The 2016 Toronto Blue Jays Thread

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

Better to have the slump now. They'll get it back - the lineup is too good not to get it back.

That depends I guess. There's other teams that may put themselves in a position to not need to get anything back with steady wins, which could easily leave the Jays outside even if they "get it back".

I'm differerent than most MLB fans in that I staunchly do not consider the wild card to be a playoff birth. I consider it a chance to play a game for playoffs, and if lost, it's the same as not making the playoffs.

[JiriHrdina]

Perhaps. But five wild card teams have won the world series and I think 7 have made it to the WS.
So it is a one game showdown indeed. But still decent odds of winning the whole damn thing.

[whosurnabby]

Originally Posted by jayswin

Remember last year with all that overwhelming confidence and swagger the team got from the trades at the deadline? It felt lik ethey couldn't lose with the clubhouse on an absolute high. Man, I'd give anything to be reliving that right now. This year has the opposite feelin after the trade deadline.

Everything's starting to go cold and at the worst possible time. If we hit a prolonged slump, things could be over before we know it, and this is our last year.

Baseball is a marathon, not a sprint to the finish line. Please seriously ask yourself if Boston or Baltimore has enough credible arms in their rotation to keep up until October once every SP's arms shows signs of fatigue. The bats will always go cold here and there, but this ballclub's SP/Rotation...that's their biggest difference between the competition right now. The Jays will be fine.

Oh, and Baltimore lost again today, so we are still in first place in the AL East. Let's not overreact. Plenty of baseball left and we have the pitching firepower and bats to win this division. And if push comes to shove, I have the utmost confidence in the Jays pitching to beat Baltimore's and Boston's EVERY SINGLE SERIES (against those specific teams) from here on out.

Anyways, the beauty of baseball is that your team just has to win the series to contend. We win tomorrow (which makes it a 2 of 3 series win) and this thumping will be forgotten. This isn't like hockey, football, or basketball...reflect upon series wins, not individual wins. You gotta have a short memory to enjoy the beauty (errr...the grind) that is MLB's 162 game season.

[cross16]

Originally Posted by TheAlpineOracle

It's not just this year. Jays haven't been able to score runs without the homer for years now.

I'm hoping this is something Shapiro/Atkins are going to change. While I did like alot of what AA did, I do feel that the Jays since the Riccardi days have put too much emphasis on power and the HR and undervalued guys that are just good solid hitters who use all the field. I get you need power to win in the AL East but I wish the Jays had at least 1 more Travis type hitter.

Jays have been pounding the ball, for the most part, since the early part of June and their July numbers were well above average. They were due for a slump

[JayP]

Originally Posted by cross16

I'm hoping this is something Shapiro/Atkins are going to change. While I did like alot of what AA did, I do feel that the Jays since the Riccardi days have put too much emphasis on power and the HR and undervalued guys that are just good solid hitters who use all the field. I get you need power to win in the AL East but I wish the Jays had at least 1 more Travis type hitter.

Jays have been pounding the ball, for the most part, since the early part of June and their July numbers were well above average. They were due for a slump

This would not eliminate slumps. Slumps are a product of the up and down nature of baseball - not relying on the home run too much. Teams that rely on batting average and speed slump just as much as anyone else.

[cross16]

Originally Posted by JayP

This would not eliminate slumps. Slumps are a product of the up and down nature of baseball - not relying on the home run too much. Teams that rely on batting average and speed slump just as much as anyone else.

Oh no of course not that's not what I was getting at. I would just like to see a lineup with a bit more balance that doesn't rely so much on the home run that's all. While I agree you cannot avoid slumps that is baseball, I do think home runs are more prone to slumps then a team that just hits well.

but slumps are going to happen and arn't a huge deal IMO. All teams have them, just too long of a season not to.

[calculoso]

Bautista gets the day off today

[TheAlpineOracle]

Originally Posted by JayP

This would not eliminate slumps. Slumps are a product of the up and down nature of baseball - not relying on the home run too much. Teams that rely on batting average and speed slump just as much as anyone else.

Teams who can manufacture runs without a homer obviously slump as well, but i'd argue it's no where near as pronounced as when the Jays go on a slump. It's feast or famine with the Jays. I honestly can't remember a team that won the World Series in recent history who was all power at the plate.

San Francisco - Definitely not.
Boston - Had power, but a lot of hitters too (Damon, Ellsbury, Pedroia, etc.)
New York - Always had power, but plenty of hitters as well much like Boston
Kansas - Next to no power
St. Louis - A lot of good hitters with only 1-2 power guys
Phillies - Not much power other than Howard plus a lot of good hitters (Worth, Utley, Victorino, etc.)
White Sox - A pretty good collection of hitters with only a couple power guys.

