Things are looking up for the Blue Jays
Published
The month of May was pretty good to the Blue Jays. They went 16-12 after going 11-14 in April.
The biggest difference in the two months was offensive production. In April, the Jays only hit .231/.302/.332 for a .634 OPS. They hit 15 homers in the 25 games. In May, they hit .268/.345/.440 with 38 home runs in 28 games. They scored 136 runs in May compared to just 81 in April.
The length and depth of the lineup has improved with breakout months from Ernie Clement, Addison Barger and Alejandro Kirk. Bo Bichette and Daulton Varsho found their power strokes in May as well.
The pitching also improved in May as the staff ERA dropped from 4.13 to 3.73. Things are looking up for the Jays and the timing couldn’t be better.
The Jays are 33-29 in early June and only 5.5 games behind the Yankees, tied for second place in the AL East. It doesn’t look like the Red Sox are a threat at this point as they continue to flounder in every aspect of the game. The Rays are playing much better and have found their rhythm as a team. But they are quite young compared to the Jays, who have far more experience. Plus, the Rays will soon head out on the road for the vast majority of their remaining schedule because of their move to playing outdoors at the Yankees spring training facility.
There is no reason why the Jays can’t keep playing at this level. In fact, the hope is that when outfielder Anthony Santander returns from the injured list with a healthy body and clear mind, he will boost the offence even more.
The Jays are playing like a contender now. They look like they are starting to have fun, which means the pressure they have put on themselves and the frustration they have felt from underperformance may be lifting.
I don't think they have what it takes to catch the Yankees, but they can certainly compete for a wild-card spot.
Barger brings a boost
As I mentioned, Barger has really taken a big step forward in the past month.
Over the past 30 days he is hitting .315/.376/.598 with six homers and 17 RBI. The added benefit is that Barger hits left-handed. The Jays have been searching for balance to their lineup as they have a significant number of righty bats at the top of the order. The absence of any production from Santander has made the Barger contributions even more significant.
Barger is a big, strong young man. He’s a bit of a brute who bullies the baseball when he swings. I’m hoping that the more playing time he gets the more finesse will be added to his game. He could use a shorter swing in his two-strike approach. Also, he sometimes appears to tackle ground balls when he is fielding them. I’m very impressed by his throwing arm as he unleashes lasers across the infield.
Barger is a fun player to watch because you clearly always get his best effort. Plus, he really cares about winning. I’m not convinced he is an everyday defender at third base or left field just yet, but his bat has some needed thunder.
Spitting Seeds
- Jays starter Bowden Francis needs a break from the rotation. I would option him to the minor leagues and let him regroup. It is hard to make adjustments and compete at the same time in the major leagues. He has allowed 17 home runs in 12 starts. He is finding the heart of the plate with too many of his pitches.
- Yankees starting pitcher Ryan Yarbrough pitched a great game last Sunday against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He tossed six scoreless innings enroute to the win. He is one who got away from the Blue Jays in spring training. He opted out of his minor-league deal because the Jays didn't see fit to add him to the 40-man roster before the season. The Jays could sure use him now with Max Scherzer still on the IL and Francis struggling.
- The Colorado Rockies (12-50) are the worst team in baseball. They are on pace for a 32-130 record, which would shatter the mark set last year by the Chicago White Sox (41-121) for most losses in a season. The Rockies are three years away from being three years away from competing again. The amazing thing is that they drew about 2.5 million fans last year. That is a problem because it diminishes the sense of urgency that ownership should feel to invest in the team.