General Blue Jays Discussion Thread (2023)

[G-Snarls]

Pearson needs to be a 1 inning reliever. Maybe stretch him to multi innings occasionally if he’s successful and can handle it but he’s not going to be a SP given his age/injury history and even a bulk reliever is probably asking a lot. I think whatever ceiling he has left is most likely to be reached as a 1 inning RP.

 

Throw 99-100 mph before Romano goes out

[Terminator]

Curious as to why people auto write off Pearson as a starter when very little of his injuries are actually related to arm longevity. Definitely at least two years behind development but I don't see anything that precludes him from a Dustin McGowan 2007 season in two years.

 

Yeah that's fair. To be clear I think he could still be a starter but I'm not sure I see him being a frontline starter. The prospect shine is wearing off and it seems like his ceiling is dropping. And I just don't see him as a workhorse that can approach 200 innings either. But maybe he can still be a mid rotation arm.

[Laika]

Step 1 is a full healthy season as a reliever

 

Step 2 would be pushing the innings (year 2)

 

Step 3 you hope he can be a Drew Rasmussen type, five inning SP. If all goes well he's under team control for two years as that type of SP. His age 28 and 29 seasons.

[L54]

He COULD

 

Throw 60 innings this year

100 innings in 2024

 

You could realistically expect 130 or so in 2025. Not saying it’s likely but if he’s used as a multi inning guy this year it’s a possibility.

[Terminator]

I read somewhere that Atkins sees him throwing 100 innings this year.

[Stangstag]

I read somewhere that Atkins sees him throwing 100 innings this year.

 

Smoking. Maybe drop a 0

[Terminator]

Smoking. Maybe drop a 0

 

lol

[Deadpool]

Throw 99-100 mph before Romano goes out

 

99-104*

[Spanky99]

[Laika]

Bringing in old vets is always cool but you wonder what type of impact these guys actually have. Like, Barry Bonds was a bad hitting coach.

[Spanky99]

Bringing in old vets is always cool but you wonder what type of impact these guys actually have. Like, Barry Bonds was a bad hitting coach.

 

Hentgen was a good coach up until his father fell ill, glad he'll be back. Edwin should help guys, not all of them but certain guys I'm sure.

[Laika]

The things you want to see are stories about cutting edge pitch design, or modern hitter training like weighted bat programs to increase bat speed, or player education and players buying in to things like optimizing batted ball profiles and pull rates. So you want the team to hire cool nerds, basically. Drive Line bros and math graduates who lift weights and can talk to athletes.

[The_DH]

The things you want to see are stories about cutting edge pitch design, or modern hitter training like weighted bat programs to increase bat speed, or player education and players buying in to things like optimizing batted ball profiles and pull rates. So you want the team to hire cool nerds, basically. Drive Line bros and math graduates who lift weights and can talk to athletes.

 

Tony Fernandez was the first Blue Jay to use the gadgets. He used to keep a locker full of them.

[Spanky99]

The things you want to see are stories about cutting edge pitch design, or modern hitter training like weighted bat programs to increase bat speed, or player education and players buying in to things like optimizing batted ball profiles and pull rates. So you want the team to hire cool nerds, basically. Drive Line bros and math graduates who lift weights and can talk to athletes.

 

Don't the Jays have an entire team of this at the PDC right now? I'm positive I've read this.

[Laika]

Don't the Jays have an entire team of this at the PDC right now? I'm positive I've read this.

 

I'm sure they have a team, yeah.

 

But is that team just helping them keep up? Are they just doing the things that the Astros and Dodgers were doing 3 years ago?

 

Who knows. You'd like to see them be on the cutting edge of stuff, though. You wanna be top 5 not middle of the pack.

[Spanky99]

I'm sure they have a team, yeah.

 

But is that team just helping them keep up? Are they just doing the things that the Astros and Dodgers were doing 3 years ago?

 

Who knows. You'd like to see them be on the cutting edge of stuff, though. You wanna be top 5 not middle of the pack.

 

Well, we'll never know that, hah!

[Laika]

Well, we'll never know that, hah!

