Blue Jays GDT: 2023 v6 | Thu, Jul 6 | *DOUBLEHEADER* | @ CWS | 5:00pm ET/2:00pm PT & TBA after| Berrios vs Lynn & Kikuchi vs TBA

[Seath The Scaleless]

I was told the O's were going to cool off.

Jorge Maeto definitely has but the rest of the team? not so much.

Their pitching will come back down to earth, but I think their offense will still be good if not better, especially when they replace some of the black holes with more young talent later this month or in July

 

[saska sault]

The hitting has been the problem, especially May & June.

Starting pitching has carried the team (minus Manoah), bullpen has been acceptable too despite once in a while blowing it.

It's mid June and Vladdy has 9 homers (8 off actual pitchers) and has not hit one at home. He's hitting singles and once in a while a double. He went a month without hitting one (off an actual pitcher).

If this is who he is from now on, this team is in deep trouble. If anything this could save the team from a massive contract liability.

Biggio and Jansen have 6 homers apiece for reference.

Have to start questioning if its more conditioning than hitting mechanics or coaching. When you have Kirk, Vlad and Manoah all under performing after looking like perennial all stars and none of them can seem to put together a summer of locking in and getting into the best shape of their lives, while in the prime years of their careers on a supposed contender. Its a lack of will and dedication, talent can only take this team so far.

 

[Eyedea]

Does Vlad just become some athletic freak on the road and revert to a fat slob at home?

 

[TheTotalPackage]

Does Vlad just become some athletic freak on the road and revert to a fat slob at home?

It's all about the home cooking.

 

[Eyedea]

Something that gets lost over the last little scuffle is that Bo is not hitting, getting on base, or even putting the ball in play. At least a singles hitting Vladdy can get on base at a .350 clip. Our top 3 hitters over the last two weeks are Belt (injured), Biggio (bench), and Varsho (VARSHO???). The triumvirate of trashball. Even Springer has picked it up, but the 2-3-4 part of the lineup is killing momentum.

 

[phillipmike]

Varsho now has a higher WAR than Gurriel (1.9 vs 1.8) for those of you who were concerned.

And

 

[LaP]

The hitting has been the problem, especially May & June.

Starting pitching has carried the team (minus Manoah), bullpen has been acceptable too despite once in a while blowing it.

It's mid June and Vladdy has 9 homers (8 off actual pitchers) and has not hit one at home. He's hitting singles and once in a while a double. He went a month without hitting one (off an actual pitcher).

If this is who he is from now on, this team is in deep trouble. If anything this could save the team from a massive contract liability.

Biggio and Jansen have 6 homers apiece for reference.

Vlad is still on pace for 90-95 RBI. It's not a great season for him no doubt but considering he's not protected and the pitchers don't have to face him then it's not totaly awful either. I don't feel like he's the main problem of this offense. I think the guys hitting behind him are a bigger issue.

Ideally you would want Vlad and Bo to have fast runners on base to put pressure on the pitchers. Since they bat 2nd and 3rd it's pretty much never happening in the 1st inning. I'm not sure why the Jays insist in throwing out the first inning by having Bo and Vlad bat 2nd and 3rd instead of 3rd and 4th. It's a mistery to me. Not sure why guys like Merrifield and Kiermaier are not seriously tried higher in the lineup. Like dunno Merrifield, Kiermaier, Bo, Vlad, Springer, Chapman, Belt, kirk, Varsho.

I feel like coaching is still a major issue. I think there's also too many players who are slow on base without that much power too (Kirk, Jansen, Belt). Ideally you want to avoid that imo. Having two in the lineup pretty much every night hurts. Getting on base if you're slow is not really that useful you got to hit with power if you're slow. And yeah conditioning is a problem. At one point if you have multiple skilled guys with conditioning issues (Vlad, Kirk, Manoah) you got to take a serious look at management.

 

[MK78]

Something that gets lost over the last little scuffle is that Bo is not hitting, getting on base, or even putting the ball in play.

Well its his first little slump, he's been raking all year consistently, where nobody else was consistent.

Nobody's picking up his production.

 

[LaP]

Something that gets lost over the last little scuffle is that Bo is not hitting, getting on base, or even putting the ball in play. At least a singles hitting Vladdy can get on base at a .350 clip. Our top 3 hitters over the last two weeks are Belt (injured), Biggio (bench), and Varsho (VARSHO???). The triumvirate of trashball. Even Springer has picked it up, but the 2-3-4 part of the lineup is killing momentum.

Everyone can look good or bad in a small sample size. Josh Gorges once scored 2 goals in 5 games. That's pretty much the only goals he scored for the entire season. You got to look at the entire picture not just 2-3 weeks.

 

[Eyedea]

Well its his first little slump, he's been raking all year consistently, where nobody else was consistent.

Nobody's picking up his production.

