General Blue Jays Discussion Thread (2023)

[Laika]

Agree. The hands. The toe tap. The timing and flow must be so difficult. I hate how late he is so often on even below average fastballs in a hot zone of the plate.

 

He's late on fastballs because he spends his BPs trying to pepper everything to CF and RF (I assume). Which would be fine if he was doing damage on them, but his swing/approach is so sucked that he basically only pulls fastballs on the ground and is not hitting them with authority to RF often enough. It's horrible.

 

Compare his spray chart against sinkers and 4S with Mookie Betts. Imagine if Vlad could pull fastballs in the air as often as Mookie? He'd probably go from 7 HR on FB to like... 20+ right now. What a f***ing joke.

 

Just look at the hole in LF on Vlad's fastball spray chart. The guy almost NEVER pulls them in the air! f***ing idiot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Terminator]

Matt Chapman is another guy failing to pull the ball. Someone posted a tweet where he is among the league leaders on barreled balls but because so many of them are to dead center or oppo he only has 15 homers.

[Laika]

Matt Chapman is another guy failing to pull the ball. Someone posted a tweet where he is among the league leaders on barreled balls but because so many of them are to dead center or oppo he only has 15 homers.

 

I don't mind it as much with Chappie because his overall performance has not declined. It has just changed. If he is trading 1 HR for 1.5 doubles or whatever, then whatever.

[BlueBaller]

I could accept vladdy's utter failure if he wasn't such a clown and an over-eater.

 

It's amazing to me that anyone still supports him

[BigCecil]

Matt Chapman is another guy failing to pull the ball. Someone posted a tweet where he is among the league leaders on barreled balls but because so many of them are to dead center or oppo he only has 15 homers.

 

Ya. I think Chappy leads baseball in balls hit over 400 ft that didn’t go out. But we don’t expect Chappy to be Vlad so you can live with it. Guy is going to eclipse 4 WAR and get paid.

[Omar]

Is Vladdy slowly transforming into Chris Davis before our eyes?

[BlueBaller]

Legendary prospect that can't pull the ball in the air. It's amazing really.

[Omar]

Those charts are vivid evidence in imagery of what we all see, and it makes me tear up more than Jose’s Level of Excellence ceremony. Lol. It’s also why someone is always going to make a big bet on Vlad.

 

The picture of the two of them together Vlad and Jose, after the ceremonial first pitch. Jose look like a current major leaguer or whereas Vladdy looked like a guy 10 years into retirement.

 

I’ve resisted but it’s hard not to board the Vladdy hate train. All aboard!

[BlueBaller]

The picture of the two of them together Vlad and Jose, after the ceremonial first pitch. Jose look like a current major leaguer or whereas Vladdy looked like a guy 10 years into retirement.

 

I’ve resisted but it’s hard not to board the Vladdy hate train. All aboard!

Come on ride the train, n ride it!

[Olerud363]

Matt Chapman is another guy failing to pull the ball. Someone posted a tweet where he is among the league leaders on barreled balls but because so many of them are to dead center or oppo he only has 15 homers.

 

More or less Vlad and Chapman are the exact same guy this year hitting.

 

On one hand it is fine for Chapman because it is an improvement on a horrible 2021 and so/so 2022, it is horrible for Vlad because it is 5 hitting WAR or so below his 2021.

 

I guess for Chapman at least he isn't hitting .200 anymore... on the other hand Chapman seems like a guy who has 40 homer EVs and man strength.

[gruber92]

Vladdy can't pull the ball in the air because he's a pig.

[Stangstag]

Matt Chapman is another guy failing to pull the ball. Someone posted a tweet where he is among the league leaders on barreled balls but because so many of them are to dead center or oppo he only has 15 homers.

 

This is why i’ve been saying it’s clearly a coaching problem in the clubhouse right now. Chapman used to be a dead-pull hitter and all of a sudden he’s hitting everything oppo. You could argue its worked for him, but the numbers could be even better. And for guys like Vlad, it’s clearly not working.

