Blue Jays (Yesavage) vs Yankees (Schlittler): 5/20/26, 7:05pm

[Laika]

46 minutes ago, Olerud363.354 said:

Didn't Aaron Judge, Jazz, Polanco, and Cal Raleigh* all hit game changing/winning homeruns off him? 

I know Judge's was on that 99 mph fastball in for the most legendary clutch homerun of all time, can't remember what pitch Polanco, Jazz and Raleigh's pitch.  

* Springer unchanged that game 7

 

Jazz homer 99 mph down the middle
Judge homer 100 mph four inches inside
Polanco homer 98 mph down and away  
Raleigh homer was a 94 mph hanging "changeup" the only one of the four that wasn't a FB 

In the regular season his 4 seamer was great in 2025 and has been great in 2026. Throwing it 44.4% of the time in both years. His Stuff+ is up from 109 to 119 on it this year, though. So it's elite now when it was just plus before. He seems to have improved the shape slightly, or made it more consistent. The IVB on it last year was not amazing but it is at least above average now. 

It SHOULD be his primary pitch that everything else plays off but I think the playoffs demonstrated that he can't get too comfortable with it because of his tendency to groove it (he misses IN THE ZONE rather than flying open and missing way up) and the fact that it doesn't have elite shape (Trey can groove 94 and it's hard to hit, Louis can't, at least not against really good hitters.)

[Brownie19]

11 hours ago, Slade said:

Jesus Schlittler just throwing them fastballs up and they can't get it. 

Nobody can "get it".  Batters are hitting 0.160 v. his fastballs this year.  He's unreal.

[Laika]

Jesus Sanchez is a disaster. Sorry, Ross. 

I can't believe he completely whiffed on that ball in RF last night. How? Any 40 year old softball player catches that. 

He's not a starter. Lukes will be able to grind out a similar wRC+ and play way better defense. Pinango may be better at *everything*. Barger is superior at *everything*. 

When everyone is healthy...

Lukes/Varsho/Barger across the OF

Pinango and Straw on the bench 
Valenzuela on the bench 
Sanchez on the bench 

Schneider in AAA 
Sosa DFA / traded
Heineman traded / DFA 

Pinango and Lukes can fight for playing time. 

Sanchez needs to be flipped for a RHB with an INF/OF profile. It is kind of desperately needed. They could also just trade Sanchez for *whatever* and give DS that job but he does not deserve it. 

[Terminator]

1 hour ago, Laika said:

Jesus Sanchez is a disaster. Sorry, Ross. 

Sanchez needs to be flipped for a RHB with an INF/OF profile. It is kind of desperately needed. They could also just trade Sanchez for *whatever* and give DS that job but he does not deserve it. 

He's a weird player.

The glass half full take is that he's okay at everything and if you add it all up he's an average player. You can also dream on a late breakout due to his physical tools/exit velos.

But the glass half empty take is that he's extremely mid at everything and doesn't have one thing that he actually does well. So you add it all up and he's subpar.

But you're right, Lukes is probably better because of his defense and we could really use a 2B/LF type that can bat right-handed. A guy like that is basically free at the deadline so if the Jays were to offer up a strong sided platoon guy like Sanchez or Lukes surely they could get one.

 

[Terminator]

12 hours ago, Slade said:

Jesus Schlittler just throwing them fastballs up and they can't get it. 

Who is Jesús Schlittler? Is he a prospect from Curacao or something?

[Brownie19]

26 minutes ago, Terminator said:

He's a weird player.

The glass half full take is that he's okay at everything and if you add it all up he's an average player. You can also dream on a late breakout due to his physical tools/exit velos.

But the glass half empty take is that he's extremely mid at everything and doesn't have one thing that he actually does well. So you add it all up and he's subpar.

But you're right, Lukes is probably better because of his defense and we could really use a 2B/LF type that can bat right-handed. A guy like that is basically free at the deadline so if the Jays were to offer up a strong sided platoon guy like Sanchez or Lukes surely they could get one.

We could really use a lefty masher IMO.  Bring me prime Steve Pearce or Rob Refsnyder.  It would be great if he could play 2nd, so we could move Clement to SS and Gimenez to the bench v LHP, but honestly, we can't be starting Barger, Varsho and Lukes/Pinago v. LHP

Unfortunately, Straw doesn't hit lefties that well either.  He's kinda useless outside of a pinch runner and defensive replacement.  Our platoons suck balls because nobody can hit lefties.

