• About
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Advertise
  • Contact
MixMaxMatch
Advertisement
  • Home
  • News
    • All
    • Business
    • Politics
    • Science
    • World
    Trump administration carries out 13th, final federal execution | Death Penalty News

    Trump administration carries out 13th, final federal execution | Death Penalty News

    India launches world’s largest COVID-19 vaccination drive | Coronavirus pandemic News

    India launches world’s largest COVID-19 vaccination drive | Coronavirus pandemic News

    UN Security Council approves new Libya envoy | United Nations News

    UN Security Council approves new Libya envoy | United Nations News

    Five Hong Kong democracy protesters seek asylum in the US | Hong Kong News

    Five Hong Kong democracy protesters seek asylum in the US | Hong Kong News

    Aftershock rocks Indonesia amid search for quake survivors | Indonesia News

    Aftershock rocks Indonesia amid search for quake survivors | Indonesia News

    Spain’s Juan Carlos accused of threatening ex-lover’s life | Spain News

    Spain’s Juan Carlos accused of threatening ex-lover’s life | Spain News

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Tech
    • All
    • Apps
    • Gadget
    • Mobile
    • Startup
    Samsung S Pen Pro Pencil-Sized Stylus Launched Alongside Galaxy S21 Series

    Samsung S Pen Pro Pencil-Sized Stylus Launched Alongside Galaxy S21 Series

    Truecaller’s Alan Mamedi Says Half the Indian Smartphones Have the Caller ID App

    Truecaller’s Alan Mamedi Says Half the Indian Smartphones Have the Caller ID App

    MIUI 12.5 Launch Set for Today, Closed Beta Registrations Already Started for 21 Models

    MIUI 12.5 Developer Version Rollout Begins for 28 Xiaomi Phones: Full List

    Apple Tipped to Be Working on Clamshell-Like Foldable iPhone, May Arrive in 2022 or 2023

    Apple Said to Consider Foldable iPhone; Minor Changes Planned for 2021 Models

    I want to float in the void of this car’s paint job

    I want to float in the void of this car’s paint job

    Facebook Invests in Indian Education Startup Unacademy

    Facebook, Twitter, More Social Media Face Push From Investors Over Control Ahead of US Inauguration

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
  • Entertainment
    • All
    • Movie
    • Sports
    Godzilla Vs. Kong Is Coming 2 Months Early, Set for March in Theaters and on HBO Max

    Godzilla Vs. Kong Is Coming 2 Months Early, Set for March in Theaters and on HBO Max

    Jake Voracek sounds off on reporter in post-game press conference

    Jake Voracek sounds off on reporter in post-game press conference

    Easy to point at goalie, defence, but Leafs' offence yet to find high gear

    Easy to point at goalie, defence, but Leafs’ offence yet to find high gear

    LeBron’s near-triple-double helps Lakers top Zion’s Pelicans

    LeBron’s near-triple-double helps Lakers top Zion’s Pelicans

    Not time to panic about Frederik Andersen yet

    Not time to panic about Frederik Andersen yet

    LeBron James, Anthony Davis lead Lakers' dismantling of Pelicans

    LeBron James, Anthony Davis lead Lakers’ dismantling of Pelicans

  • Lifestyle
    • All
    • Food
    • Health
    • Travel
    Health Secretary Alex Azar resigning on Jan. 20

    Health Secretary Alex Azar resigning on Jan. 20

    TSA weighs barring hundreds from flights, steps up security before inauguration

    TSA weighs barring hundreds from flights, steps up security before inauguration

    Biden to deploy FEMA, National Guard to set up Covid vaccine clinics across the U.S.

    Biden to deploy FEMA, National Guard to set up Covid vaccine clinics across the U.S.

