General Blue Jays Discussion Thread (2023)

[John_Havok]

I have no problem with the current schedule, playing more games against teams in your division, glad it's a little more balanced now at least, but do away with the priority seedings for division winners. Could even still guarantee that division winners get playoff spots, but don't give them priority 1,2,3 seedings. Just seed the teams based on record alone.

 

Yeah, but the issue that happens there is that if teams don't play each other equally, then using an overall WL record is even less equitable since certain teams will always play garbage teams more than others because of differences in schedule.

[jaysblue]

Jays could potentially finish with the 3rd best record in the AL and have to play on the road in the WC round, while Minnesota has the 6th best record and gets potentially 3 home games, that's f'ed up. Now with a more balanced schedule, really need to rid of priority seeding for division winners. Teams in perennially strong divisions like the AL East always get shafted. If Jays were in the Central they'd be cruising to a division title right now instead of battling for a playoff spot.

 

Wasn't the AL West a strong division a week ago when you had all three of the Astros, Mariners and Rangers in playoff spots?

 

I don't think there is a perfect solution. We've been saying if the Jays were in a different division they would be dominating since the early 2000s. I remember during that decade, you had the Yankees and Red Sox dominating. Other teams like the Rays and Orioles have showed that they could win the division and be contenders.

[Dick_Pole]

Assuming expansion to 32 teams, I'm fine with an NHL-like division format. Unfortunately, i think what is being pushed is an NFL-like division format which would give me an aneurysm. There's a reason why the NFL needs - and can get away with - eight divisions of four. And even then you see the occasional 7-9 team get in. A sport with 162 games has no need for that setup.

[Ehjays]

DeRosa's recap of some "Teachable" moments from Saturdays etra innings game.

 

[Stangstag]

Jays could potentially finish with the 3rd best record in the AL and have to play on the road in the WC round, while Minnesota has the 6th best record and gets potentially 3 home games, that's f'ed up. Now with a more balanced schedule, really need to rid of priority seeding for division winners. Teams in perennially strong divisions like the AL East always get shafted. If Jays were in the Central they'd be cruising to a division title right now instead of battling for a playoff spot.

 

Yup. Hopefully changes come sooner than later…

[G-Snarls]

Hmm

 

All our competitors play today but not us

[John_Havok]

Hmm

 

All our competitors play today but not us

 

Yeah and really you’d only expect the Astros as the best bet to lose, and that’s pretty close to a coin flip. But, maybe the Athletics play loose and beat the Mariners and maybe the Red Sox get lucky against Texas.

[metafour]

But, maybe the Athletics play loose and beat the Mariners and maybe the Red Sox get lucky against Texas.

 

Sweeping the Red Sox right before they play Texas is big because they will 100% be awake for this series. They're one inning away from taking game 1.

[M.E.]

Thank you CB Buckner for being bad in the Rangers game

[Dick_Pole]

I just realized that the Jays aren't the main characters in this tragic story. It's the Rangers. They are following the 2021 Jays pattern. In 2021 Jays go into New York, facing a historical nemesis where many bad things have happened to the team. Against all odds they sweep the four games and look to be in control of their own destiny. Then a whole bunch of bad things happen after that series and they miss the playoffs. Rangers come into Toronto, a place where many bad things have happened to the team going back to the 1980's. Against all odds they sweep the Jays...then drop the next four...and counting.

[G-Snarls]

I just realized that the Jays aren't the main characters in this tragic story. It's the Rangers. They are following the 2021 Jays pattern. In 2021 Jays go into New York, facing a historical nemesis where many bad things have happened to the team. Against all odds they sweep the four games and look to be in control of their own destiny. Then a whole bunch of bad things happen after that series and they miss the playoffs. Rangers come into Toronto, a place where many bad things have happened to the team going back to the 1980's. Against all odds they sweep the Jays...then drop the next four...and counting.

 

Holy s*** bruh

 

I think you're right

[Terminator]

 

Jays BA with RISP has been good since August.

[Jonn]

I still think the Jays are the worst team to ever be 83-67 in the history of Baseball.

[Spanky99]

I still think the Jays are the worst team to ever be 83-67 in the history of Baseball.

 

lol... thanks skippy!

[Brownie19]

I'm sure it's because Guillermo changed the hitting philosophy mid-season...

[max silver]

I still think the Jays are the worst team to ever be 83-67 in the history of Baseball.

 

It seems like a majority of the fanbase actually believes that is true. Maybe they could be one of the more frustrating 83-67 teams based on the inability to score but the record isn't necessarily a fluke.

[Eat My Shatkins]

I think they are a frustrating team because they should be better and we all know it. So many key core players s***ing the bed on their projections yet somehow they are still in it. This should be a 95+ win team.

[Brownie19]

Aaron Rose (@aaronbenrose) • Instagram reel

WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM

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3,872 likes, 129 comments - aaronbenrose on September 7, 2023: "This is the mystery ruining #VladimirGuerreroJr’s season and I can’t explain it 😩 Why is he not hitting the ball as far as you’d expect 🤷🏻‍♂️ #MLB #Baseball #BlueJays".

 

Someone's been saying this all year. Ball just isn't flying as far for Vlad.

[G-Snarls]

It seems like a majority of the fanbase actually believes that is true. Maybe they could be one of the more frustrating 83-67 teams based on the inability to score but the record isn't necessarily a fluke.

 

The pitching and defense have been good enough to overcome the offensive struggles

[Spanky99]

Aaron Rose (@aaronbenrose) • Instagram reel

WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM

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3,872 likes, 129 comments - aaronbenrose on September 7, 2023: "This is the mystery ruining #VladimirGuerreroJr’s season and I can’t explain it 😩 Why is he not hitting the ball as far as you’d expect 🤷🏻‍♂️ #MLB #Baseball #BlueJays".