 

Grichuk is another guy that completely changed his swing from pull/power to oppo slap hitter.

 

Someone in the org or on the coaching staff is selling this ********

[Olerud363]

Those charts are vivid evidence in imagery of what we all see, and it makes me tear up more than JoseÂ’s Level of Excellence ceremony. Lol. ItÂ’s also why someone is always going to make a big bet on Vlad.

 

This is headed for such a nut-crunching outcome for Jays fans. Best case scenario is kind of he finds it next year and they can get value for him.

 

There is probably some chance he never finds it for the Jays but becomes David Ortiz for the Red Sox or something.

 

At this point I can't see any scenario there is a long term successful pairing between Jays and Vlad. No way either side wants to look at a long term contract after this mess of a year.

 

Good year next year and likely still no way either side wants to risk it, Jays won't want to risk Vlad turning back to a pumpkin, Vlad's team won't want to risk signing a below value deal if he truly has regained it.

[Stangstag]

Legendary prospect that can't pull the ball in the air. It's amazing really.

 

He CAN, he’s just choosing not to for some reason. He pretty much refuses to sit on a fastball so he’s always late

[John_Havok]

He CAN, he’s just choosing not to for some reason. He pretty much refuses to sit on a fastball so he’s always late

 

Maybe he just needs glasses.

[Olerud363]

This is why i’ve been saying it’s clearly a coaching problem in the clubhouse right now. Chapman used to be a dead-pull hitter and all of a sudden he’s hitting everything oppo. You could argue its worked for him, but the numbers could be even better. And for guys like Vlad, it’s clearly not working.

 

Grichuk is another guy that completely changed his swing from pull/power to oppo slap hitter.

 

Someone in the org or on the coaching staff is selling this ********

 

 

Sort of related but I had thought the new dimensions would provide all kinds of interesting moments, like high fly balls just getting over the shorter walls, or line drives (that would have been homers last year) becoming singles off the wall... but those moments have been few and far between, like it seems the offense is so boring they aren't attacking the new walls at all.

[Laika]

He CAN, he’s just choosing not to for some reason. He pretty much refuses to sit on a fastball so he’s always late

 

He thinks he's Miguel Cabrera

 

Time to swallow his pride, admit he isn't a legend, and try to at least be f***ing Pete Alonso or Nelson Cruz or some s***

[Krylian]

I would tend to agree with this. I don't get that impression with Kirk or Vlad.

 

Vlad needs to put out more off-season videos of him working out and losing 41 pounds....the same 41 pounds he regains every season.

[Stangstag]

Maybe he just needs glasses.

 

More like a lobotomy

[Terminator]

This is headed for such a nut-crunching outcome for Jays fans. Best case scenario is kind of he finds it next year and they can get value for him.

 

There is probably some chance he never finds it for the Jays but becomes David Ortiz for the Red Sox or something.

 

At this point I can't see any scenario there is a long term successful pairing between Jays and Vlad. No way either side wants to look at a long term contract after this mess of a year.

 

Good year next year and likely still no way either side wants to risk it, Jays won't want to risk Vlad turning back to a pumpkin, Vlad's team won't want to risk signing a below value deal if he truly has regained it.

 

Yeah it's hard to see him signing an extension this offseason. He'd likely have to take a pay decrease after his arb years. Only chance is if he just loves the org, but if that were the case he already would have signed an extension by this point.

[Stangstag]

Vladdy can't pull the ball in the air because he's a pig.

 

Loll

[Stangstag]

This is headed for such a nut-crunching outcome for Jays fans. Best case scenario is kind of he finds it next year and they can get value for him.

 

There is probably some chance he never finds it for the Jays but becomes David Ortiz for the Red Sox or something.

 

At this point I can't see any scenario there is a long term successful pairing between Jays and Vlad. No way either side wants to look at a long term contract after this mess of a year.

