Kiermaier sees centre field as 'my job to lose'

TORONTO -- Baseball loves a good buzzword, and “run prevention” is having its moment in Toronto.

It’s big, broad and intentionally vague, but the simplest definition is Kevin Kiermaier, the longtime Rays outfielder who just finalized a one-year, $9 million deal with the Blue Jays for 2023. After a decade of dazzling and frustrating the Blue Jays with his defensive brilliance, it’s Toronto’s turn to enjoy the show.

The only question remaining was just how often Kiermaier would have that opportunity, an answer which is tied directly to George Springer’s potential shift to right field on a semi-permanent basis. Kiermaier seemed to clear that up quickly.

“They want me to play pretty much every day,” Kiermaier said. “They want me manning centre field out there and getting my rest when I need to, but there were no platoon talks or anything like that. It seems like it’s my job to lose, I guess you could say, and I’m going to do everything in my power to go out there and play Gold Glove caliber defense.”

Kiermaier has three of those awards, and defensively, he has the potential to be the best centre fielder you’ve seen in Toronto in a long time.

There are two ways to measure Kiermaier’s impact on this club defensively, starting with the fancy stats. Stretch this all the way back to the start of the 2016 season, when Statcact began measuring outs above average (OAA), and he leads all MLB outfielders with 71. Kiermaier missed much of the ’22 season with hip issues that led to season-ending surgery, but in ’21, his 12 outs above average ranked third among all outfielders. Yes, Kiermaier is entering his 11th MLB season, but his glove still works.

This is due in large part to Kiermaier’s speed. Even as he worked through pain in his hip last season, Kiermaier averaged a sprint speed of 29.2 feet per second. For context, that would automatically make him the fastest player on this roster, ahead of the speedy Whit Merrifield (28.7 ft/sec), giving the Blue Jays another dose of athleticism in the field and on the basepaths. Of course, Kiermaier’s jumps, instincts and ability to adjust his body to the ball are what take these physical tools and make them truly sing.

“I’m a game-changer out there,” Kiermaier said. “Now that my legs are feeling so much better, I can get back to my form that I [had] before. I want those pitchers to know that they can attack these guys and throw the ball over the plate. If it doesn’t leave the yard and if it’s in the air long enough, I’m going to catch it.”

That brings us to the eye test. If you’re a Blue Jays fan, you’ve hated the eye test with Kiermaier, who has routinely robbed runs from Toronto over the years. Patrolling the outfield at Tropicana Field isn’t an enviable task, given the turf and a roof that fielders often lose balls in, but Kiermaier’s defense has been stadium-proof. Come next spring, when the new-look Rogers Centre is expected to have new outfield-wall dimensions that “create some uniqueness” and add some “interesting outcomes with balls in play.”

This is why the Blue Jays were all in on Kiermaier from Day 1 of free agency. Kiermaier is 32, a former 31st-round Draft pick and a 10-year MLB veteran, but he was experiencing the open market for the first time after signing an extension with the Rays in 2017. It’s difficult to know what to expect, but immediately, Kiermaier noticed the Blue Jays standing eagerly at the front of the line.

“As a player, you just want to feel wanted, and no other team seemed to want me more than the Blue Jays,” Kiermaier said. “That appealed to me so much. They made me feel loved right from the start. They killed it with their Zoom call to me. I ultimately ended up where I wanted to, on the team that wanted me the most.”

So, what now? Adding another outfielder still seems ideal here. If that outfielder bats left-handed and can help to replace some of Teoscar Hernández’s offensive production, even better. If they can be acquired with some team control for one of Toronto’s young catching trio? Jackpot.

For now, though, Kiermaier and his glove will have an opportunity to change the look of the Blue Jays’ outfield and frustrate some opposing hitters along the way. Besides, he fits that new favorite buzzword.

“Run prevention,” Kiermaier said, “is my bread and butter.”