I think “Atkins killed it” is a little generous here.
Smith has definitely given them some useful power off the bench (but he's not really a power hitter lol) and Bateman has had some big moments, so I’ll give Atkins credit for adding pieces that have helped. But we’re still talking about relatively small samples, and neither move suddenly fixes the larger issue that this lineup has lacked consistent impact bats for most of the season.
Same thing with Straw. He absolutely deserves credit for the way he’s played over the last 35 games, but 98 PA doesn’t erase the first four months where he gave them basically nothing offensively. A 117 wRC+ over that stretch is great, but I’m not suddenly viewing him as an everyday player because of one hot month. We can all cherry pick stats over a 3-4 week period.
To me, Straw is still ideally your 5th OF/defensive replacement who gets 150–200 ABs in a season. If he gives you stretches like this, fantastic, that’s found value. But expecting a 30-year-old with his career offensive track record to suddenly sustain above-average production going forward is probably asking too much.
So yes, Atkins deserves credit for Smith and Bateman helping during this run, and Straw has played much better lately. I just wouldn’t use a good 4–5 week stretch to rewrite what these players are or declare the deadline some huge massive success. My expectations are still tempered given the sample size, but that’s just me.
Bateman is probably the one I’m most intrigued by going forward. Can he keep this up in 2027 and beyond? That’s the big question, and I’m still a little skeptical given the sample size, but I’ve definitely become a huge fan of his. If the Jays do make the postseason, though, he’s going to deserve a lot of credit for helping them get there.