Is it little though? His splits were .342/.380/.541 for a 157 wRC+ on May 29th. Now he's at .316/.348/.505 for a 137 wRC+. Plus Belt/Biggio, Varsho, and Whit have all hit better than a 140 wRC+ over that stretch. Bo's been the worst hitter on the team since the Milwaukee series.

Everyone can look good or bad in a small sample size. Josh Gorges once scored 2 goals in 5 games. That's pretty much the only goals he scored for the entire season. You got to look at the entire picture not just 2-3 weeks.

FWIW this is basically a similar stretch to Belt's first month of the season.

We were just recently talking about Bo being in the MVP race alongside Franco/Semien... now he's behind Ohtani and an IL'd Judge.

 

[Discoverer]

Well its his first little slump, he's been raking all year consistently, where nobody else was consistent.

Nobody's picking up his production.

Lots of guys are picking up his production. It's only been 5 games that Bo has been slumping, but half the team has been fantastic in those games (Biggio, Springer, Varsho, Merrifield, Espinal...)

It feels like it's been mostly a feast-or-famine season to this point, where most guys have been either on fire or slumping and they haven't really had a stretch where most of the team was just playing solid baseball. Chapman was amazing and Springer sucked in April. Now Springer has it together and Chapman can't hit. Vladdy started off strong while Belt was useless, then Belt caught fire while Vladdy fell apart. Biggio is finally getting it together just as Bo is hitting his first slump. Varsho was great and then sucked and now looks great again.

I think that's a huge part of the sequencing/RISP issues they've had: they always have a few guys hitting well, so they regularly have guys on base, but they also always have a few guys who are really struggling, so they don't have many innings where they string 4, 5, 6, etc. hits together to take advantage of all those baserunners.

 

[MS]

Is it little though? His splits were .342/.380/.541 for a 157 wRC+ on May 29th. Now he's at .316/.348/.505 for a 137 wRC+. Plus Belt/Biggio, Varsho, and Whit have all hit better than a 140 wRC+ over that stretch. Bo's been the worst hitter on the team since the Milwaukee series.



FWIW this is basically a similar stretch to Belt's first month of the season.

We were just recently talking about Bo being in the MVP race alongside Franco/Semien... now he's behind Ohtani and an IL'd Judge.

It's absolutely a little slump. 3-23 over a 5 game span. That's nothing and every player in MLB will have a couple stretches like that every year.

In the 6 games after the Milwaukee series (NYM and the first 3 against Houston) he hit .320 with a couple clutch HR.

This would have to go on *a lot* longer before I have any real concern.

 

[Eyedea]

It's absolutely a little slump. 3-23 over a 5 game span. That's nothing and every player in MLB will have a couple stretches like that every year.

In the 6 games after the Milwaukee series (NYM and the first 3 against Houston) he hit .320 with a couple clutch HR.

This would have to go on *a lot* longer before I have any real concern.

He also struck out 32% of the time and didn't walk once during those 6 games. He hasn't drawn a walk in a long time and he's been striking out often recently. All I'm saying is that a lot of the lack of run support seems to fall on other guys when Bo's been part of the problem lately. Often times Vladdy seems to take the brunt of that criticism too when he's arguably been the best hitter with runners in scoring position (alongside Bo).

 

[trellaine201]

I’d be fine if Vlady was a 30/100 player.

 

[MS]

He also struck out 32% of the time and didn't walk once during those 6 games. He hasn't drawn a walk in a long time and he's been striking out often recently. All I'm saying is that a lot of the lack of run support seems to fall on other guys when Bo's been part of the problem lately. Often times Vladdy seems to take the brunt of that criticism too when he's arguably been the best hitter with runners in scoring position (alongside Bo).

To me this is all just normal ebbs and flows over a long season. Bichette was never going to hit .350 and a couple small-sample stretches like this were always going to happen, like they do with every player.

 

[Eyedea]

To me this is all just normal ebbs and flows over a long season. Bichette was never going to hit .350 and a couple small-sample stretches like this were always going to happen, like they do with every player.

Yes of course, but it’s magnified when you’re up against a team that you should beat (Twins) and a team that you’re directly competing against (O’s).

Just like how Bassitt got absolutely demolished. It’ll happen a few more times this year but you don’t really want those events to happen in more crucial games like intradivision.

 

[Dr.Funk]

 

[hockeywiz542]

 

[hockeywiz542]

 

[MS]

25 pitches in a perfect 3 innings for Berrios. Nice.

Bats not so much.

 

[ShaneFalco]

it looks like a little league park with the view from the pitcher

 

[The Nemesis]

That's a mildly questionable strike. Not Angel Herandez levels of embarrassment, but iffy.

 

[The Nemesis]

Berrios doesn't even need a defence behind him.

 

[MK78]

Well this team is just cursed. Last two games the starters get shelled, they actually put up some runs.

Today the starter is throwing a gem thru 5, and they can't get a damn run across, vs a pitcher they creamed in the past.

 

[canucksfan]

One thing about the batting order, I wonder if having Springer behind Vladdy is an option?