Blue Jays (Miles) vs Oriole (Bradish): 5/31/26, 12:15pm

[Olerud363.354]

MLB in the modern times.  It is just sign stealing figuring out what pitch is coming.  That is it.   That is all it is. 

If your teams system is working your team wins with joy and clutch hits and Colten Cowser becoming a hero.

If your teams system is figured out and stopped there is no joy and Vladimir Guerrero Jr doesn't know what is coming so hits 5 homers on the season. 

[Olerud363.354]

June 5th 2026.  37 years since opening night at the Skydome.  There might be joy 7-2 Jays.

bases loaded Vlad up.  Can get a lead even Hoffman could save -- swings at slider low and away, double play, looks like he was expecting a fastball.  Got fooled. 

all of a sudden 7-4 in the 8th.  Varland vs Cowser.  What an eye Cowser has.  Taking the tough breaker just off the plate 3-1 count.  Gets around on 99 mph fastball.  Pulls it.  Got started early.  Homerun Orioles lead!!!!!  Cowser.  Really gets around on that fastball.  42,000 Jays fans in shock.  Pete Alonso pumping his fist waiting for Cowser at homeplate. 

[BTS]

29 minutes ago, Olerud363.354 said:

MLB in the modern times.  It is just sign stealing figuring out what pitch is coming.  That is it.   That is all it is. 

If your teams system is working your team wins with joy and clutch hits and Colten Cowser becoming a hero.

If your teams system is figured out and stopped there is no joy and Vladimir Guerrero Jr doesn't know what is coming so hits 5 homers on the season. 

I don't really understand this post because the Orioles are terrible 

[Laika]

Vlad is putting together his saddest season ever. Sigh.

[Laika]

It's time for one of the "good" reporters to do some kind of expose on what Vlad does and how the team handles him. Risk some social capital to explore the biggest ongoing issue with the team. 

It feels like they just let him do whatever he wants and trust that his natural feel for the game and hitting will work out in the end. And it feels like so much potential production is being left on the table because of that. Like, a few weeks ago when asked about his struggled Vlad did not point to anything mechanical or mention any kinds of work or drills he is doing, he just said something like "I just need to hit one ball hard."

[BTS]

8 minutes ago, Laika said:

Vlad is putting together his saddest season ever. Sigh.

3 HR in 245 PA is absurd. He has a worse ISO than Luis Arraez, Bo, Caleb Durbin, and Cedric Mullins 

[hanton]

12 minutes ago, Laika said:

Vlad is putting together his saddest season ever. Sigh.

power outage,  with his elite bats peed (94 percentile) one would expect more than 3 home runs  

good BA and OBP but not great.  

[John_Havok]

3 minutes ago, hanton said:

power outage,  with his elite bats peed (94 percentile) one would expect more than 3 home runs  

good BA and OBP but not great.  

Career best K rate, career best walk rate. 

Career worst Barrel rate of 7.2, which is below league average. He's basically swinging a pool-noodle really really fast.  

[Laika]

28 minutes ago, hanton said:

power outage,  with his elite bats peed (94 percentile) one would expect more than 3 home runs  

good BA and OBP but not great.  

 

33 minutes ago, BTS said:

3 HR in 245 PA is absurd. He has a worse ISO than Luis Arraez, Bo, Caleb Durbin, and Cedric Mullins 

 

22 minutes ago, John_Havok said:

Career best K rate, career best walk rate. 

Career worst Barrel rate of 7.2, which is below league average. He's basically swinging a pool-noodle really really fast.  

He uses a two strike approach on every single pitch. Just goes up there and battles, trying to get something in play. It's absurd and stupid. 

Popkins should be slapping him, daily. SWING FOR THE FENCES UNTIL YOU HAVE TWO STRIKES. 

[Olerud363.354]

56 minutes ago, BTS said:

I don't really understand this post because the Orioles are terrible 

Until last week when all of a sudden they (especially Cowser) started getting clutch hits at just the right time.

They were terrible.  Then a week ago they weren't and you have Basallo flapping like Aaron Judge just before Cowser hits his 4th game changing extra base hit in his last 20 at bats.

I don't think Basallo was giving him the sign, too over the top, Basallo flapping was a decoy to obfuscate the real system that is giving them the next pitch.  

[John_Havok]

Just now, Laika said:

 

 

He uses a two strike approach on every single pitch. Just goes up there and battles, trying to get something in play. It's absurd and stupid. 

Popkins should be slapping him, daily. SWING FOR THE FENCES UNTIL YOU HAVE TWO STRIKES. 

