2025 Toronto Blue Jays Season Thread

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

I'm cautiously optimistic that the extended period of rest for Scherzer has rejuvenated him. Either way, he has so much experience, especially in the playoffs, that as long as his arm isn't completely dead, he can probably navigate through 5 innings pretty well. Just keep the spin rate up like Beiber did. Bassitt can come in if needed for another 3 innings.

Or Lauer.

[Jiggy_12]

Hoping the adrenaline rush of the ALCS gives Mad Max a boost. The 1st inning will be key, typically that's when he's been roughed up the most this season.

Lets see the Jays have a good top of the 1st to give him a head start to work with.

I like his playoff experience and his competitiveness, that will certainly help.

[Inferno]

Originally Posted by jason14h

castillo isn’t what he once was . If the jays stay patient he will walk guys and hang pitches - and he doesn’t strike out anyone anymore

put the pressure on him early and he won’t go 4

he’s basically berrios at this point of his career

https://twitter.com/user/status/1978817903345410214

[Cali Panthers Fan]

^That's a recipe for Varsho, Santander, Barger, and Lukes to light him up.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by Jiggy_12

Hoping the adrenaline rush of the ALCS gives Mad Max a boost. The 1st inning will be key, typically that's when he's been roughed up the most this season.

Lets see the Jays have a good top of the 1st to give him a head start to work with.

I like his playoff experience and his competitiveness, that will certainly help.

Yeah, 1st is definitely key. I would have loved an opener for him tbh. Maybe you let him go 2.5x through the order without him needing to face Raleigh 3x.

Bullpen should be very rested, only leverage guy they used yesterday was Fluharty, and a break before that so everyone is available today, and most of them should be fine to pitch today and tomorrow. Bieber going for length (and the bats giving them the lead to make them comfortable keeping him in) really helped with that. Still, a piggyback where Scherzer and Bassitt each go 3-4 seems like a reasonable plan to me. Maybe you put Lauer in there in-between.

Last nights lineup spots 4-7 seems like a great spot for a lefty to me. Polanco (switch hitter) is historically better from the left side, and then 2 of the next 3 are lefties.

[Jason14h]

Do you trust anyone in the pen right now to be an opener

[EN FUEGO]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

Do you trust anyone in the pen right now to be an opener

You do recall that Varland was used as an opener in the past week and pitched great, right?

[Jason14h]

Originally Posted by EN FUEGO

You do recall that Varland was used as an opener in the past week and pitched great, right?

I also recall Varlands other appearances that were not so great

[EN FUEGO]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

I also recall Varlands other appearances that were not so great

Sure, but if we're talking about who we trust to use as an opener, the track record there over the last few weeks is pretty darn good for one particular pitcher. The whole pen has had its ups and downs all year.

[Jiggy_12]

Originally Posted by EN FUEGO

Sure, but if we're talking about who we trust to use as an opener, the track record there over the last few weeks is pretty darn good for one particular pitcher. The whole pen has had its ups and downs all year.

Yeah, if the Jays went the opener route - Varland is really the best choice.

Dominguez walks too many
Hoffman walks too many
Rodruiguez sucks
Little, no
Fischer, no

Lauer & Fluharty could be options. But I think the high velo is the best chance for swing and miss, which is your best chance to get through a 1st inning unscathed against the top hitters of the lineup.

[Dentoman]

Schneider's overconfidence in Little always concerns me.
Only beef from last night is that I would have liked to have seen Little come in and saved a totally fresh Fluharty for today to be the first lefty out of the pen. Now I have to endure Little spiking a pitch 4 feet in front of the plate moving a runner over and then giving up a walk or a hit. He can't throw strikes consistently so hitters are just waiting him out now. He is the new Tim Mayza.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

I guess I haven't been following that closely, is there absolutely nothing to be got out of Berrios at this point? Not even a couple of innings?

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

I guess I haven't been following that closely, is there absolutely nothing to be got out of Berrios at this point? Not even a couple of innings?

He's not on the roster so isn't eligible to play. They did put him on the IL at the end of the season. So either he's been battling something or they did it to free up a roster spot due to his poor performance.

[Inferno]

[Cortez]

Originally Posted by EldrickOnIce

So there is at least one real Jays fan here.
Was fun to read the early comments in the first inning of tonight's game. Congrats to the fairweather fans - you know who you are.
Go Jays

Originally Posted by Cortez

A lot of game left here come on

Ahem ^

[Jiggy_12]

Santander out - that’s good
Barger to RF - that’s good
IKF in - Oh. Ok

https://twitter.com/user/status/1978930834691281395

[Blaster86]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

I guess I haven't been following that closely, is there absolutely nothing to be got out of Berrios at this point? Not even a couple of innings?

Considering he only needs a single inning to #### everything up, I'd rather stick with the bullpen arms fully capable of doing that already while also convincing Berrios to kindly #### off in the off-season.

[Jiggy_12]

Upon further research, IKF has pretty good numbers against Castillo.

13PA, .385/.385/.692

Small sample though. and he kinda sucks this year

[bizaro86]

Man, hopefully at some point Davis apologizes to John Schneider for kicking his dog and we can move past it so he can play again.

Makes sense to take Santander and his 450 playoff OPS out to put in IKF and his OPS of <checks notes> zero.

[Inferno]

I just read Miller is pitching tomorrow again for the Mariners.