Davis Schneider: .397 AVG | 1.359 OPS
Spencer Horwitz: .385 AVG | 1.115 OPS
Ernie Clement: .452 AVG | 1.100 OPS
Who knew the Buffalo Bisons had a better lineup than the Blue Jays all along?
Call up Orelvis.
Kevin Pillar has played over 1000 MLB games. He’s closing in on 1000 hits and 100 HR. He’s made almost $20M in his career.
This man is currently grinding it out in AAA at 33 years old trying to earn an opportunity with his hometown Dodgers.
Gotta respect that.
1.073 OPS at AAA
Ready to have your mind blown?
Since May 26th, the Toronto Blue Jays have the best record in the American League at 17-11.
Certainly hasn’t felt that way.
Toronto Blue Jays HR Leaderboard:
1. Teoscar Hernandez - 25
2. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. - 23
3. Marcus Semien - 22
4. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. - 21
5. Bo Bichette - 18
Oh, wait a second…
The Blue Jays fire sale began with Yimi Garcia being traded to the Mariners on July 26.
Since that date, the team is 16-12. That’s a .571 winning percentage and a 93 win pace.
This young group has played a much more exciting, much better brand of baseball.
Optimism.
The bullpen has been absolutely ridiculous.
Thornton 8 IP, 1 ER
Phelps 5 IP, 1 ER
Richards 5.2 IP, 1 ER
Cimber 7 IP, 2 ER
Mayza 5.2 IP, 1 ER
Garcia 6 IP, 0 ER
Romano 8 IP, 1 ER
Combined: 45.1 IP, 1.39 ERA
Stay off Twitter, it won’t be pretty for a while. Let the emotions pass. The Mariners had what the Blue Jays didn’t - velocity, lineup balance, and a front office who was willing to go all in. Chat with y’all in a few days. Be well, it’s just baseball.
Hey
@BlueJays
,
Your move.
Yankees got Soto. Baltimore got Burnes.
There’s a former MVP still available on the free agent market.
You haven’t done enough yet.
Love,
Canada
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. now leads the AL with a .319 batting average.
He’s currently 3 HR and 5 RBI’s shy of the triple crown.
He’s hitting .419/.444/.651 over his last 10 games.
He’s got an MLB best 1.014 OPS this season.
He’s also leading baseball in R, H, and TB.
He’s 22.
Alejandro Kirk might be the worst offensive player I’ve ever had to watch on a regular basis.
He’s hitting .167 with absolutely zero power. Oh, and he’s the slowest player in baseball.
The pitch framing abilities can’t make up for this level of performance.
Reminder that Vladdy, Bo, Cavan, Lourdes, Romano, and the rest of the 2018 New Hampshire Fisher Cats won a championship under one man…
You guessed it, John Schneider.
This is the worst Blue Jays offence I’ve ever seen and I watched Vernon Wells once lead the team with 20 home runs.
No one in the top four spots in the order has an OPS over .688 and it’s an embarrassment.
Folks, I don’t wanna alarm you but…
Over on Instagram, Carlos Baerga is reporting that “Freddie Freeman could sign with the Blue Jays” and that “Vladdy Jr knows where 3rd base is”
Baerga isn’t just some random, he broke the Marcus Semien and Yimi Garcia signings.
Breathe.
As you wake up on this Monday morning, the Toronto Blue Jays:
• Hold the 1st WC spot in the AL
• Have won 14 of 16 games
• Have a Pythagorean W-L of 88-55
• Are 75.4% to make postseason
• Are a very good baseball team
Also, Alek Manoah is the AL ROY.
Spare me the “Mountcastle has 30+ HR” and let’s stop pretending that Randy Arozarena didn’t debut in 2019 and play in 67 MLB games before this season.
Manoah is a top of the rotation arm for a 90+ win team.
9-2, 3.22 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 10.2 K/9
Congrats to Rowdy Tellez on his first 30 HR season. Currently on pace for 34 with 92 RBI & an OPS+ hovering around 120.
Nice breakout year for the big fella.
Davis Schneider Per 162 Pace:
139 R
208 H
69 2B
8 3B
54 HR
147 RBI
8/8 SB
131 BB
455 TB
17.0 bWAR
282 OPS+
.403/.535/.881
This has literally never happened before in the history of baseball.
Gausman, Bassitt, and Berrios would make for a pretty ridiculous playoff rotation right now.
