Toronto Blue Jays 2017 regular season thread

[mrkajz44]

I was saying that as I seemed to remember Saunders having a really hot start and then fading, which I hoped wasn't happening with Smoak. I went back and looked at OPS by month:

Saunders 2016: .951 / .862 / .943 / .862 / .735 / .454
Smoak 2017: .811 / .944 / 1.104

So part of my thought was right - Smoak is trending upwards. However, Saunders played well until somewhere in August where he fell off a cliff (as opposed to having a hot April / May and then slowing down gradually). I guess we'll have to wait and see if that happens to Smoak too.

[Sylvanfan]

Originally Posted by mrkajz44

I was saying that as I seemed to remember Saunders having a really hot start and then fading, which I hoped wasn't happening with Smoak. I went back and looked at OPS by month:

Saunders 2016: .951 / .862 / .943 / .862 / .735 / .454
Smoak 2017: .811 / .944 / 1.104

So part of my thought was right - Smoak is trending upwards. However, Saunders played well until somewhere in August where he fell off a cliff (as opposed to having a hot April / May and then slowing down gradually). I guess we'll have to wait and see if that happens to Smoak too.

Hard to say. Smoak actually was okay in 2015 in the second half of the season. I think he was even decent to start last year, but in the second half I could hear Harry Doyle talking about how Smoak did manage to foul one off last at bat so maybe he's coming out of his slump.

I can't see anyway in which he maintains his current pace. Too many years of being inconsistent. But can he be a 800 OPS guy for the rest of the season.....or will he flame out like Saunders? Even if he was to produce like a 800 OPS guy for the rest of the season that would be much more than what one would have reasonably expected at the start of the year.

[TheAlpineOracle]

I'll say this, i have more confidence Smoak will continue to be at least a productive player than I did Saunders. Not sure why, but I do. I remember saying last year i'd take Zeke any day of the week over Saunders even among his pre all-star ga,e hot streak and people told me I was crazy. I don't have that feeling with Smoak though. I think he's going to have a good year throughout.

Nothing behind that.... Maybe I just don't feel as passionately about Smoak sucking as I did Saunders. Saunders has, did, and will forever suck.

[KootenayFlamesFan]

Is he done?

Hazel Mae @thehazelmae
Getting word Jason Grilli packing up his locker. No official word from #BlueJays

[habernac]

Hazel Mae‏Verified account @thehazelmae 3m3 minutes ago
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Official: Grilli has been DFA'd. Dwight Smith optioned, RHP Chris Smith is recalled and Ezequiel Carrera has been reinstated from the DL.

[Roof-Daddy]

I was wondering when they'd give Smith a look. He had better numbers last year. Doesn't he pack some heat?

Fell bad for Grilli, seems like a great guy, but man was it ever time for that to happen.

[Muffins]

Saw this on reddit about Grilli's stats vs. the AL East

BAL: 13.50 ERA, 1.875 WHIP, .333/.385/1.083 slash line against. Four hits, three of them homers, two of them walk off homers. All in 12 ABs.
BOS: 16.20 ERA, 3.600 WHIP, .375/.545/.500 slash line against. Only AL East team he didn't allow a homer to this year, but keep in mind that the Red Sox are 27th in the majors in homers. Still, he allowed three hits, three walks, and three runs, all in a risk of 1.2 innings.
NYY: 94.50 ERA, 10.500 WHIP, .750/.778/2.750 slash line against. None of those numbers are typos. In 0.2 innings, the Yankees went 6/8 with a walk, a double, and five homers. Look at the game log from the June 3rd game, specifically the top of the 8th, and laugh. Yankees up 3-0 and Grilli enters. Then this happens: HR, LO, K, HR, HR, HR, pulled.
TBR: 4.50 ERA, 1.750 WHIP, .200/.368/.400 slash line against. Compared to the others, pretty respectable. Only allowed three hits in 4 innings and struck out 6. Had four walks and one homer allowed but, all things considered, it isn't horrible.

[habernac]

good dude:

Jason Grilli‏Verified account @GrillCheese49 5m5 minutes ago
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Playing 4 a championship team w/a bunch of gr8 players was an honor! Thank U 2 the @bluejays fans 4 such a warm embrace! ���� #stayinthefight

[mrkajz44]

Guess they were just waiting until the "Fire up the Grilli" promo was over? That happened pretty recently, no?

Also surprised Carrera is back already - not that he is a best LF in the world, but he's probably the best one currently on the roster. Good to have him back.

[Inferno]

Originally Posted by mrkajz44

Guess they were just waiting until the "Fire up the Grilli" promo was over? That happened pretty recently, no?

It was on Father's Day.

[Karl]

Zeke returning this soon is a real surprise to me. Didn't Carrera break a bone just 2 weeks ago from a fouling a pitch off his foot?

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Karl

Zeke returning this soon is a real surprise to me. Didn't Carrera break a bone just 2 weeks ago from a fouling a pitch off his foot?

It's the Blue Jays. "Tensor bandage, get back out there!".

[GirlySports]

Jays cannot hit the worst pitchers

[Karl]

FFS. Not going to win many games if you're not hitting. Jays can't lose these type of games, especially to an AL East rival.

[Roof-Daddy]

Looking more and more like the Jays might be selling this year.

[Karl]

Just too much HR or bust with this team. Hitting with RISP has to improve. Clutch up Jays. Clutch up.

[mrkajz44]

I really don't think the problem is HRs. The only reason they have a higher percentage of runs scored via home run is because they simply cannot hit with RISP - they currently hold the worst RISP in the majors.

I'll admit to not watching every game, but the ones I do watch don't seem like they are having terrible at bats with RISP all the time. Sure there are strike-outs and pop-ups, but all teams experience that. I just think its mostly just back luck which will hopefully even out as the season wears on.

Take last night as an example. Gausman and Biagini had pretty similar lines when their nights ended, but due to sequencing Biagini gave up three runs compared to zero for Gausman. Its just randomness.

[GirlySports]

Jays lead the league in grounding into double plays and their ground ball to fly ball ratio is middle of the league so i don't think it's HRs or bust. They just don't start the runners enough. Get the defense moving and panicking.

[Jason14h]

It's almost better to loose a few to make it clear we are sellers. We have no chance at a championship this season so lets make proper decisions and start to re-tool

[Dentoman]

Michael Saunders signed to a minor league contract .... yikes ... hope it stays a minor league one.