    WHO says Covid vaccines aren’t ‘silver bullets’ and relying entirely on them has hurt nations

    WHO says Covid vaccines aren’t ‘silver bullets’ and relying entirely on them has hurt nations

    New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo holds a press briefing on Covid pandemic

    New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo holds a press briefing on Covid pandemic

    A new Covid variant has been discovered — here's what we know so far

    A new Covid variant has been discovered — here’s what we know so far

    Trending Tags

    • Golden Globes
    • Game of Thrones
    • MotoGP 2017
    • eSports
    • Fashion Week
  • Fitness
  • Review
  • Shop
    • Checkout
    • Cart
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • All
    • Business
    • Politics
    • Science
    • World
    Trump administration carries out 13th, final federal execution | Death Penalty News

    Trump administration carries out 13th, final federal execution | Death Penalty News

    India launches world’s largest COVID-19 vaccination drive | Coronavirus pandemic News

    India launches world’s largest COVID-19 vaccination drive | Coronavirus pandemic News

    UN Security Council approves new Libya envoy | United Nations News

    UN Security Council approves new Libya envoy | United Nations News

    Five Hong Kong democracy protesters seek asylum in the US | Hong Kong News

    Five Hong Kong democracy protesters seek asylum in the US | Hong Kong News

    Aftershock rocks Indonesia amid search for quake survivors | Indonesia News

    Aftershock rocks Indonesia amid search for quake survivors | Indonesia News

    Spain’s Juan Carlos accused of threatening ex-lover’s life | Spain News

    Spain’s Juan Carlos accused of threatening ex-lover’s life | Spain News

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Tech
    • All
    • Apps
    • Gadget
    • Mobile
    • Startup
    Samsung S Pen Pro Pencil-Sized Stylus Launched Alongside Galaxy S21 Series

    Samsung S Pen Pro Pencil-Sized Stylus Launched Alongside Galaxy S21 Series

    Truecaller’s Alan Mamedi Says Half the Indian Smartphones Have the Caller ID App

    Truecaller’s Alan Mamedi Says Half the Indian Smartphones Have the Caller ID App

    MIUI 12.5 Launch Set for Today, Closed Beta Registrations Already Started for 21 Models

    MIUI 12.5 Developer Version Rollout Begins for 28 Xiaomi Phones: Full List

    Apple Tipped to Be Working on Clamshell-Like Foldable iPhone, May Arrive in 2022 or 2023

    Apple Said to Consider Foldable iPhone; Minor Changes Planned for 2021 Models

    I want to float in the void of this car’s paint job

    I want to float in the void of this car’s paint job

    Facebook Invests in Indian Education Startup Unacademy

    Facebook, Twitter, More Social Media Face Push From Investors Over Control Ahead of US Inauguration

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
  • Entertainment
    • All
    • Movie
    • Sports
    Godzilla Vs. Kong Is Coming 2 Months Early, Set for March in Theaters and on HBO Max

    Godzilla Vs. Kong Is Coming 2 Months Early, Set for March in Theaters and on HBO Max

    Jake Voracek sounds off on reporter in post-game press conference

    Jake Voracek sounds off on reporter in post-game press conference

    Easy to point at goalie, defence, but Leafs' offence yet to find high gear

    Easy to point at goalie, defence, but Leafs’ offence yet to find high gear

    LeBron’s near-triple-double helps Lakers top Zion’s Pelicans

    LeBron’s near-triple-double helps Lakers top Zion’s Pelicans

    Not time to panic about Frederik Andersen yet

    Not time to panic about Frederik Andersen yet

    LeBron James, Anthony Davis lead Lakers' dismantling of Pelicans

    LeBron James, Anthony Davis lead Lakers’ dismantling of Pelicans

  • Lifestyle
    • All
    • Food
    • Health
    • Travel
    Health Secretary Alex Azar resigning on Jan. 20

    Health Secretary Alex Azar resigning on Jan. 20

    TSA weighs barring hundreds from flights, steps up security before inauguration

    TSA weighs barring hundreds from flights, steps up security before inauguration

    Biden to deploy FEMA, National Guard to set up Covid vaccine clinics across the U.S.

    Biden to deploy FEMA, National Guard to set up Covid vaccine clinics across the U.S.

