[Zwelling] Kevin Pillar is no longer the Blue Jays lead off hitter.

[TwistedLogic]

[devo]

Hallelujah

[Terminator]

Some of these changes are good but some of them are bad. I guess getting Pillar in to the bottom third is what is best.

[TwistedLogic]

Some of these changes are good but some of them are bad. I guess getting Pillar in to the bottom third is what is best.

 

I don't dislike any of them. I'd personally switch Martin and Donaldson, but this is the first time I haven't loathed a decision made by Gibby. All of these changes are huge steps forward in the right direction.

[Laika]

It should be noted that moving Donaldson from 2nd to 3rd is a negative, based on The Book.

 

The 3rd spot is where your ~5th best hitter should be. It comes up too often with 2 outs. It would be a good space, politically, to stash Morales. Ideally, your high OBP hitters can come up with nobody out.

 

Bautista

Donaldson

Morales

Smoak

Pearce

who

cares

about

the rest

[KingKat]

Some of these changes are good but some of them are bad. I guess getting Pillar in to the bottom third is what is best.

 

It's mostly good. Donaldson bat in a slightly worse spot but better bats around him more than offsets that.

[Spanky99]

 

Was just coming in to post this, it's about time they shook this order up.

[Spanky99]

It should be noted that moving Donaldson from 2nd to 3rd is a negative, based on The Book.

 

The 3rd spot is where your ~5th best hitter should be. It comes up too often with 2 outs. It would be a good space, politically, to stash Morales. Ideally, your high OBP hitters can come up with nobody out.

 

Bautista

Donaldson

Morales

Smoak

Pearce

who

cares

about

the rest

 

This.

[Terminator]

1. Bautista

2. Martin

3. Donaldson

4. Smoak (S)

5. Morales (S)

*Pillar 7 though 9 somewhere.

 

That's what we know so far. Can probably guess it will finish like this:

 

6. Tulo or Pearce

7. Pearce or Tulo

8. Pillar

9. Goins/Barney

[Jonn]

Gruber how does that crow taste?

[gruber92]

Gruber how does that crow taste?

 

Because Pillar was moved out of the lead off spot? WTF does that have to do with anything? I was never a supporter of him batting lead off, period.

[burlingtonbandit]

Rather just keep Donaldson hitting 2nd and bat Martin 3rd but the difference in that is less than Pillar hitting 1st.

[burlingtonbandit]

Lets be honest though.. JD is the one who made the lineup not Gibbons lol.

[Jonn]

Because Pillar was moved out of the lead off spot? WTF does that have to do with anything? I was never a supporter of him batting lead off, period.

 

But that slash line tho!

[gruber92]

Rather just keep Donaldson hitting 2nd and bat Martin 3rd but the difference in that is less than Pillar hitting 1st.

 

I agree but Martin is a high OBP guy and should be good with the hit and run, as he's strong hitting to the right side. Gibby probably doesn't want to mess with JD's AB's by applying the hit and run to them. While Bautista is not that fleet a foot, whether Pillar , Goins or Barney are hitting ninth, they all have decent speed to execute a hit and run and are capable in reaching third on a base hit or scoring on a double.

[o2cui2i]

Lets be honest though.. JD is the one who made the lineup not Gibbons lol.

 

Pillar made it by going back to his whack a mole hitting method. he's been swinging at s*** out of the zone for a month.

 

thank the baseball gods that Carrera hurt himself or Gibby would have him in the lead off slot

[Muck Bartinez]

Definitely a move in the right direction, but lineup construction doesn't mean a whole lot as far as scoring goes. The Jays are tied at 22nd with a 92 wRC+. Doesn't matter what order they hit in if they're not going to produce as a unit.

[Terminator]

Definitely a move in the right direction, but lineup construction doesn't mean a whole lot as far as scoring goes. The Jays are tied at 22nd with a 92 wRC+. Doesn't matter what order they hit in if they're not going to produce as a unit.

 

Yeah he's got the top 5 hitters in the top 5 spots. There are some gripes I have with the order but it's close enough. Bottomline they need to start hitting better.

[gruber92]

But that slash line tho!

 

Lot of season left. Gibby did him a big favour by moving him out of the lead off spot.

[KingKat]

The Jays are tied at 22nd with a 92 wRC+.

This surprises me. They looked so good offensively for a while. I didn't think the bad stretches had dragged down the overall numbers so much.

[glory]

THanks Josh Donaldson for the lineup change.

 

When your best player is also a better manager than the one you have, it's a little scary, but whatever.

[BTS]

Because Pillar was moved out of the lead off spot? WTF does that have to do with anything? I was never a supporter of him batting lead off, period.

 

I think he was referencing the fact that Pillar sucks at hitting.

[John_Havok]

Lot of season left. Gibby did him a big favour by moving him out of the lead off spot.

 

Well.. given that he never should have been there in the first place... it's hard to give him credit for moving him out.

 

Even in his best month with the bat which was April his OBP topped out at .339.

[burlingtonbandit]

I agree but Martin is a high OBP guy and should be good with the hit and run, as he's strong hitting to the right side. Gibby probably doesn't want to mess with JD's AB's by applying the hit and run to them. While Bautista is not that fleet a foot, whether Pillar , Goins or Barney are hitting ninth, they all have decent speed to execute a hit and run and are capable in reaching third on a base hit or scoring on a double.

 

Hit and run is useless with this team. Better to just sit back and wait for the longball. I hate the "have to have a #2 hitter who can hit the ball to the right side" way of thinking.

 

Martin does have a sexy OBP though.

[Brownie19]

If Pearce continues to hit (like he did last year) I think he should bat leadoff...at least until Jose shows signs of hitting again.

[burlingtonbandit]

If Pearce continues to hit (like he did last year) I think he should bat leadoff...at least until Jose shows signs of hitting again.

 

Jose has been the better hitter this year and has been his entire career I think he's fine.

[Brownie19]

Jose has been the better hitter this year and has been his entire career I think he's fine.

 

Actually Pearce hit better than Jose last year and as of right now has been better than Jose this year.

[Jimcanuck]

Lot of season left. Gibby did him a big favour by moving him out of the lead off spot.

 

True. Pillar was better at the plate after being moved from leadoff last season. But could be just coincidence.

[L54]

Actually Pearce hit better than Jose last year and as of right now has been better than Jose this year.

 

Wat? How has Pearce been better than Bautista?

[wk680]

Wat? How has Pearce been better than Bautista?

 

Yeah JB has .736 OPS and 97 wRC+ in 2017 versus Pearce at .719 OPS and 86 wRC+.

 

BUT in 2016, Pearce was slightly better with an .866 OPS and 136 wRC+ versus Bautista's .818 OPS and 122 wRC+