 

Good year next year and likely still no way either side wants to risk it, Jays won't want to risk Vlad turning back to a pumpkin, Vlad's team won't want to risk signing a below value deal if he truly has regained it.

 

Yeah its hard to see Vlad remaining a Blue Jay after 2025 unless he somehow decides to sign a sweetheart Acuna-type deal this offseason.

 

Unfortunate but probably for the best.

[thatoneguy]

He's late on fastballs because he spends his BPs trying to pepper everything to CF and RF (I assume). Which would be fine if he was doing damage on them, but his swing/approach is so sucked that he basically only pulls fastballs on the ground and is not hitting them with authority to RF often enough. It's horrible.

 

Compare his spray chart against sinkers and 4S with Mookie Betts. Imagine if Vlad could pull fastballs in the air as often as Mookie? He'd probably go from 7 HR on FB to like... 20+ right now. What a f***ing joke.

 

Just look at the hole in LF on Vlad's fastball spray chart. The guy almost NEVER pulls them in the air! f***ing idiot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

f*** Vlad.

 

Seriously, fix your s*** or get the f*** out, you uncaring coward.

[thatoneguy]

This is why i’ve been saying it’s clearly a coaching problem in the clubhouse right now. Chapman used to be a dead-pull hitter and all of a sudden he’s hitting everything oppo. You could argue its worked for him, but the numbers could be even better. And for guys like Vlad, it’s clearly not working.

 

Grichuk is another guy that completely changed his swing from pull/power to oppo slap hitter.

 

Someone in the org or on the coaching staff is selling this ********

 

Is there a full-team version of that comparison between Vlad and Mookie? That'd be interesting to see.

[glory]

This is why i’ve been saying it’s clearly a coaching problem in the clubhouse right now. Chapman used to be a dead-pull hitter and all of a sudden he’s hitting everything oppo. You could argue its worked for him, but the numbers could be even better. And for guys like Vlad, it’s clearly not working.

 

Grichuk is another guy that completely changed his swing from pull/power to oppo slap hitter.

 

Someone in the org or on the coaching staff is selling this ********

 

Springer is also pulling the ball a lot less this season. Not sure why him and Chapman specifically have changed so much over 2022. They are vetrins so I doubt the Jays coaching staff suddenly wanted to tinker with them.

[Spanky99]

Cavan Biggio

It all happened quietly, but Cavan Biggio is part of the Blue Jays’ success again.

 

That has a different definition for every player, and the Blue Jays haven’t needed Biggio to be Shohei Ohtani. They’ve just needed him to be himself -- or at least a version of himself closer to what we saw in 2019 and ‘20.

 

It’s taken a while. Biggio got off a dreadful start, posting a .129 average and a .424 OPS through his first 25 games. He opened the season without regular playing time, but that performance ensured it would be even less consistent.

 

Then Biggio transformed himself at the plate.

 

Since May 21 -- which we’ll use as an arbitrary cutoff and “low point” in his season -- Biggio is batting .276 with a .382 on-base percentage and an .845 OPS. Perhaps we’re at a point where Biggio’s career numbers finally paint an accurate picture of who he is, with a relatively low average but impressive ability to reach base and provide a bit of pop.

 

“It’s about controlling the zone and getting on base,” said manager John Schneider. “Even over the last couple of weeks, he’s hitting balls to left-center in Cleveland, there’s two-strike hits and he’s trying to be a bit more direct to the ball to give himself more of a chance to cover the zone. It’s been a deliberate adjustment he’s made and it’s a credit to him.”

 

Schneider knows Biggio as well as anyone. The two go back to the Minor Leagues together, and there’s a reason that even at the deepest levels of Biggio’s struggles, Schneider made it clear that he would not give up on his player.

 

Cavan Biggio and John Schneider

It’s about Biggio’s brain, which is his greatest gift as a player, and a cerebral approach that has been emerging.

