The combination of being trapped in the most competitive division in baseball and the loss of the game’s best pitcher will result in the Toronto Blue Jays once again finishing the season in the cellar of the AL East.

Offense

Last season, Aaron Hill broke out in a major way for the Blue Jays.

After a 2007 season in which Hill hit 17 home runs and was on the verge of becoming a legitimate power threat, he only played in 55 games in 2008. But last season Hill stayed healthy, blasting 36 home runs and 108 RBIs while hitting .286. If he can maintain such a level of play Hill will solidify himself as one of the best second basemen in baseball.

For the Jays to stay relevant, Hill will have to deliver like he did in 2009.

After giving Vernon Wells the largest contract in Blue Jays’ history, he has yet to fully deliver on the field. A series of injuries has kept Wells off his All-Star path over the past couple of seasons, but he seems healthy and ready to go this season.

His three RBIs and .750 batting in the season opener is a good sign that the Vernon of old will be returning to the Rogers Centre.

Adam Lind, the 26-year-old left fielder for the Jays, was their best hitter last season, hitting 35 homeruns and driving in 116 RBIs, all while hitting .305. Lind had shown power in his first stints with the Jays, but in his first full season last year, he stepped up in a major way. In one game this season he is hitting .1000 with a homerun.

Look for his numbers to improve once again and for Lind to make an All-Star appearance.

Travis Snider, in his first full season in the majors, will start in left, John Buck will start behind home plate, and Jose Bautista will start in right. Lyle Overbay will start at first, and Edwin Encarnacion will start at third.

Pitching

Over the past two seasons, the Blue Jays have seen Roy Halladay and A.J. Burnett leave for greener pastures (their current teams met in the World Series last season). The Jays lost Burnett to free agency and the prospects brought in from the Halladay trade are not in the majors yet, leaving the Jays with a thin rotation.

At the front of the rotation is Shaun Marcum, who missed a portion of 2008 and the entire 2009 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. When healthy, Marcum can certainly win 10 games and has won 12 before. He looked sharp in his first start of the season, striking out six. Look for him perform well if he stays healthy all season.

Ricky Romero, who won 13 games in his rookie season, is looking to become the ace of the Jays’ rotation. The former sixth overall pick has good stuff and is durable. Look for him to work on his control and lower his ERA.

Brandon Morrow will pitch in the third spot for the Jays, with Brian Tallet pitching fourth.

Jason Frasor will continue as the Jays closer, with Scott Downs setting him up.

Prediction

Toronto has a few strong, young bats in their lineup, but the Blue Jays’ lack of pitching will ultimately doom them in a division that has C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Jon Lester, and Josh Beckett.

The AL East is simply too good for the Blue Jays; after the Yankees and the Red Sox, the Jays still have to deal with an improving Orioles club as well as the Rays, only two seasons removed from their World Series run.

Look for the Jays to battle it out with the Orioles for last place in the division, but for their young bats to make some serious noise this season.