Exactly. They should just stick him in a room and show him his 2025 playoff highlight reel and say .. "whatever the f*** you were thinking then, get back into that headspace NOW"

He went up every PA looking to do damage. Now it's like you say, just get something in play... inside-out everything just cuz he can... it's so annoying to watch a HOF talent play like a slap-hitting 2nd division regular. 

[Olerud363.354]

1 minute ago, John_Havok said:

He went up every PA looking to do damage. Now it's like you say, just get something in play... inside-out everything just cuz he can... it's so annoying to watch a HOF talent play like a slap-hitting 2nd division regular. 

I think it goes back to sign stealing, game planning, whatever magic is going on in modern baseball.

Everyone has a system, some more nefarious than others.  I think the Jays system, which worked in the playoffs is broke now, or other teams figured it out.  Vlad and others knew what was coming in 2025.  Now they don't and leading to slap hitting reacting at the last minute.  I'm not saying pitchcom hacking, but just finding tells, sign stealing, someone mentioned the coach's were relaying, but now they can't because of some positioning rule. 

Right now Orioles seem to know what is coming.  Don't flinch on every ball from Yesivage and Hoffman, walk 10 times, clutch homers and extra base hits at just the right moment.   Wouldn't put it past them that at the worst moment, all is lost, Mike Elias going to lose his job... they hack the pitchcom and all of a sudden Colten Clowser wins 4 games in 6 days.  

 

[hanton]

6 minutes ago, Laika said:

 

 

He uses a two strike approach on every single pitch. Just goes up there and battles, trying to get something in play. It's absurd and stupid. 

Popkins should be slapping him, daily. SWING FOR THE FENCES UNTIL YOU HAVE TWO STRIKES. 

Yea he tries to protect the plate on an 0-0 count.

He's so messed up, I think he can't take the instruction - it's not sinking in.  Don't think he's stubborn or not open to it but it's not translating.

[Brownie19]

59 minutes ago, hanton said:

Yea he tries to protect the plate on an 0-0 count.

He's so messed up, I think he can't take the instruction - it's not sinking in.  Don't think he's stubborn or not open to it but it's not translating.

I believe I've heard otherwise.  I think he has certain people he trusts and he only listens to them.  I think that's a type of stubbornness.  

We had a lot of discussions about this back in 2023/2024 when it became super frustrating that he couldn't replicate his 2021 breakout season.  I don't have any quotes or articles (anymore) on the topic.

I really thought he'd figured something out late last year.  Seems this is who is he is - just unable to fully reach his potential due to inconsistencies.  He's as frustrating an athlete as I can remember.

[Governator]

I get the vlad frustration on his power struggles, he's also by far not the worst issue we have on this team right now (At least his OBP is nearly .400).  Without Springer replicating last year and Bo's production never replaced, the top of the line up isn't threatening anymore regardless of Vlad's output.

[Stangstag]

14 hours ago, John_Havok said:

Exactly. They should just stick him in a room and show him his 2025 playoff highlight reel and say .. "whatever the f*** you were thinking then, get back into that headspace NOW"

He went up every PA looking to do damage. Now it's like you say, just get something in play... inside-out everything just cuz he can... it's so annoying to watch a HOF talent play like a slap-hitting 2nd division regular. 

And you have dudes like Pujols (and probably his dad) praising him. This is the issue. He’s listening to the wrong guys

[Stangstag]

14 hours ago, hanton said:

Yea he tries to protect the plate on an 0-0 count.

He's so messed up, I think he can't take the instruction - it's not sinking in.  Don't think he's stubborn or not open to it but it's not translating.

I’ve said it before, he’s legit just dumb

[Stangstag]

12 hours ago, Governator said:

I get the vlad frustration on his power struggles, he's also by far not the worst issue we have on this team right now (At least his OBP is nearly .400).  Without Springer replicating last year and Bo's production never replaced, the top of the line up isn't threatening anymore regardless of Vlad's output.

That’s fair but you still need your stars to play like stars. He’s paid way too much to hit 2 homers a month.

Imagine what NY fans would be saying about Judge if he was hitting .300 with 5 homers rn.

[Governator]

11 hours ago, Stangstag said:

That’s fair but you still need your stars to play like stars. He’s paid way too much to hit 2 homers a month.

Imagine what NY fans would be saying about Judge if he was hitting .300 with 5 homers rn.

I totally get that and he may just be a 20hr guy going forward (his HR tear in the postseason was not his norm all year). Springer delivered more star power for us all season than Vlad and we're not winning anything if he's regressed to below replacement level leading off as DH after posting a 166 wRC+ last year and over 30 bombs. That hurts more, no?