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Rick Zamperin: In two years, the Blue Jays could be a major force

Blue Jays manager John Gibbons leads his team into the 2018 regular season opener Thursday afternoon against the New York Yankees.
Blue Jays manager John Gibbons leads his team into the 2018 regular season opener Thursday afternoon against the New York Yankees. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP FILE/Charlie Riedel

Good things come to those who wait.

There’s no doubt in my mind the famous saying will certainly hold true for Blue Jays fans.

The only question is, how long will fans be waiting?

Nineteen-year-old Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is the top prospect in the Blue Jays organization and will start the 2018 baseball season in double-A New Hampshire, and fellow super prospect Bo Bichette, who’s 20, will be right there with him.

Click to play video: 'Behind the scenes look at Rogers Centre preparations for Blue Jays’ 2018 season'
Behind the scenes look at Rogers Centre preparations for Blue Jays’ 2018 season

The two players are just scratching the surface when it comes to their major league potential.

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Bichette, a slick middle-infielder who can hit for average and power and steal some bases, went 3-for-10 at spring training with the big club with a home run and four RBIs.

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Guerrero, returning to his hometown to play in his father’s old stomping grounds at Olympic Stadium, wrapped up his spring 7-for-13 with a homer and two RBIs.

His home run, a mammoth walk-off blast into the left-centrefield seats with two out in the bottom of the ninth inning at the Big O, gave Toronto a 1-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals in their exhibition season finale on Tuesday night.

It was a glimpse into the Jays’ future, one that is looking very bright.

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In two years time, the Blue Jays could very well have a roster that includes Guerrero, Bichette, pitchers Roberto Osuna, Aaron Sanchez, Marcus Stroman, and outfielders Anthony Alford and Teoscar Hernandez — all of whom will be under 30.

While I’m not very bullish on Toronto in 2018, the Jays could be a force in a couple of years’ time.

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