaten by the Toronto Blue Jays 5-2.

Ramón Urías hit a three-run homer in the first inning, and Anthony Santander, Ryan Mountcastle and Austin Hays also went deep to lift the Baltimore Orioles to a 7-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.

Cavan Biggio hit a sacrifice fly in the 10th inning and Whit Merrifield scored on an overturned call to lead the Blue Jays to a 3-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins and split the four-game series.

Toronto first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had a throw bust through the webbing of his glove and the Seattle Mariners took advantage for their eighth straight win, beating the Blue Jays 6-5 on two home runs by Carlos Santana.

MJ Melendez and Emmanuel Rivera drove in two runs apiece, leading Brady Singer and the Kansas City Royals over the Toronto Blue Jays 8-4 to end a three-game losing streak.

Noah Syndergaard pitches in New York for the first time since leaving the Mets during the offseason, starting the Los Angeles Angels’ series opener at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. homered off Shohei Ohtani for the first time, and George Springer hit a leadoff home run in the Toronto Blue Jays’ 6-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels.

Gleyber Torres drove in all New York’s runs with a go-ahead, three-run homer off José Berríos in the fourth inning and a two-run single, leading the surging Yankees over the Toronto Blue Jays 5-3 for their 15th win in 17 games.

Aaron Judge hit a mammoth three-run drive in the ninth inning for his first walk-off home run in the major leagues to give the New York Yankees a 6-5 comeback victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.

Gleyber Torres homered early, then hit a go-ahead single in the ninth inning as the New York Yankees won their 10th straight game, beating the Toronto Blue Jays 3-2.

Kevin Gausman took a shutout into the ninth inning and Jordan Romano escaped with a save as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Boston Red Sox 3-2.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Blue Jays wrap up their four-game series at Yankee Stadium, a day after the slugger hit three home runs and a double despite a nasty gash.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. shook off a bloody gash on his right ring finger to hit three home runs against the rival Yankees, including two off ace Gerrit Cole, and the Toronto Blue Jays beat New York 6-4.

Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. shook off a bloody gash on his right ring finger to hit his second homer of a game against Yankees ace Gerrit Cole.

Rookie of the Year winners Randy Arozarena and Yordan Álvarez and All-Star shortstop Bo Bichette were among 16 players whose contracts were renewed by their teams rather than reach negotiated agreements.

Cleveland ace Shane Bieber limbered up in Guardians gear, Toronto Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. began taking grounders and new St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol signed autographs as spring training camps in Florida and Arizona finally opened to big leaguers.

The Toronto Blue Jays have reached an agreement with right-hander Kevin Gausman on a five-year, $110 million contract, pending a physical, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press late Sunday.

Houston Astros right-hander Zack Greinke makes his first start Tuesday night since testing positive for COVID-19 last month.

Bo Bichette thumped a leadoff homer in the first inning and singled in the tiebreaking run in the seventh, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit his 42nd homer, and the Toronto Blue Jays held off the skidding New York Yankees 6-4 for their eighth straight win.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit his 40th homer, Marcus Semien went deep twice and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the New York Yankees 8-0 for their fifth straight win.

The Toronto Blue Jays have won four in a row entering their big series this week in New York against the Yankees.

Shohei Ohtani pitched six innings of three-hit ball to win his third consecutive start, and he also doubled and scored an early run in the Los Angeles Angels’ 6-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.

In-state interleague matchups take center stage in several locales Friday as the Chicago White Sox play the Cubs in a Wrigley Field matinee, the Los Angeles Dodgers host the Angels, and the Kansas City Royals visit the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Toronto Blue Jays won’t find out by this weekend whether they will get permission from the federal government to play in Canada soon, a government official familiar with the talks told The Associated Press.

Talented stars such as Fernando Tatis Jr., Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, Juan Soto, Ozzie Albies and phenom Shohei Ohtani are taking the game of baseball by storm.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. joined his father as an All-Star and Fernando Tatis Jr. accomplished a feat his dad never achieved.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have dropped 23 straight away games, setting a major league record.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the bashing Toronto Blue Jays try to keep up their power surge at Fenway Park.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. keyed a career-best four-hit outing with his major league-leading 17th home run and the Toronto Blue Jays celebrated the return to their temporary Buffalo home with a 5-1 win over the Miami Marlins.

All players, managers, coaches and umpires will wear No. 42 on Thursday to celebrate Jackie Robinson Day, marking the anniversary of the date the Brooklyn Dodgers Hall of Famer made his Major League Baseball debut and broke the sport’s color barrier in 1947.

The Toronto Blue Jays are set to become the first team in Major League Baseball history to play home openers in three different cities over three consecutive seasons.

A day after Tatis walked off the field during an exhibition game in a worrisome scene, the Padres said the discomfort in his left shoulder had improved. In fact he was lobbying to get in the lineup today, so I thought that was very encouraging,” Tingler said. I think everybody’s kind of expecting him to be back in the lineup in the next day or two. AdMichael Pineda was roughed up in his second start for Minnesota, surrendering five runs on nine hits in five innings. Ian Anderson went six innings in his fourth start, allowing four runs on eight hits and a walk.