    WHO says Covid vaccines aren’t ‘silver bullets’ and relying entirely on them has hurt nations

    WHO says Covid vaccines aren’t ‘silver bullets’ and relying entirely on them has hurt nations

    New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo holds a press briefing on Covid pandemic

    New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo holds a press briefing on Covid pandemic

    A new Covid variant has been discovered — here's what we know so far

    A new Covid variant has been discovered — here’s what we know so far

    Trending Tags

    • Golden Globes
    • Game of Thrones
    • MotoGP 2017
    • eSports
    • Fashion Week
  • Fitness
  • Review
  • Shop
    • Checkout
    • Cart
No Result
View All Result
MixMaxMatch
No Result
View All Result
Home Entertainment Sports

Identifying the Blue Jays’ most meaningful early-season developments

Admin by Admin
August 17, 2020
in Sports
0
Identifying the Blue Jays' most meaningful early-season developments
0
SHARES
0
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter


TORONTO – A few weeks ago, the Toronto Blue Jays’ season was just getting started. It was just last week that they played their home opener.

And yet by the time the Blue Jays landed in Baltimore late Sunday night, their season was already 30 per cent over. Their 7-11 record tells you they’ve been outplayed so far, and that much is undeniable, but in many ways how they arrived at that mark is just as important as the record itself.

Already the first few weeks of this historically short MLB season have provided important information about the Blue Jays and their players. Small sample size or not, here’s a closer look at a few early-season trends:

Not good enough defensively

Let’s start with an obvious problem. At various points this season, everyone from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to Danny Jansen to Teoscar Hernandez to Bo Bichette has made costly defensive mistakes.

While the occasional miscue is inevitable, this group must be better collectively if they’re going to have any chance of competing. Twelve unearned runs in 18 games is simply far too much – especially for a team playing so many close games.

“We need to get to the next point and I know we will,” manager Charlie Montoyo said. “To beat these teams we need to play clean games.”

Lead Off with Ziggy and Scotty Mac

With Bo Bichette out, who does Ross Atkins put the ‘for sale’ sign on?

August 17 2020

Your browser does not support the audio element.

Teoscar’s bat looks legit

Hernandez’s defence has been underwhelming at times this year, and it certainly cost the Blue Jays on Sunday afternoon. But in the big picture, the Blue Jays don’t need Hernandez to become a Gold Glover or develop elite plate discipline. If he keeps tapping into his power like this, the Blue Jays have a difference-making bat.

Hernandez, who lost his big-league job last spring before finishing the season on a three-month-long hot streak, has picked up where he left off in 2019. Not only does he have seven home runs and a .973 OPS, his quality of contact numbers are about as good as it gets.

The continued emergence of Hernandez counts among the biggest early-season positives for a team in need of answers in the outfield.

The perils of a young roster

It’s easy to forget this because of how long he’s been in the spotlight, but if Guerrero Jr. had gone to college this would have been his draft year. Instead, he’s playing his second full big-league season and that context is necessary as the Blue Jays evaluate Guerrero Jr.’s performance. With that said, the first few weeks of this season have underlined the work remaining for the 21-year-old.

On defence, it’s pretty apparent that Guerrero Jr. is still learning the nuances of first base. Even setting aside his two-error game last week, there have been missed opportunities that don’t show up on the scoresheet, such as the two pop-ups that fell behind Guerrero Jr. at Fenway Park. In time, first base will be easier than third, but he’s not making it look easy just yet.

On the bases, Guerrero Jr. may be a little more conservative than he was last year, and given that he now has 18th percentile sprint speed, that’s probably the way it should be. Guerrero Jr.’s really here for his bat rather than his legs or his glove.

As for his offence, Guerrero Jr. is showing progress after a slow start and now has a respectable 105 wRC+ on the season. The no-doubt home run he hit Sunday afternoon had to be encouraging, not only because it cleared the wall but because Guerrero Jr. waited for a pitch down the middle and launched it high in the air.

To this point in his MLB career, that combination of pitch selection and launch angle has been difficult to find, or at least to repeat. So far this summer, Guerrero Jr. is one for two. He’s chasing less, with a 28.6 per cent chase rate that’s down from last year’s 31.6 per cent mark, but Sunday’s home run aside he has actually been hitting more grounders than before.

