John_Havok

Honestly I dont think it's a sequencing issue, its just that his slider is wildly inconsistent and he has no idea where it's going to end up. I also think he's tipping it though I have no idea how to prove that without a side by side video, which I don't have the knowledge or software to make. He's getting 0 swings and misses with it, so it's like they know right away if it's going to be a hittable stirke or not. Anything even close to the zone they are laying off it without even a half swing or check swing.

the entire ballpark knew a slider was coming there.

Really good, just missed the sweet spot

SN Now is like 3 pitches behind gameday....

Here we go... Belt going yard here now

Anyone seeing that Manoah is slightly slowing down that arm action when he's throwing the slider? Im not super sure that I'm seeing it but it seems like they know 100% when that slider is on the way. If anyone knows how to do a side by side video thing... that would be swell.

Leadoff walk, always a good sign

Gonna get Jekyll or Hyde today from Alek?

May 9 Vladdy - 1 Point -mphenhef Bichette - 1 Point - jays4life19 Chapman - 2 Points - wilko Varsho - 2 Points - jaysblue, jonn Kirk - 3 Points - Dylan Belt - 4 Points - stangstag, JaysAllMighty, JohnHavok Kiermaier - 5 Points- LTBF Merrifield - 5 Points Espinal - 6 Points Off the bench: 10 Points

No Springer tonight... hopefully nothing wrong.

Cautious optimism, but when youre 24 in High A and as recently as last season walked 7 per 9 at the same level, it's hard to get see that he might be a pen guy some day. Should he get bumped up to AA and retain those his current K and BB rates, then you're maybe looking at a guy who might make it. That said, improving from a BB/9 of 7, to under 2 is nice to see.

This is a great spot for Bedard. GM cleaned house, there's really nobody left from the glory days... Kane was traded(their last #1 overall pick), Toews wont be offered a new contract according to the new GM. Gm has enough picks to restock pretty quick or use in trade... Bedard is going to be able to go in and be the cornerstone right from the get go and be surrounded with other young players on the way up in a market that reveres great players in any sport.

Yeah, didn't seem to make much sense at all.

If you had to rate which is the bigger surprise.... The Rays playing .800 ball or the Cardinals sucking, which would it be?

The lack of changeup was always what held him back imo. Fastball is good enough, slider was already good. but ya simply cannot start in the MLB with 2 pitches unless one of them is near god tier like Gausman's splitter. And even he throws his slider enough that he's not a true 2 pitch guy.

not sure if true, but these are the supposed Baltimore Orioles City connect Jerseys. I guess the Great Britain style is really starting to take off.

So will Connor Bedard.

Kinda the perfect time to compare Gurriel and Varsho ... Gurriel Varsho Both at 0.8 fWAR, but Varsho is a + across the board in value on all sides of the ball. Gurriel is what he always has been, a really good bat with bad baserunning and defense that so far the bat has overcome. If Gurriel's bat slips, he has nothing to fall back on to help a team win games. If Varsho's offense dips, he still helps a team win ball games in other ways. Both players help you win games, but Varsho is the better bet to avoid peaks and valleys.

Yeah, i dont understand where some people get the impression that he can't play 3b. His arm is his best defensive tool and they're still pretty much splitting him between 3b and SS in AAA, with a sprinkling of RF. Any scouting report I've read indicates that he wont be a SS long term, but would profile at 3b or the OF if his power fully develops.

Absolutely. They are most definitely in their infancy confpared to North America but they are present. The British Baseball Federation oversees everything there.

The man makes a good point though in that Europe would probably be the MLB's biggest potential market. It wouldnt have near the political kind of barrier that South America, Central america, certain parts of Asia and China would have... It's a very well developed and population concentrated continent that already has a solid and ever-growing baseball presence.

There have been games played in other countries before (Japan, Monterrey, Australia, England, Puerto Rico), just this year there was a series in Mexico City. Next season its already confirmed there will be a series played in South Korea. Anything is possible. one of the regular Blue Jays reporters reported last spring that the Jays playing in London could happen within the next 5 years The plan (according to MLB) is that since the new collective bargaining agreement was signed, they planned on hosting games in London, Paris, Mexico(done), Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Asia(next year - South Korea) during the lifespan of the current collective bargaining agreement.

Via The Score: Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Matt Chapman is interested in staying with the team on a long-term deal. "Of course," Chapman said when asked if he's open to an extension, according to Sports Illustrated's Mitch Bannon. The pending free agent added there's mutual interest to get a deal done but that a new contract isn't his priority at the moment. "I know that both parties want to make something happen," Chapman said. "But right now, I'm focused on baseball and focused on winning. And if they want to talk, it's gotta be with Scott (Boras)." Boras, Chapman's agent, has a reputation for ensuring his clients test the open market. He was responsible for landing four different pacts worth at least $150 million last offseason. "I trust that (Boras') process works, and he knows what he's doing," the 30-year-old said. "I think it's something that we'll look back at after the end of this season, and then we'll really start to sit down." Chapman, a three-time Gold Glover, is off to a sensational start to the 2023 campaign, slashing .352/.436/.615 with five homers and an MLB-leading 17 doubles entering Sunday's action. He could be the top third baseman available in free agency after the Padres extended Manny Machado in February.

Don’t look now but Brandon Belt is up to a 118 wRC+ against RHP

Haven’t seen him so don’t know if that’s true…but let’s say it is and he actively tried to bulk up. I don’t understand why a guy with already monster power would think the solution to improving swing decisions and contact is more muscle