Last 30 Days:
Gausman: 1.36 ERA, 11.5 K/9
Bassitt: 1.98 ERA, .191 BAA
Berrios: 1.93 ERA, 0.96 HR/9
If I had told you before the season:
• Blue Jays return to Toronto
• Semien sets HR record for 2B
• Ray wins AL Cy Young
• Vlad is AL MVP runner-up
• Bo & Teo are All-Stars
• Manoah dominates as rookie
• Romano becomes elite closer
• Blue Jays trade for Berrios
I almost can’t believe these numbers are real, but they are…
Blue Jays Career:
Bautista: .878 OPS | 136 OPS+
Encarnacion: .878 OPS | 136 OPS+
In my humble opinion, they belong on the Level of Excellence together.
Bichette is leading the AL in hits.
Chapman is leading the AL in doubles.
Kiermaier is leading the AL in triples and SB%.
Varsho is leading AL OF in defensive WAR.
Gausman is leading the AL in FIP, strikeouts, and K/9.
Romano is leading the AL in saves.
A lot to like.
Daulton Varsho Last 40 Games:
.175/.213/.242 (.454 OPS)
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Last 40 Games:
.192/.236/.353 (.589 OPS)
Gabriel Moreno Last 40 Games:
.218/.288/.318 (.606 OPS)
I mean, what a trade…
How many shortstops under the age of 25 have put up 40+ doubles, 20+ home runs, and 10+ stolen bases in a season?
Cause that’s what Bo Bichette is going to do… in his down year.
Has raised his season OPS from .715 to .759 in the span of 15 games.
Stay hot kid.
With his 0-4 again today, Bo Bichette’s OBP has dipped below .300 on the season.
He’s currently on a 2-17 stretch over his last 5 games.
Since June 14th, in almost 200 PA now, his OPS is below .650.
For the love of god, get this man out of the cleanup spot.
Angels and Diamondbacks are playing each other right now. Try and guess the best hitter on each team…
Kevin Pillar: .330/.387/.598 (.985 OPS)
Randal Grichuk: .320/.364/.485 (.849 OPS)
Unbelievable.
Interesting note from the MIL @ CHC game. The Brewers Opening Day 1B over the past decade:
Alex Gonzalez
Lyle Overbay
Adam Lind
Eric Thames
Justin Smoak
Rowdy Tellez
Notice a trend?
• Sweep this series
• 6-0 going into the break
• Manoah back
• Ryu back after break
• Chad Green back late July
• Trade for bat at deadline
• Win the whole damn thing
The organization would never say this, but the real rotation order is:
Manoah
Gausman
Berrios
Kikuchi
Ryu/Stripling/Pearson
You’d have to feel pretty good about that top 3 going into a playoff series.
Not to be dramatic, but I’m still in shock.
I can not believe they gave a multi-year contract to a player who’s performance warranted a minor league deal.
Spending $7.5M per season on a guy with no upside when you already have better options on your roster is insane.
Watching Varsho and Kiermaier run around the newly renovated Rogers Centre outfield is going to be unreal.
The Toronto Blue Jays might have the best defensive outfield in baseball.
Now go add a Nathan Eovaldi to the rotation and win the MF World Series.
I’ve bought into this idea that the Zach Pop homecoming is going to lead to his emergence as an elite late inning reliever.
Just picture it, a couple flamethrowing Canadians shutting down games in the postseason on home soil.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is batting .390 with a .985 OPS over his last 26 games. The Blue Jays are 11-15 during that stretch.
Bo Bichette is batting .365 with a .974 OPS over his last 16 games. The Blue Jays are 7-9 during that stretch.
The front office simply didn’t do enough.
John Schneider is not afraid to make a lineup change and I absolutely love it.
Springer, Vlad, Kirk, and Teo look great at the top and having Merrifield and Biggio at the bottom is a luxury most teams don’t have.
Lineup is DEEP. Manoah on the bump. New relievers in place. LFG.
Aaron Sanchez just recorded an out in the 6th inning of an MLB game for the first time since August 2019. Retired 11 Mets in a row, in line for the win.
Great to see.
Jays are gonna lose their two biggest series of the year, win 89 games, limp into the playoffs via the last WC spot due to another team losing, and still celebrate by popping champagne at the end of all this?
Got it.
Jose Berrios 2022 Season
32 GS
172 IP
.632 W%
3.31 K/BB
21 starts w/ 3 ER or less
16 starts w/ 2 ER or less
Jays went 23-9 in his starts
This should go over well.
Playoffs or not, we should take a second to appreciate the 2023 pitching staff. It’s truly insane and one of the best in the history of this franchise.
Gausman Romano
Berrios Hicks
Bassitt Swanson
Kikuchi Green
Ryu Mayza
The Toronto Blue Jays are exactly who we all thought they were, a bad offensive team with good pitching.
It’s a shame the front office didn’t see it that way.