It sure is fun watching the Jays crush baseballs, but it completely sucks when they aren't.

[TheAlpineOracle]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

Perhaps. But five wild card teams have won the world series and I think 7 have made it to the WS.
So it is a one game showdown indeed. But still decent odds of winning the whole damn thing.

I don't mind the wildcard, but I think it's a recipe for disaster for the Jays. You aren't going to be hitting a lot homers off of Yu Darvish/Cole Hammels, Cory Cluber, David Price (well maybe this year), Keuchel/Fister, Felix Hernandez, or Justin Verlander. These are the guys you will be facing in a wildcard game.

The best matchup for the Jays in the AL is Baltimore, because they are more or less the same team. Whomever mashes most win. Hopefully whomever finishes first gets the other as their opponent after the Wildcard game.

I don't think I could handle a Cleveland/Jays series. I think their pitching would be a serious challenge for a team built like the Jays. Hopefully someone else can take care of them first.

[calculoso]

What a write-off year for Bautista..

@SNBarryDavis: Bautista hurt his left knee last night when he caught his spike on the turf. Had MRI, waiting for results. DL is a possibility.
#BlueJays

@ShiDavidi: #BlueJays awaiting results of MRI on Jose Bautista's left knee. Tweaked it last night during OF stumble.

[Cappy]

Originally Posted by TheAlpineOracle

Teams who can manufacture runs without a homer obviously slump as well, but i'd argue it's no where near as pronounced as when the Jays go on a slump. It's feast or famine with the Jays. I honestly can't remember a team that won the World Series in recent history who was all power at the plate.

San Francisco - Definitely not.
Boston - Had power, but a lot of hitters too (Damon, Ellsbury, Pedroia, etc.)
New York - Always had power, but plenty of hitters as well much like Boston
Kansas - Next to no power
St. Louis - A lot of good hitters with only 1-2 power guys
Phillies - Not much power other than Howard plus a lot of good hitters (Worth, Utley, Victorino, etc.)
White Sox - A pretty good collection of hitters with only a couple power guys.

It sure is fun watching the Jays crush baseballs, but it completely sucks when they aren't.

Going back to team stats, it looks like OBP and pitching are far more of a predictor of success than HR vs. contact.

While NYY and BOS did have power, those teams had insane OBP coupled with great pitching.

[calculoso]

@thehazelmae: Official per #BlueJays Jose Bautista has been placed on the 15-day DL left knee sprain. OF Junior Lake has contract selected from Buffalo.

@ShiDavidi: Ross Atkins says #BlueJays hopeful Jose Bautista won't be much longer than two weeks. Darrell Ceciliani to get bulk of ABs vs RHP in absence

[Roof-Daddy]

Damn. JB seemed like he was starting to heat up a bit too.

Really sucks with both Pillar and Carrera out too.

What the hell is up with Pompey? He seemed close to making the jump last year and now he's way down the depth chart.

[JayP]

Originally Posted by TheAlpineOracle

Teams who can manufacture runs without a homer obviously slump as well, but i'd argue it's no where near as pronounced as when the Jays go on a slump. It's feast or famine with the Jays. I honestly can't remember a team that won the World Series in recent history who was all power at the plate.

San Francisco - Definitely not.
Boston - Had power, but a lot of hitters too (Damon, Ellsbury, Pedroia, etc.)
New York - Always had power, but plenty of hitters as well much like Boston
Kansas - Next to no power
St. Louis - A lot of good hitters with only 1-2 power guys
Phillies - Not much power other than Howard plus a lot of good hitters (Worth, Utley, Victorino, etc.)
White Sox - A pretty good collection of hitters with only a couple power guys.

It sure is fun watching the Jays crush baseballs, but it completely sucks when they aren't.

A much better indicator would be runs scored in the playoffs, not World Series champions. Lots of the big power teams lately have been teams similar to Baltimore this year - all offense and no pitching. Judging those teams performance in the playoffs is more based on their pitching than how they score runs.

And it makes sense - power numbers usually mean big contracts and lots of team power likely means that their salary structure is unbalanced and skewed towards hitters and the pitching suffers because of it. The Blue Jays don't have that issue.

[calculoso]

@SNBarryDavis: Atkins says Pompey will eventually be up. Lake like up only until Carrera returns on the 15th. #BlueJays

[Skaloper]

Thank god we picked up Upton! I can't believe Bautista / Carrera / Pillar are all injured

[KelVarnsen]

If I was Pompey I'd be pissed off

[Machiavelli]

Tulo! 3-run shot!!!

[Karl]

Upton. Good job to draw a walk there.

[JiriHrdina]

Ugh Junior Lake. Barf.