Go get Austin Hays - he still mashes lefties and he's sitting in AAA, unable to crack the White Sox lineup.

[Laika]

36 minutes ago, Brownie19 said:

We could really use a lefty masher IMO.  Bring me prime Steve Pearce or Rob Refsnyder.  It would be great if he could play 2nd, so we could move Clement to SS and Gimenez to the bench v LHP, but honestly, we can't be starting Barger, Varsho and Lukes/Pinago v. LHP

Unfortunately, Straw doesn't hit lefties that well either.  He's kinda useless outside of a pinch runner and defensive replacement.  Our platoons suck balls because nobody can hit lefties.

Go get Austin Hays - he still mashes lefties and he's sitting in AAA, unable to crack the White Sox lineup.

I think Hays is just rehabbing. 

Not sure why the juggernaut White Sox, currently occupying a playoff spot, would help a team behind them in the WC race. 

[Brownie19]

10 minutes ago, Laika said:

I think Hays is just rehabbing. 

Not sure why the juggernaut White Sox, currently occupying a playoff spot, would help a team behind them in the WC race. 

Well I assume we'd have to give them something in return that would help them too...

The juggernaut White Sox probably aren't worried about the Blue Jays anyway 😉

[Laika]

Jeff Hoffman for Tyler O'Neill, who says no?

[Terminator]

41 minutes ago, Laika said:

Jeff Hoffman for Tyler O'Neill, who says no?

That's an interesting one. 

[Terminator]

Yesavage is such a stud.

We needed that game in the worst way and he delivered. The guy has balls of steel to perform in the postseason as a rookie like he did and he stepped up in another big game last night.

Most were expecting him to take a step back this year because the league would get used to him and he couldn't possibly keep this up but so far he's been even better.

We might have a Top 10 SP on our hands. Maybe Top 5?

[Terminator]

No doubt that the team has been ass so far this year.

But if the rotation can stay healthy, it's not hard to imagine the team making a run with Cease, Gausman, Yesavage, and Bieber. Come playoff time that rotation could carry us pretty far.

[Spanky__99]

7 minutes ago, Terminator said:

No doubt that the team has been ass so far this year.

But if the rotation can stay healthy, it's not hard to imagine the team making a run with Cease, Gausman, Yesavage, and Bieber. Come playoff time that rotation could carry us pretty far.

Funny thing is the team has performed to nearly identical numbers as last season to this date, even in run differential, we've scored more runs to this point but given up more as well. It's uncanny, RISP, ISO, SLG all similar(ughh), even 2 games back from the WC... with some reinforcements coming back from June onward we'll go on a run and leave these pretenders in our dust... BOOK IT!

[Terminator]

4 minutes ago, Spanky__99 said:

Funny thing is the team has performed to nearly identical numbers as last season to this date, even in run differential, we've scored more runs to this point but given up more as well. It's uncanny, RISP, ISO, SLG all similar, even 2 games back from the WC... with some reinforcements coming back from June onward we'll go on a run and leave these pretenders in our dust... BOOK IT!

Getting Kirk and Bieber back will be HUGE

That's a 5 WAR All-Star level player and a 3 WAR #3 SP

It has ramifications down the roster as well. Valenzuela goes from acceptable starter to a damn fine backup.

Miles goes from bulk pitcher to long man and having a real SP in that #5 spot saves the bullpen some innings.

[Laika]

Everyone pays attention to Vladdy but WE ALL KNOW that Captain Kirk is the team's best all around player and it's not particularly close. 
 

The impact of his loss cannot be overstated. He played in five measly games. 

BV has provided some windfall WAR in place of Kirk, but his inexperience has also cost the team a few times and Heinewoman being pressed into starting duty for a week directly cost the team two games or so. 

They are probably 25-24 at a minimum if the meatball never lost his thumb. 

[Terminator]

20 minutes ago, Laika said:

BV has provided some windfall WAR in place of Kirk, but his inexperience has also cost the team a few times and Heinewoman being pressed into starting duty for a week directly cost the team two games or so. 

They are probably 25-24 at a minimum if the meatball never lost his thumb. 

Omg how did I not come up with Heinewoman?? So much better than Hiney-man