 

You find out a couple years later. Like, we KNOW at this point that the Dodgers were at the front of the field in two recent pitching developments that were so obvious and important that other teams immediately started copying them:

 

1. the high fastball, increased usage for whiffs

2. the "sweeper" slider, new in the last couple years

 

first you see players succeeding and data trickles in and then eventually you see articles from people like Eno who know what questions to ask

 

we have yet to see Toronto get accolades for any specific developmental things.

[Spanky99]

Yusei Kikuchi is the pencilled in SP tomorrow. Game On!!!

[Spanky99]

You find out a couple years later. Like, we KNOW at this point that the Dodgers were at the front of the field in two recent pitching developments that were so obvious and important that other teams immediately started copying them:

 

1. the high fastball, increased usage for whiffs

2. the "sweeper" slider, new in the last couple years

 

first you see players succeeding and data trickles in and then eventually you see articles from people like Eno who know what questions to ask

 

we have yet to see Toronto get accolades for any specific developmental things.

 

Yup, exactly.

[Stangstag]

Yusei Kikuchi is the pencilled in SP tomorrow. Game On!!!

 

Holy s***, games start tomorrow? I didn't even know

[Spanky99]

Holy s***, games start tomorrow? I didn't even know

 

Yup vs the Bucs.

[Spanky99]

Holy s***, games start tomorrow? I didn't even know

 

Actually games start today, there's 3 games this afternoon... http://hd.worldcupfootball.me/mlb-stream

[Krylian]

The Bearded Kooch gets the start.

 

...something very 70s about that.

[The_DH]

Yup vs the Bucs.

 

I'm interested in how Kikuchi's control works out. Mainly if he can hit the target. In the video of his warmup he didn't do a great job at that.

[Spanky99]

I'm interested in how Kikuchi's control works out. Mainly if he can hit the target. In the video of his warmup he didn't do a great job at that.

 

I wouldn't expect much in ST starts this early on.

[John_Havok]

The Bearded Kooch gets the start.

 

...something very 70s about that.

 

Excellent and so far very underappreciated joke.

[The_DH]

I wouldn't expect much in ST starts this early on.

 

Just interested in if he throws some strikes. Hopefully he starts off right and carries on from there.

[wilko]

Holy s***, games start tomorrow? I didn't even know

 

I know! There's 2 games on today as well.

[Brownie19]

The things you want to see are stories about cutting edge pitch design, or modern hitter training like weighted bat programs to increase bat speed, or player education and players buying in to things like optimizing batted ball profiles and pull rates. So you want the team to hire cool nerds, basically. Drive Line bros and math graduates who lift weights and can talk to athletes.

 

I just read this morning that the Dodgers sent like 5 players down to work out with Driveline, including Betts, Muncy, Lux and Chris Taylor. Apparently with the weighted bat program and some analysis and efficiency changes to his swing, Gavin Lux added 6 MPH on his bat speed...

 

https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/baseball/mlb/player-news/11079896

 

This type of stuff is the future of baseball. I sure hope we don't bring in old vets who tell batters to "take the knob to the ball" and pitchers to "pitch to contact". I worry the vets are generations behind in terms of the technology and training programs. Hopefully we have a stable of new age coaches who are pushing tangible improvements and the old vets are simply there to help with the mental side of baseball - getting through the grind and things like that and are leaving the training and strategies to the experts.

 

I'm also shocked that the Dodgers had to send players to Driveline. I would think by now that all teams would have replica facilities setup with players using these to drive improvement.

[John_Havok]

I just read this morning that the Dodgers sent like 5 players down to work out with Driveline, including Betts, Muncy, Lux and Chris Taylor. Apparently with the weighted bat program and some analysis and efficiency changes to his swing, Gavin Lux added 6 MPH on his bat speed...

 

https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/baseball/mlb/player-news/11079896

 

This type of stuff is the future of baseball. I sure hope we don't bring in old vets who tell batters to "take the knob to the ball" and pitchers to "pitch to contact". I worry the vets are generations behind in terms of the technology and training programs. Hopefully we have a stable of new age coaches who are pushing tangible improvements and the old vets are simply there to help with the mental side of baseball - getting through the grind and things like that and are leaving the training and strategies to the experts.

 

I'm also shocked that the Dodgers had to send players to Driveline. I would think by now that all teams would have replica facilities setup with players using these to drive improvement.

 

Probably just cheaper to send them there.