Blue Jays practicing patience with these 3 key players
This story was excerpted from Keegan Matheson’s Blue Jays Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
TORONTO -- The Blue Jays need their top three to be their top three.
George Springer, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette are off to slow starts, plain and simple. The Blue Jays could handle one of them struggling, but having all three in a slump at the same time has been challenging.
The Blue Jays are getting more out of the pocket of hitters behind them, primarily Justin Turner and Daulton Varsho, but this lineup needs a jolt of life. They’re caught in another season of close games that could so easily turn on one big swing.
Manager John Schneider wants to be patient, though. He’s seen these hitters succeed in the past, and while “the past” is further away for some than others, he expects it will all come around again. He needs these three to lead the way.
“That would be the best possible outcome, then you keep guys where they are in the middle and the bottom, doing their thing,” Schneider said. “It’s a matter of time, really. I know people talk about it. I’m not going to move them. They’re going to be pitched the same way. They’re our three best hitters -- well, you don’t want to say 'best,' JT is pretty damn good and so is Varsho -- but that’s how we’re built.”
George Springer (.228 AVG, .678 OPS)
Springer has had his moments, but he hasn’t exactly carried over the momentum he built with a fantastic Spring Training. It all starts with the leadoff man, and if that’s going to keep being Springer, this turnaround needs to start with him.
“When he’s on time, he’s good,” Schneider said recently. “When you’re on time, you’re swinging at better pitches and everything kind of lines up. It’s a matter of time for George, I think … I think he just needs to pick up his timing a little bit and get ready a bit earlier.”
This all gets to bat speed, which is quickly becoming one of the hottest talking points around baseball, particularly for hitters entering their mid-30s. As a hitter loses bat speed -- even the smallest percentage of it -- they need to begin their swing that much sooner and make decisions even quicker. That can make it more difficult to get to your power, and right now, Springer’s slugging percentage (.356) is lower than any full-season mark in his career (.405 last year is his second lowest).
Bo Bichette (.208 AVG, .571 OPS)
This is the surprising one. It’s also the likeliest to turn around in a hurry, but Bichette has been just a bit off this season.
“Missing pitches that he’s hammered his whole career, just missing them,” Schneider said. “He can get as hot as anybody. He can get hitting .400 for a month or two. I think it’s just about not clipping the pitches he’s been really, really good at his whole career. His swings are better. He’s getting his good swings off more consistently. It’s just a matter of time.”
Schneider makes a great point there. Bichette doesn’t get “hot” in the standard way, he goes on remarkable streaks. One of those will fix these numbers in a hurry, and the Blue Jays need it.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (.208 AVG, .647 OPS)
The 2021 season keeps getting farther and farther away. Guerrero is unbelievably talented -- I promise you that hasn’t disappeared -- but it’s about getting to that talent consistently. These last few seasons, Guerrero hasn’t done it.
Getting the 2021 version of Guerrero back isn’t likely at this point, but an .875 OPS with 35 home runs would change so much about this offense.
“The swings have gotten a bit big on pitches he can really hammer,” Schneider said earlier in the week. “It’s about him understanding: Just take your at-bat. [Tuesday] was a perfect example. He gets a single and it’s like, ‘Maybe that’s your next at-bat, too. You don’t have to go deep.’ Vlad’s right there. He’s one of the most dangerous guys in the league. His swings have just been a bit big, long, if you will. I love the quality of his at-bats overall. People can look at his numbers and be as hard as they want on him, but the quality of his at-bats are good.”
Over these past few seasons, there have been a lot of voices in Guerrero’s ear from both inside and outside the organization. A simplified offensive game plan seemed like something that could help Guerrero as much as anyone this season, but we haven’t seen those results just yet.