Blue Jays GDT: 2022 v10 | Next: Tue, Sept 13 | vs TB |*DOUBLEHEADER| 1pm ET/10am PT & 7pm ET/4pm PT | Springs vs Manoah & TBA vs TBA

[Blitzkrug]

Vlad's launch angle is 4th last among qualified major league hitters and somehow he's had by all accounts what would be considered a great season for most.

Definitely my favorite stat right now.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Vlad's launch angle is 4th last among qualified major league hitters and somehow he's had by all accounts what would be considered a great season for most.

Definitely my favorite stat right now.

Why someone with the prodigious power he has, doesn't consistently try to lift the ball will forever blow my mind. Someone needs to make a break through with him and tell him up is better then down.

 

[Brock Boeser Laser Show]

Vlad's launch angle is 4th last among qualified major league hitters and somehow he's had by all accounts what would be considered a great season for most.

Definitely my favorite stat right now.

I think he definitely relaxed a bit on workouts last winter leading to the decrease in launch angle from last year. His biggest limitation is himself. He's so talented that if he even put a decent effort into his off field regiment that he can put up mvp numbers up every year. I hope the Jays keep on him this off season because I feel like he's someone that needs to be reminded that talent can only take him so far.

 

[The Nemesis]

drink for the George Brett reference earlier. double that because this isn't a Royals game.

 

[Brock Boeser Laser Show]

Rays just know exactly how to pitch to the Jays. It's why I'd prefer to avoid them in the playoffs. Doesn't matter who pitches for the rays because it's a struggle to score more than 3 runs against them.

 

[Cloned]

Rays just know exactly how to pitch to the Jays. It's why I'd prefer to avoid them in the playoffs. Doesn't matter who pitches for the rays because it's a struggle to score more than 3 runs against them.

They know this team struggles with sinkers and change ups.

 

[Brock Boeser Laser Show]

Need a Jano pull shot to get back in this game.

Expecting a pop up though

 

[Langdon Alger]

Rays just know exactly how to pitch to the Jays. It's why I'd prefer to avoid them in the playoffs. Doesn't matter who pitches for the rays because it's a struggle to score more than 3 runs against them.

Worst case scenario for us if we make the playoffs is having to play the Rays in Tampa.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

....Mitch White hasn't pitched bad....*ducks for cover*

 

[Brock Boeser Laser Show]

Jays rarely hit hr against Tampa. Only way to get back in this game is a 2 or 3 run hr.

 

[Cloned]

Next batting practice should be all change ups. Nobody gets a fastball until they drive a change up into the gap.

I have never seen a supposed elite offensive team have so much trouble hitting a change up before.

 

[Langdon Alger]

Get Teoscar off this team.

 

[Brock Boeser Laser Show]

Just terrible at bats. Stop swinging at changeups. Vlad and Teo need to be much better or this team is screwed in the playoffs.

 

[Langdon Alger]

This team has trouble hitting off speed stuff. They aren’t patient enough at the plate.

 

[MS]

....Mitch White hasn't pitched bad....*ducks for cover*

He's been really solid. Should be 2 ER in 6 innings but they called the run on Teoscar's bungling 'earned'.

 

[Cloned]

This team has trouble hitting off speed stuff. They aren’t patient enough at the plate.

This is why they can tear apart Gerrit Cole consistently but get shut down by some random 4.50 ERA pitcher who happens to throw junk.

Springs is better than that but they’ve been shut down before by scrubs who happen to throw off speed stuff.

 

[Langdon Alger]

This is why they can tear apart Gerrit Cole consistently but get shut down by some random 4.50 ERA pitcher who happens to throw junk.

Springs is better than that but they’ve been shut down before by scrubs who happen to throw off speed stuff.

They can hit fastballs that are up in the zone, but the low off speed stuff gives them trouble.

 

[Suntouchable13]

So weak. *sigh

 

[Eyedea]

Next batting practice should be all change ups. Nobody gets a fastball until they drive a change up into the gap.

I have never seen a supposed elite offensive team have so much trouble hitting a change up before.

