Blue Jays GDT: 2024 v6 | Mon, Sept 9 | vs NYM | 7pm ET/4pm PT | Megill vs Burr/Bullpen

[GermanJay]

Wagner 1-3 tonight and 4-7 overall.

The dream is over.

2/3

 

[Killer Orcas]

Wagner may have 5 hits in his first 2 games, but he didn't have 4 hits in his first game like the legend JP Arencibia.

Though on the other hand this 2-2 start tonight means that he's not going to pull an Arencibia and peak in game #1.

Man JP had some early goose bumps here started with some serious power then disappeared.

 

[MS]

Man JP had some early goose bumps here started with some serious power then disappeared.

Once the book got out that he was just totally unable to lay off any breaking pitch out of the strike zone, it was all over.

 

[tmlms13]

Well @Swervin81 you got front row tickets to the ump show!

Clown behavior by the ump. He walks up to Springer then stares at him as Springer walks away looking like he's waiting for the cue to toss him.

I would say the ump said a little extra.. I'd count on it

That is absolutely horrific. Most obvious replay call ever.

Whenever I think about complaining about hockey refs, I always stop and think about the fact that most of them don't seem to be contemptuous assholes like baseball umps. They might make bad calls, but umpires seem to make spitefully bad calls on purpose with big "f*** you, I'm the king around here." energy.

Just so you all know. Because the jays broadcast obviously didn't. MLB umpires have been told that any argument over a replay decision is an instant ejection. No leway whatsoever. It could be the most polite question ever but if you argue over replay results you're done.

I am actually shocked Schneider wasn't tossed too.

 

[The Nemesis]

Man JP had some early goose bumps here started with some serious power then disappeared.

He always had power. Even at his worst he had crazy good power, particularly for a catcher. The issue was pretty much everything else. He couldn't hit for contact, he was a tremendous free-swinger, and he was absolutely lethally allergic to walks. That nearly 30% K rate was awful, but there have been prodigious power hitters who could survive with that usually because their Ks were a symptom of an extremely discerning eye where they accepted a ton of strikeouts because they were patiently waiting for a pitch to mash or to work a walk. But Arencibia wasn't that. He just let 'er rip during basically every plate appearance and so basically either he hit a dinger or he was out.

I remember that during his last year as a Blue Jay he was so insanely bad at getting himself out that had he recorded enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting stats leaderboard (which he barely missed) his OBP would've been one of the 10 worst seasons since world war II.

 

[the valiant effort]

The ump called him a person who acts dishonestly to gain advantage. Not sure why it made Springzo so mad

 

[Discoverer]

That was one of the most egregious botched replay reviews I've seen yet. Wow. At least it wasn't in a big moment or something.

 

[tmlfan98]

Looks like a young Jeff McNeil or some such although stockier and more explosive.

And I know the sample size is tiny and things get real when teams get a book on a player like this … but this *looks* more impressive than what Schneider did last year.

I had a big deja vu moment when I read your comment. I remember these exact types comments being made when Davis Schneider was called up last year. The Arencibia jokes arrived quickly during Davis' early career hot streak, and a common type of response I saw to these jokes was "I know the sample size is tiny and things get real when teams get a book on a player like this…but this *looks* more impressive than what Arencibia did."

 

[Puckstuff]

I can't really answer this question until we know who the FO running the 2025 offseason is. If we are going to be unfortunately forced to watch another season of Shatkins team building, they definitely would not sign Santander to play LF. He's a butcher there, and RF is his primary and best position on the field. It always has been.

A lot of Jays fans seem to think that because we were in on Teo in the offseason, and the Dodgers are okay with using Teo as a butcher in LF, that means the Jays were going to do it too. This is just my opinion, but based on Shatkins becoming obsessed with defense after the 2022 choke to Seattle and removing the 2 starting butcher corner OFs that same offseason (Gurriel and Teo), I think they tried to sign Teoscar to be the DH this season and only valued bringing his bat back.

If Shatkins didn't even trust Teoscar in RF anymore which is his primary and least bad position on the field, why are so many Jays fans assuming that because they were interested in bringing Teo back, they were also going to plug him in LF just because the Dodgers did? In the same season that they inexplicably ran back KK at CF despite having Varsho?

Teo at LF was never going to happen with this defense-obsessed FO. The only way something like signing Santander to play LF is a possibility is if Ed Rogers saves us and fires Shatkins into the sun. The targets that I brought up for the top of the rotation and 3B are Shatkins-friendly, if we are unfortunately going to be stuck with them.

Springer to LF, Santander to RF. Simple.

Not bringing back Teo (or replacing him with a proper bat) was a mistake and I think management recognizes that and will course correct.

 

[tmlfan98]

Not that it matters anymore in terms of winning games, but how is wasting reps on starting Horwitz vs a LHP starter useful when his splits have always said he sucks vs LHP? Wagner has much more even minor league splits in comparison plus he has started his career on a hot streak. Not only that, Horwitz is at DH tonight so he's not even playing in the field. Doesn't make sense to me even from a developmental perspective, to waste reps on Horwitz's bat vs LHP.

 

[MS]

Not that it matters anymore in terms of winning games, but how is wasting reps on starting Horwitz vs a LHP starter useful when his splits have always said he sucks vs LHP? Wagner has much more even minor league splits in comparison plus he has started his career on a hot streak. Not only that, Horwitz is at DH tonight so he's not even playing in the field. Doesn't make sense to me even from a developmental perspective, to waste reps on Horwitz's bat vs LHP.

The only way to get better is to get reps. Horwitz looks great and they have a window now to give him reps and experience to see if he can be more than just a platoon guy.

 

[tmlfan98]

Springer to LF, Santander to RF. Simple.

Not bringing back Teo (or replacing him with a proper bat) was a mistake and I think management recognizes that and will course correct.

I'll believe it when I see it. Springer has never started a game at LF in his major league career.

The only way to get better is to get reps. Horwitz looks great and they have a window now to give him reps and experience to see if he can be more than just a platoon guy.

I'm not disagreeing with this, I'm just saying Wagner is more deserving of those reps at the moment.

 

[MS]

I'm not disagreeing with this, I'm just saying Wagner is more deserving of those reps at the moment.

Wagner’s first 2 games have been fun but 2 months of excellent play from Horwitz is certainly more deserving at this point.

And I’m sure Wagner will get a start against LHP at some point soon if he continues to perform.

 

[Puckstuff]

I'll believe it when I see it. Springer has never started a game at LF in his major league career.


I'm not disagreeing with this, I'm just saying Wagner is more deserving of those reps at the moment.

It's not the most ideal thing in the world to have a 35 year old move over to a new position but Springer is a tremendous athlete and he's played 400 or 500 games in CF. He should be able to handle LF if they sign a RF.

 

[tmlfan98]

Wagner’s first 2 games have been fun but 2 months of excellent play from Horwitz is certainly more deserving at this point.

And I’m sure Wagner will get a start against LHP at some point soon if he continues to perform.

I'm gonna correct you slightly here, and say 2 months of excellent play from Horwitz when starting against RHP only. Again, if you compare Horwitz and Wagner's minor league track records (and a bit of major league experience in Horwitz's case), Wagner should have more even splits compared to Horwitz.

 

[shaner8989]

Horwitz and Clement strike again

These 2 are f***ing good. To bad the season was over when they got a chance

 

[Cloned]

So the Jays finally play well in Anaheim and Seattle and it’s in a season where they suck, lol.

 

[MS]

I'm gonna correct you slightly here, and say 2 months of excellent play from Horwitz when starting against RHP only. Again, if you compare Horwitz and Wagner's minor league track records (and a bit of major league experience in Horwitz's case), Wagner should have more even splits compared to Horwitz.

Horwitz’s MLB play has earned these opportunities regardless of what their minor league splits are.

 

[Discoverer]

Horwitz’s MLB play has earned these opportunities regardless of what their minor league splits are.

I still don't see how his MLB play against righties should dictate how much playing time he gets against lefties. He's always struggled against lefties in the minors and he has a 38 wRC+ against them in the majors this year. He's been excellent overall this year, and he's definitely earned the opportunity to hit every day... against righties.

Ultimately it doesn't matter much at this point of the season, but I find it hard to say that Horwitz deserves to hit lefties when he's never done it and hasn't done it this year.

 

[MK78]

Trasho with a 3 run dinger!

 

[The Nemesis]

Trash dinger.

 

[canucksfan]

Fourth outfielder dinger

 

[The Nemesis]

Trasho with a 3 run dinger!

He only hit it with them already leading. Lazy trash frontrunner mentality you'd expect out of a glorified 4th outfielder.

 

[MK78]

Vladdy just erased his own double with dumb baserunning. He's done this a number of times this year, ball hit to shortstop and he tries to get to 3rd.

 

[TMLeafer]

I kind of hate watching Kirk's at bats.