 

“He’s always been that way. He’s always been interested in trying to figure out different ways to do it,” Schneider said. “He’s always been very convicted in the way he does things. It’s a good combo to have.”

 

What’s changed, though?

 

Each season, you hear hundreds of tales about how a swing change or approach change has unlocked something. Spring Training is fuelled by those stories alone. Few players can articulate what they’ve actually changed as well as Biggio, though, and when you hear him break it down, it adds some conviction.

 

Biggio has worked to “swing down” more, which sounds counterintuitive in an era of baseball obsessed with hitting the ball in the air. He recognized early that his attempts to lift the ball had him pulling his bat away from the zone too quickly. The balance was all off.

 

“I’ve always been a guy who hits a lot of fly balls, especially when I’m not really using the whole field,” Biggio said. “Swinging down on it, keeping my head on it and being able to use the whole field has been able to help me cover the whole zone. That gives me a ton of confidence.”

 

Cavan Biggio

This started back in Spring Training, when Biggio attached himself to Victor Martinez. V-Mart has been with the organization as a special assistant and had an immediate impact on a handful of the club’s young hitters, Biggio included.

 

“There was a lot of time in the cages before the games and during the games. There was a lot of machine work,” Biggio said. “Hitting coach Hunter Mense was always there for me, too. It’s benefited me a lot, but not all of the credit goes to me. Victor and Hunter, they’ve helped me a lot.”

 

Biggio’s career slash line now sits at .227/.342/.393 (.735 OPS). The Blue Jays’ coaching staff is quick to praise him as one of the club’s better baserunners and he plays multiple positions. It feels like expectations have been properly reset on Biggio, and with this recent run, he’s meeting them.

 

He’s not the star of the show, but playing like this, Biggio can be an important piece of a competitive club year in, year out.

[Terminator]

Good to see he's been making some changes. The numbers don't really bear out an "all fields" approach though. He's going oppo less than any point in his career except for his rookie season in 2019. His launch angle is also similar.

 

The one thing that sticks out in his profile is that he is barreling the ball at a MUCH higher rate than he ever has before.

 

So perhaps "swinging down on it" is causing his "Under%" to be a new career low and allowing his Barrels to increase so much? Combine that with the shift ban and it's enough to make him useful again?

[Masterbather]

I thought Biggio was the best of our young players when he first came up (I didn't trust Bo's approach and over aggressiveness, and I just never really loved the way Vladdy looked like as a hitter either and hated the shape he was in despite everybody glowing about him, also don't like his clown antics). I loved Cavan's eye at the plate, seemed to have good line drive swing, seemed serious about the game. Enjoyed watching him hit.

 

Well, OBVIOUSLY wrong about Bo, it works for him, still wish he would show a LITTLE more patience but can't really complain much about his production.

 

Looked like I could be wrong about Vlad, but outside of one breakout partial season based perhaps on playing in Buffalo, he really hasn't looked like anything special. Maybe if he finally gets serious about his conditioning.

 

Started to feel really stupid about how much I liked Biggio initially though LOL. He looked absolutely lost for a while, looked like he just couldn't catch up to fastballs, and I completely gave up on him. I held on through last year, but I was pretty much over him early on this year.

 

I hope this is real. We need a bat like his from the left side. He could still stand to benefit by cutting down the K's, but that's also a byproduct of his approach and getting routinely f***ed by umpires, but maybe he could learn to spoil close pitches better as he goes forward.

 

I'm rooting for him, back on the bandwagon, don't hurt me twice Cavan.

[JFD]

Nobody would benefit from robo umps more than Biggio

[Jonn]

Biggio gets f***ed majorly on a regular basis by umpires. It's basically criminal.

 

At the very least if we can't get robot umpire for the strikezone. The ability to challenge a strike call needs to happen. These terrible called strikes change the course of history.

 

I don't even feel it would slow down the game that much. You ask for a review and they literally have technology that will give them the answer instantly.