Trevor Williams went five innings in his fourth start, allowing a run on three hits. Austin Gomber made his fourth start for Colorado, allowing two runs on three hits, striking out four in 4 1/3 innings. Dylan Cease made his second start, allowing three hits and three walks in 3 2/3 scoreless innings. Matthew Boyd made his fourth start, allowing one run on four hits and a walk in four innings, striking out five. Tyler Anderson went five innings in his fourth start for Pittsburgh, giving up one run on two hits.

The reigning World Series champions already had a pair of Cy Young Award winners in Clayton Kershaw and David Price. Darvish has twice finished runner-up for a Cy Young Award, including last season when he was 8-3 with a 2.01 ERA in 12 starts. Lester is a three-time World Series champion, winning twice with Boston and once with the Cubs. He’s part of a rotation led by three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer, 2019 World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg and lefty Patrick Corbin. Bradley was a Gold Glove winner in 2018 when the Red Sox won the World Series.

Bauer wound up pitching three scoreless innings with the creative approach, striking out three while allowing two hits and a walk. Known for speaking his mind and going his own way, Bauer said he regularly shuts one eye during bullpen sessions and other workouts. METS 6, ASTROS 1 (6)Jacob deGrom pitched two scoreless innings in his spring debut, striking out three and allowing one hit. AdBLUE JAYS 7, PHILLIES 1 (7)Newcomer Tanner Roark made his first start for Toronto, allowing one hit in two scoreless innings. Jorge López threw three scoreless innings with three strikeouts.

Springer and the Blue Jays agreed last week to a team-record $150 million, six-year contract. The Blue Jays swept in two games during a first-round series by the eventual AL champion Rays. Besides Springer, Toronto also has signed right-handers Kirby Yates and Tyler Chatwood in the past week. Shapiro insisted the Blue Jays still have flexibility to add payroll, likely to strengthen the rotation, but said “the bulk of our heavy lifting is done.”Springer split time between center field and right with the Astros, but is expected to become a fixture in center for the Blue Jays. “This is about the Blue Jays,” Springer said.

Shortstop Marcus Semien agreed to an $18 million, one-year contract with the Toronto Blue Jays, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey, File)TORONTO, ONT – Shortstop Marcus Semien agreed to an $18 million, one-year contract with the Toronto Blue Jays, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. Semien will become the second star and fourth free agent added by the Blue Jays during a slow offseason amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. The Blue Jays were swept in two games by the AL champion Rays in a first-round series. It is not clear where the Blue Jays will play home games when the 2021 season starts.

Hunter Renfroe hit a grand slam and the top-seeded Rays won a postseason series for the first time in 12 years, overpowering the young Toronto Blue Jays 8-2 Wednesday to finish a two-game sweep of their wild-card matchup. Mike Zunino hit a two-run homer off Blue Jays ace Hyun Jin Ryu during Tampa Bay's big inning. Ryu was rocked for a season-high seven runs in 1 2/3 innings, the lefty's shortest outing of the season for the wild-card Blue Jays. I’m proud of my kids to make it to this point," second-year Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo said. Ryu signed with the Blue Jays in free agency last winter after being an All-Star with the Los Angeles Dodgers and finishing second in NL Cy Young Award balloting in 2019.

That’s probably the worst thing we can do as a team,” Blue Jays third baseman Cavan Biggio said. Diego Castillo, Nick Anderson and Pete Fairbanks followed the starter, limiting the Blue Jays to two singles, two doubles and Bo Bichette's eighth-inning sacrifice fly the rest of the way. The wild-card Blue Jays broke through in the eighth against Anderson, didn't allow a run in 18 of 19 regular season appearances. He’s pretty good,” said Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo, who served on Cash's staff with the Rays from 2015-18. UP NEXTLefty Hyun Jin Ryu starts for the Blue Jays against right-hander Tyler Glasnow, who’s been Tampa Bay’s best pitcher.

New York Mets second baseman Robinson Cano wears a New York Police Department cap while warming up before a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays in Buffalo, N.Y., Friday, Sept. 11, 2020. Dominic Smith hit his first career grand slam and Wilson Ramos had a three-run double in a 10-run fourth inning. Ramos hit a late solo homer. Michael Conforto hit a three-run homer as the Mets scored four runs in the third. Conforto, who along with Ramos scored four times, hit his ninth homer to give the Mets a 3-1 lead.

New York Yankees starting pitcher Deivi Garcia throws to a Toronto Blue Jays batter during the first inning of a baseball game in Buffalo, N.Y., Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)BUFFALO, N.Y. Deivi Garca earned his first major league win, Gleyber Torres drove in four runs and the New York Yankees snapped a five-game losing streak, beating the Toronto Blue Jays 7-2 on Wednesday night. The Yankees had lost 15 of 20 and fallen to the edge of the expanded playoff field. Luke Voit hit an RBI single that put the Yankees ahead 3-2 in the fifth and Torres added a two-run double. UP NEXTNew York RHP Gerrit Cole (4-3, 3.63 ERA) will start Thursday against Baltimore LHP Keegan Akin (0-0, 2.08) in the opener of the Yankees four-game weekend series against the Orioles.

