Quote:
Originally Posted by howard_the_duck
Yeah, I'm struggling to find any positives this season for the Jays. It's been a massive step back on several fronts, just a demoralizing year in what was supposed to be a building block for the next few seasons.
Morrow's dominance at the start of the year is the only positive I can think of. Injuries have obviously played a huge role in the demise to the season but a lack of progression by some young players and regression of some veterans has made the team awfully frustrating to watch.
EE and Rasmus have been impressive offensively, but even Rasmus has started to slide back to his tendencies that plagued him before his prolonged hot streak. It could be argued that the injured bats that surrounded him in the lineup have played a big part in his recent struggles.
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I guess when a team is not getting consistently good results ie. wins, then any poor plays or slumps by a player will be magnified and scrutinized even more so. Generally, there are some bright spots on the team despite the losses. I think Rasmus is playing very well, Encarnacion is exceptional, Villaneuva coming out well from the bullpen, Janssen is fantastic holding the closer role for Santos, Mathis show some offense and a great defensive backup. The callups (Sierra, Hachavarria, Gose, Loup, ...) are pleasant surprises and getting big league/fan exposure. The down part is Drabek and Hutchison will not be around (or most of) next year.