Elite relative to what? They're entrenched in the top 6 by wRC+ this season, but they also barely squeak into the top 10 over the last decade. And that's also largely because offence is down league wide. League OPS is the 2nd worst of the century, just ahead of the 2014 season. If we were to go strictly by OPS they'd have the T-69th (nice) best offensive team over the last decade, on par with the 2016 Jays. It's hyperbole to say they're terrible at hitting changeups when, in context, they're a top 10 team this season based on pitch values. Plenty of top teams are behind them. Plenty of top teams are also worse than them at hitting other offspeed pitches. In fact the Jays are one of few teams that are above average at hitting every type of pitch.

It's easy to compare this offence to previous years and say they're not elite, but the problem isn't with this team's offence. It's a league wide issue.

Also I know it's in jest but if you're throwing a change up 100% of the time, then that's just a slow fastball.

 

[Cloned]

Elite relative to what? They're entrenched in the top 6 by wRC+ this season, but they also barely squeak into the top 10 over the last decade. And that's also largely because offence is down league wide. League OPS is the 2nd worst of the century, just ahead of the 2014 season. If we were to go strictly by OPS they'd have the T-69th (nice) best offensive team over the last decade, on par with the 2016 Jays. It's hyperbole to say they're terrible at hitting changeups when, in context, they're a top 10 team this season based on pitch values. Plenty of top teams are behind them. Plenty of top teams are also worse than them at hitting other offspeed pitches. In fact the Jays are one of few teams that are above average at hitting every type of pitch.

It's easy to compare this offence to previous years and say they're not elite, but the problem isn't with this team's offence. It's a league wide issue.

If they want to take that next step, they have to be better and more consistent at offensive production outside of HRs and all or nothing approaches.

This is the exact same type of offense as the Bautista teams (except those were arguably more explosive) and that gets you to a point until you run into a Rays/Indians/Royals type team who exploit your aggressiveness and shut you down in the most annoyingly effective way imaginable.

 

[Eyedea]

If they want to take that next step, they have to be better and more consistent at offensive production outside of HRs and all or nothing approaches.

This is the exact same type of offense as the Bautista teams (except those were arguably more explosive) and that gets you to a point until you run into a Rays/Indians/Royals type team who exploit your aggressiveness and shut you down in the most annoyingly effective way imaginable.

The Jays don't even hit many home runs this year. The Braves, that's an all or nothing team offensively, and they recently won the WS.

All of this is just buzzword-y and doesn't really provide evidence as to why they're a team that needs to take that next step. Are there teams (sans Dodgers) that are already at that step? As annoying as the Rays/Indians/Royals have been, postseason success isn't predicated on their skill sets. Just like how the Dodgers have been amazing for years and only have one world series to show for it. That's what makes baseball so fun. Just get in.

 

[Cloned]

The Jays don't even hit many home runs this year. The Braves, that's an all or nothing team offensively, and they recently won the WS.

I suppose it’s possible for things to fall perfectly like they did for the Braves last year, but you stand a better chance of winning if you can score runs using good fundamentals. Get runners on, move them over, cash them in. I know we make fun of Buck for oversimplifying that cliche, but he’s not completely wrong there.

 

[Eyedea]

I suppose it’s possible for things to fall perfectly like they did for the Braves last year, but you stand a better chance of winning if you can score runs using good fundamentals. Get runners on, move them over, cash them in. I know we make fun of Buck for oversimplifying that cliche, but he’s not completely wrong there.

Everything needs to fall perfectly no matter the team. I don't care how fundamentally sound you are, you're going to have just as difficult of a time winning if you can't hit home runs. If that was the formula then the Rays would be a dynasty by now.

 

[mikeyz]

 

[Cloned]

Everything needs to fall perfectly no matter the team. I don't care how fundamentally sound you are, you're going to have just as difficult of a time winning if you can't hit home runs.

I’m not saying they should completely switch over to “small ball”, but they need to be smarter when facing certain types of pitchers and tweak their approaches against pitchers who rely on change ups and sinkers. Better balance on offense is a good thing.