New York Yankees pitcher Adam Ottavino walks to the dugout after being pulled during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays in Buffalo, N.Y., Monday, Sept. 7, 2020. Green, Ottavino and Luis Cessa needed 67 pitches and 43 minutes to get three outs. Green's ERA jumped to 4.26, and Ottavino allowed six runs without getting any outs as his ERA rose to 7.82. Ottavino (2-3) relieved, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a two-run, opposite-field single that bounced past Voit and down the right-field line. Sean Reid-Foley (1-0) won despite a bases-loaded walk to Aaron Hicks in the sixth that extended the Yankees lead to four runs.

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner throws a pitch against the San Diego Padres in the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, Aug. 9, 2020, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Derrick Tuskan)A look at what's happening around the majors on Saturday:HERE COMES MADBUMFormer Giants ace Madison Bumgarner will face his former club at last when he takes the mound for the Arizona Diamondbacks in San Francisco. I feel like Im pretty good at pushing all that stuff aside, the 2014 World Series MVP said. He had a 2.90 ERA in 411 appearances with the Cubs over seven years, mostly in a setup role. He was a key member of the 2016 team that won the franchises first World Series title since 1908.

(AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)A look at what's happening around the majors on Monday:WAIT AND SEEThe Cincinnati Reds will wait for their latest COVID-19 test results to see when they can resume the season. Cincinnati had home games against Pittsburgh postponed Saturday and Sunday after a player tested positive. Cincinnati is the third team to have games postponed because one of its players tested positive for COVID-19, joining the Marlins and the Cardinals. Chapman tested positive for the coronavirus during preseason workouts and hasnt pitched yet this season. AILINGBlue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette is on the injured list, interrupting his big-hitting season.

Bo Bichette went 5 for 5 for the Blue Jays, a day after homering during a 10-inning win in their first game at their new Buffalo home. He connected again as Toronto became the fourth team in major league history to lose while slugging at least seven homers. After this detour to Sahlen Field, the Marlins finally get to go home. The Marlins, however, had their return home delayed when an outbreak of COVID-19 occurred, forcing seven games to be postponed. Despite the travel woes, the Marlins have had at least a share of first place in the NL East every day so far this season.

Toronto Blue Jays and the Miami Marlins play during the sixth inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)BUFFALO, N.Y. In the first major league game in Buffalo since 1915, Travis Shaw hit an RBI single in the 10th inning and the Toronto Blue Jays settled into their new nest with a 5-4 win over the Miami Marlins on Tuesday night. The Blue Jays loaded the bases with one out in the 10th and Shaw singled to right field for his first RBI in 25 at-bats with the Blue Jays. There had not been a major league game in Buffalo since Sept. 8, 1915, when the Blues swept a doubleheader from the Baltimore Terrapins at Federal League Park. Those walls, which have been green for 32 years, are now blue, a color which now dominates much of the stadium, along with the omnipresent presence of the Blue Jays logo. Blue Jays: Nate Pearson (0-0, 2.70 ERA) will make his third career start when Toronto wraps up the two-game series against Miami.

Atlanta Braves' Nick Markakis, left, celebrates with Adeiny Hechavarria (24) after hitting a game-winning home run in the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020, in Atlanta. Markakis was added to the active roster on Wednesday after changing his mind about sitting out the year. Following the homer, Braves players circled home plate with plenty of distance, waving their hands in the air as Markakis finished his trot. Manager Charlie Montoyo said before the game Waguespack was recalled when right-hander Trent Thornton was placed on the 10-day injured list. Following a chat with home plate umpire Alan Porter, Waguespack left the field without making a pitch and Montoyo instead brought in Rafael Dolis.

Yelich also has struck out 12 times going into the series opener at home against Jack Flaherty and the Cardinals. Former World Series MVP George Springer (.048), two-time batting champ Jose Altuve (.174) and former All-Star Game MVP Alex Bregman (.174) will look to break loose when the Astros visit the Angels. TORONTOS TRAVELSVladimir Guerrero Jr. and the wandering Blue Jays will figure out where to spend this weekend after a three-game series in Philadelphia was called off because two Phillies staffers tested positive for the virus. Bo Bichette, Cavan Biggio and the Jays will stay in DC and work out at Nationals Park. The Blue Jays eventually will play home games in Buffalo at the stadium of their Triple-A affiliate.

The Blue Jays are the home team in the game. They love to win and they love to celebrate.Toronto batted in the bottom of each inning, wore its white uniforms, played its walk-up music and blared OK Blue Jays, the club's traditional seventh-inning stretch staple. The Blue Jays will be using a minor league ballpark Buffalo, but thats still being upgraded to host major league games. Blue Jays: SS Bo Bichette (left hamstring) and OF Randal Grichuk (back tightness) sat out again. UP NEXTWith Stephen Strasburg out, RHP Erick Fedde (0-0, 2.25) will fill in again Thursday, facing Blue Jays LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu (0-0, 5.79).