In fact, Guerrero Jr.’s current ground ball rate of 61.4 per cent is higher than the career rate of ground ball specialists like Dallas Keuchel (58.9 per cent), Marcus Stroman (58.6 per cent) or Brett Anderson (56.9 per cent). Needless to say, the Blue Jays hope to see that change.

“Vladdy has not traditionally been a guy who’s been as aggressive as he’s been and chased as much as he’s chased and he’s put the ball in the air more,” GM Ross Atkins said last week. “Vladdy will adjust. He has the innate ability to manipulate the bat and the bat path and make consistent contact and I think really the biggest factor is not a significant fundamental adjustment, it’s not a significant mental adjustment. It really is for him to get more confident so that he’s sticking to his plan and approach and getting deeper into counts and swinging at balls that he can drive in advantage counts.”

Of course it’s not just Guerrero Jr. who’s learning on the job – far from it. Nate Pearson looked dominant in his debut and fared well in his second outing only to lose his command completely in his third start. Even role players like Reese McGuire, Santiago Espinal and Anthony Alford have started slowly at the plate.

“We’re really close to putting it all together,” Anthony Alford said of the team’s performance so far. “Everybody knows how close we are.”

The lesson here: even the best prospects have more to learn in the majors – and watching that process can test a team’s patience. Then again, a roster without any youth would likely have far less upside…

Livestream Toronto Blue Jays games all season with Sportsnet NOW. Plus, watch marquee MLB matchups, the post-season and World Series.

The benefits of a young roster

Objectively speaking, it would have been unreasonable to expect Bichette to replicate his 2019 numbers in 2020. In 46 games last summer, Bichette hit .311 with 11 home runs and a .930 OPS – exceptional numbers at any age and particularly for a 21-year-old rookie.

If anything, though, Bichette was playing better than ever before the Blue Jays placed him on the injured list with a right knee sprain. Through 13 games, he was hitting .356 with five home runs and a 1.056 OPS. Montoyo described Bichette as a “star in the making” on Friday and his teammates agreed.

“His swing is as sweet as a right-handed swing can get,” outfielder Randal Grichuk said. “I’ve said it for months: I think he has a very good chance to be the best Blue Jays hitter ever. I know it’s a bold statement, but with his approach and his swing at such a young age, it’s next level.”

With each passing day, it’s becoming a little easier to believe that Bichette can in fact sustain last year’s success long-term. First things first, though, he has to come back healthy. An extended absence would test the Blue Jays depth and cost Bichette valuable reps. Either way, Bichette looks like this team’s most important player – now and in the future.

Sweet Relief

As recently as a few weeks ago, the Blue Jays’ bullpen remained a major question. Now, it looks like a team strength thanks to the emergence of Thomas Hatch, Ryan Borucki, Anthony Kay and Jordan Romano.

Veteran additions like Anthony Bass, Rafael Dolis and A.J. Cole have done their part, too, but really it’s the young arms that take the Toronto bullpen to the next level. Consider where they were last year, and the emergence of this group becomes even more remarkable:

• The Rangers selected Romano in the Rule 5 Draft, only to send him back to Toronto
• Elbow issues limited Borucki to two appearances all year
• When Hatch and Kay were acquired in trades for David Phelps and Marcus Stroman, respectively, neither was considered a top prospect

Now, those four arms make it far easier for Montoyo’s to navigate leverage innings. And whether they stay in relief roles or transition back to starting, all four pitchers are here to stay.

And the bottom line?

The first 30 per cent of the Blue Jays season wouldn’t convince anyone that they’re a likely playoff team. At FanGraphs, the playoff odds reflect that with a 22.2 per cent chance that the Blue Jays obtain one of the eight American League spots as of Monday morning.

With that said, there’s already more upside on this roster than there has been in years. So far, that youth has translated into more frustrating losses than gratifying wins. With six weeks of baseball remaining, the Blue Jays will look to change that story.





