What Has Turned The Jays' Season Around?

[SantosLHalper21]

The Jays now sit at 29-22, good for a 2 game lead over the New York Yankees.

 

So what exactly has turned the Jays' season around?

 

Consistent starting pitching has helped, Jose Reyes has been a sparkplug at the top of the order--albeit he hasn't got a great batting average yet, and of course the team is hitting on all cylinders.

 

However, my opinion is that the Jays' season turned around once Sergio Santos got hurt and Casey Janssen returned to the team from the DL. All of which happened around the same time.

 

Why was it important that Santos left the bullpen? I felt his ability to close a game, or to at least come into a game and not get beaten to death, was terrible. His lack of confidence in closing out games directly affected how every other bullpen pitcher pitched.

 

With Janssen back and closing out games with little to no turbulence, the Jays bullpen has returned to a pretty darn decent group of pitchers, and the Jays have won 16 of their last 21.

 

The Jays' lack of bullpen effectiveness early in the year probably directly resulted in the team losing about 5 or 6 games they should have won.

 

With the bullpen in tact and functioning as they should, the Jays have skyrocketed up the standings.

 

So what do you believe is the reason for the Jays turn-around?

[eastcoastjaysfan]

Edwin hitting like 6 home runs a week certainly has helped.

[Olerud363]

The Jays now sit at 29-22, good for a 2 game lead over the New York Yankees.

 

So what exactly has turned the Jays' season around?

 

JSFIP getting everyone to calm down after that first game.

[burlingtonbandit]

Most likely the team you know.. playing good baseball. Lineup has been very good lately and bullpen seems to be holding leads even though it seems to always be close.

[Angrioter]

Dingers

[Caper]

Gibbons is managing the pen very well.... And it helps other teams aren't getting timely hitting.

[dineke]

The Tolleson effect.

[Cooler Heads Prevail]

I consider the season extremely psychological, it's a group that was mostly terrible last year that played well most of this season. Any chance they had to sweep series or get much above .500 baseball they failed, seemed to be a problem for them to believe they were winners. Once they broke that barrier, the team seems confident and loose.

 

Certainly a calm Janssen instead of a frenetic Santos helped in this regard too. And finally dropping the duds off the roster helps too, our bench might not be world beaters but it's improved substantially this season as we go ( almost by accident, but they seem to be getting it now ).

[G-Snarls]

The Tolleson effect.

 

Made me laugh, quite loud

[G-Snarls]

Tollesson mania 2014 almost = Puig mania 2013

[G-Snarls]

I consider the season extremely psychological, it's a group that was mostly terrible last year that played well most of this season. Any chance they had to sweep series or get much above .500 baseball they failed, seemed to be a problem for them to believe they were winners. Once they broke that barrier, the team seems confident and loose.

 

Certainly a calm Janssen instead of a frenetic Santos helped in this regard too. And finally dropping the duds off the roster helps too, our bench might not be world beaters but it's improved substantially this season as we go ( almost by accident, but they seem to be getting it now ).

 

Yes. Removing Goins, Diaz, Sierra and Rogers has helped matters enormously.

[Bunchedundies]

Horrible poll. How about staying mainly healthy?

[BigCecil]

Kawasaki!...um no wait. He came up last year.

[Olerud363]

Tollesson mania 2014 almost = Puig mania 2013

 

Tolleson/Francisco is a basically a platoon and only the keen mind of John Gibbons could figure out how to put together that kind of puzzle.

 

Gibby - "Against right handers Lawrie will shift to second so Francisco can play, then against lefties Tollesson plays second"

 

Beeston - "I don't understand this. This doesn't sound right. No. I don't think this is the Blue Jay way."

 

AA - "No Gibby thought it all out. It should work."

 

Beeston - "So who plays third??"

 

AA - "Lawrie some days, Francisco the others."

 

Beeston - "I don't like this. Cito what do you think??"

 

Cito - "Do they pull the ball??"

 

Gibby - "uhhh.... Yes. Yes. They pull it right down the line. They're very aggressive pull hitters."

 

Cito - "Then it's OK with me."

 

Beeston - "If it's OK with Cito, it's OK with me. Have at'er boys."

[G-Snarls]

Tolleson/Francisco is a basically a platoon and only the keen mind of John Gibbons could figure out how to put together that kind of puzzle.

 

Gibby - "Against right handers Lawrie will shift to second so Francisco can play, then against lefties Tollesson plays second"

 

Beeston - "I don't understand this. This doesn't sound right. No. I don't think this is the Blue Jay way."

 

AA - "No Gibby thought it all out. It should work."

 

Beeston - "So who plays third??"

 

AA - "Lawrie some days, Francisco the others."

 

Beeston - "I don't like this. Cito what do you think??"

 

Cito - "Do they pull the ball??"

 

Gibby - "uhhh.... Yes. Yes. They pull it right down the line. They're very aggressive pull hitters."

 

Cito - "Then it's OK with me."

 

Beeston - "If it's OK with Cito, it's OK with me. Have at'er boys."

 

This is my favorite post of the month

 

Thanks for this

[Bunchedundies]

Tolleson/Francisco is a basically a platoon and only the keen mind of John Gibbons could figure out how to put together that kind of puzzle.

 

Gibby - "Against right handers Lawrie will shift to second so Francisco can play, then against lefties Tollesson plays second"

 

Beeston - "I don't understand this. This doesn't sound right. No. I don't think this is the Blue Jay way."

 

AA - "No Gibby thought it all out. It should work."

 

Beeston - "So who plays third??"

 

AA - "Lawrie some days, Francisco the others."

 

Beeston - "I don't like this. Cito what do you think??"

 

Cito - "Do they pull the ball??"

 

Gibby - "uhhh.... Yes. Yes. They pull it right down the line. They're very aggressive pull hitters."

 

Cito - "Then it's OK with me."

 

Beeston - "If it's OK with Cito, it's OK with me. Have at'er boys."

 

Haha, good post.

[eastcoastjaysfan]

Gibbons is managing the pen very well.... And it helps other teams aren't getting timely hitting.

 

He's managing it the same way he's always managed it.

 

It all stems from our starters actually going longer than 4 innings a start.

[havok24]

It's great to see Melky healthy and hitting like he can. The top 4 in this lineup is really a joy to watch.

[Jimcanuck]

The unexpected excellence of Beuhrle and Hutch

[Deadpool]

One day I was at a bar in downtown Oshawa. I asked for a pint of Rickard's Red. They said they were out. I had a Sleeman's Original instead. It had too much head and not enough beer, but I didn't complain because I dislike confrontation.

 

That's what turned the season around.

[over500]

Goins demotion

[Dr Negative]

The pitchers worked out that JP Arencibia wasn't the catcher anymore.

[IBTrini]

So let me see if I understand this... You dislike confrontation, you didn't complain when you had too much head without enough beer? That turned the season around? I think they were referring to the Jays' season and not your.

[wilko]

My dumps went from soft to hard.

[TheHurl]

So what do you believe is the reason for the Jays turn-around?

 

Winning more games.

[TheHurl]

My dumps went from soft to hard.

 

Try better hydration.

[Candide]

probably less pressure to succeed this season and no Josh Johnson who was horrible last year.

 

also factor in better balance in the lineup, no JPA hacking at every pitch, and generally better plate discipline - i don't know if i buy into the Sportsnet announcers that this is attributable to an excellent job of the hitting coach. I think it has more to do with the fact that JPA is gone, Rasmus has been injured, and Melky actually hitting the ball this year rather than any magical transformation in the hitting habits of the players. Lawrie is still hacking at everything - his homeruns and opportune key RBIs have simply somewhat ameliorated the fact that he still has no restraint in laying off pitches that are within 2 feet of the strike zone.

[John_Havok]

Scrubs out, overall good health from key players, Francisco not yet turning back into a pumpkin, e5 breaking out in May after a bad April, Kratz being allowed to play more and the rotation starting be effective.