 

Someone's been saying this all year. Ball just isn't flying as far for Vlad.

 

Spin likely, I would think?

[Brownie19]

It seems like a majority of the fanbase actually believes that is true. Maybe they could be one of the more frustrating 83-67 teams based on the inability to score but the record isn't necessarily a fluke.

 

I think I've simply come to realize that I don't really enjoy watching teams that win based on pitching and defense. Having pitched my whole life, I thought I would. But I miss the offense. Watching them struggle to score game in and game out is really frustrating. If we do make the playoffs, this will be the least interested I've ever been. I think I've attended at least 1 playoff game each year since 2015, but have almost 0 interest this year.

 

So of course this will probably be the year they go on an extended run and I'll feel like a donkey for not being excited at the start (as I'm sure the fire will grow if they start winning). Fingers crossed.

[infinitebook]

I still think the Jays are the worst team to ever be 83-67 in the history of Baseball.

 

'16 Rangers..won 94 games with only a +8 differential. Until we exposed them!

[Ray]

Just want to give a shout out to David Howell who I think deserves a lot of credit for our pitching staff performing the way they are. For those who don’t know, David Howell is a 26 year old Assistant Pitching Coach for the Jays who worked at Driveline and at LSU Shreveport and has worked for the Jays since 2020. I remember reading his research back in 2019, and it was some fantastic stuff around how to optimize one’s pitch arsenal. Like as soon as he started posting, the likes of the Dodgers, Guardians, and Yankees tried to recruit him. The Jays immediately scooped him up and this year he’s rocketed up to being an assistant pitching coach and in the dugout. I believe there was an article not long ago about Kikuchi’s success largely attributed to Howell encouraging him to change the release point on his slider, and that’s paid dividends this year.

 

More in depth article on him: http://www.hjblogs.com/an-incredible-journey-to-the-show-david-howell-joins-toronto-blue-jays-organization-as-a-pitching-coach/

[Masterbather]

I think they are a frustrating team because they should be better and we all know it. So many key core players s***ing the bed on their projections yet somehow they are still in it. This should be a 95+ win team.

 

I still think we've been more lucky than unlucky so I don't buy the 95 win thing. We've been really really lucky with our starting rotation. We had zero depth most of the season until Ryu got healthy and even then our only depth was Manoah. We walked a super tight high wire act and it should have cost us the season but it didn't. I think the upside luck in the pitching more than makes up for any downside luck on the offense. At the very least it evens it out.

[Nexii]

Jays are playing to projections though. They were projected for 88 wins and on pace for 90 wins.

[Dick_Pole]

I still think the Jays are the worst team to ever be 83-67 in the history of Baseball.

 

Yes! This is exactly the type of non-factual, emotional and Jays-centric drivel needed that helped the team cruise to an easy victory today. Keep up the good work!

[Dick_Pole]

Last year in the Jays last game, it was s***** pitching and defense that cost the team. All year long we heard nothing but moaning from people about s***** pitching and defense. The team made aggressive decisions this off-season to address both issues and despite losing the ace of last year to obesity, these issues have largely been addressed. What do we hear now? Complaints that this team is boring, terrible and frustrating.

 

Atkins should go full troll and acquire 26 Rajai Davis clones to fill out the squad for 2024. Imagine a team full of non-stop base stealing, bone-headed defense and a surprising amount of clutch hitting from such a noodle bat. That'll make this team entertaining.

[jaysblue]

Last year in the Jays last game, it was s***** pitching and defense that cost the team. All year long we heard nothing but moaning from people about s***** pitching and defense. The team made aggressive decisions this off-season to address both issues and despite losing the ace of last year to obesity, these issues have largely been addressed. What do we hear now? Complaints that this team is boring, terrible and frustrating.

 

Atkins should go full troll and acquire 26 Rajai Davis clones to fill out the squad for 2024. Imagine a team full of non-stop base stealing, bone-headed defense and a surprising amount of clutch hitting from such a noodle bat. That'll make this team entertaining.

 

Could have Atkins done a better job at improving the defense without sacrificing too much on offense? Definitely a question we could ask given the struggles offensively this season. I was a fan of the moves he made last offseason but when looking back, was there anything different he could have done? As well, could have he addressed the issue better before and at the trade deadline by acquiring another bat or two?

 

Manoah wasn't the ace last season FYI. It was Gausman.

[max silver]

Could have Atkins done a better job at improving the defense without sacrificing too much on offense? Definitely a question we could ask given the struggles offensively this season. I was a fan of the moves he made last offseason but when looking back, was there anything different he could have done? As well, could have he addressed the issue better before and at the trade deadline by acquiring another bat or two?

 

Manoah wasn't the ace last season FYI. It was Gausman.

 

The major issue with this year's offense has largely been the lack of performance by key members of the team who were retained and not the players who were sent out/acquired. Both of Teoscar and Gurriel are each sitting at 109 WRC+ values respectively so the lack of their presence on the roster hasn't been the key factor holding the offense back this season. Two of the three major additions have hit up to or even beyond expectations as well so the new roster additions largely did their part offensively. There was the weird 4 month stretch where the team floundered with runners on base that's reversed itself since August, but the lack of home run power has largely continued despite the amount of power contained on the roster. If you had a crystal ball to look ahead and know that nearly the entire team would stop hitting home runs to their capabilities you would have the chance to either adjust the hitting approach or tweak the roster as acquired.

 

I'd like to know what bats were available at the trade deadline as there weren't too many notable names that actually moved this year. I've seen Tommy Pham floated as a possibility but it seems unlikely that his 110 WRC+ since being traded would have been a massive difference maker.

[L54]

Hard to know that almost every single regular would be worse offensively than they were last year

 

The offense sucks but nobody was saying that in April