Source link

Tags: BluedevelopmentsearlyseasonIdentifyingJaysmeaningful
Previous Post

Rackspace shares surge on report that Amazon is in talks to invest in company

Next Post

The US is making it even harder for Huawei phones to get Android updates

Admin

Admin

Next Post
Huawei says it’s running out of chips for its smartphones because of US sanctions

The US is making it even harder for Huawei phones to get Android updates

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Stay Connected test

  • 99 Subscribers
ADVERTISEMENT
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Switching to Signal? 5 Tips and Tricks You Need to Know

Signal Is Down Globally After Huge Influx of Users

January 15, 2021
Leslie Hamilton Freas Dies, Linda Hamilton's Twin Sister and Terminator Double Was 63

Leslie Hamilton Freas Dies, Linda Hamilton’s Twin Sister and Terminator Double Was 63

August 29, 2020
YouTube appears to be down worldwide

YouTube appears to be down worldwide

November 12, 2020
NFL Week 3 inactives: Falcons missing star WR Julio Jones

NFL Week 3 inactives: Falcons missing star WR Julio Jones

September 27, 2020
Samsung S Pen Pro Pencil-Sized Stylus Launched Alongside Galaxy S21 Series

Samsung S Pen Pro Pencil-Sized Stylus Launched Alongside Galaxy S21 Series

0
Why it's time to forgive Vince Carter

Why it’s time to forgive Vince Carter

0
Kyle Dubas: The Boy from the Soo

Kyle Dubas: The Boy from the Soo

0
Mike 'Doc' Emrick explains his play-by-play cheat sheet

Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick explains his play-by-play cheat sheet

0
Samsung S Pen Pro Pencil-Sized Stylus Launched Alongside Galaxy S21 Series

Samsung S Pen Pro Pencil-Sized Stylus Launched Alongside Galaxy S21 Series

January 16, 2021
Trump administration carries out 13th, final federal execution | Death Penalty News

Trump administration carries out 13th, final federal execution | Death Penalty News

January 16, 2021
Truecaller’s Alan Mamedi Says Half the Indian Smartphones Have the Caller ID App

Truecaller’s Alan Mamedi Says Half the Indian Smartphones Have the Caller ID App

January 16, 2021
MIUI 12.5 Launch Set for Today, Closed Beta Registrations Already Started for 21 Models

MIUI 12.5 Developer Version Rollout Begins for 28 Xiaomi Phones: Full List

January 16, 2021

Recent News

Samsung S Pen Pro Pencil-Sized Stylus Launched Alongside Galaxy S21 Series

Samsung S Pen Pro Pencil-Sized Stylus Launched Alongside Galaxy S21 Series

January 16, 2021
Trump administration carries out 13th, final federal execution | Death Penalty News

Trump administration carries out 13th, final federal execution | Death Penalty News

January 16, 2021
Truecaller’s Alan Mamedi Says Half the Indian Smartphones Have the Caller ID App

Truecaller’s Alan Mamedi Says Half the Indian Smartphones Have the Caller ID App

January 16, 2021
MIUI 12.5 Launch Set for Today, Closed Beta Registrations Already Started for 21 Models

MIUI 12.5 Developer Version Rollout Begins for 28 Xiaomi Phones: Full List

January 16, 2021

MixMaxMatch

We bring you the best Premium MixMaxMatch that perfect for news, magazine, personal blog, etc.

Follow Us

Browse by Category

  • Apps
  • Business
  • Fitness
  • Food
  • Gadget
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Mobile
  • Movie
  • News
  • Politics
  • Review
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Startup
  • Tech
  • Travel
  • World

Feature Post

A Tribute to the Most Overlooked Comedy in Movie History

A Tribute to the Most Overlooked Comedy in Movie History

May 31, 2020
Lightning's embarrassing 2019 sweep sparked changes paying off in rematch

Lightning’s embarrassing 2019 sweep sparked changes paying off in rematch

August 18, 2020

Newsletter

Subscribe Us

  • About
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Advertise
  • Contact

© 2020 MixMaxMatch - Premium news & magazine website by WP.

No Result
View All Result

© 2020 MixMaxMatch - Premium news & magazine website by WP.

Just click to Free download

Download Premium Theme

 

 
Just Click Here

Send download link to: