Two-hit Whit shows off power in Blue Jays' Game 2 win

CHICAGO -- They call him two-hit Whit.

Thursday night, both cleared the wall for Whit Merrifield, an unexpected power surge to carry the Blue Jays to a 5-4 win and a sweep of the White Sox on the road. In Game 1, the Blue Jays won 6-2 in 11 innings.

“I was just looking to hit something hard and I’m trying to get more aggression in my swing,” Merrifield said after the long, 20-inning day. “I’m always making tweaks, and it felt like something in that first at-bat clicked for me.”

Merrifield has quietly put together an All-Star season for the Blue Jays. We haven’t seen much of this power until the back half of Thursday’s doubleheader, but Merrifield has been a steady contact bat, leads the team in stolen bases (19) and essentially functions as the Blue Jays’ fourth outfielder, which has had a significant impact on how the Blue Jays structure and use their roster.

Whether it’s second base or left field, Merrifield is an everyday player for the Blue Jays. A starter, by definition. This is what the Blue Jays hoped for entering 2023, but the trio of Merrifield, Santiago Espinal and Cavan Biggio were always going to be tied together in some way. Instead of a three-way revolving door, though, Merrifield’s season has put the other two into more traditional reserve roles.

“It’s such a weapon to have,” manager John Schneider said. “His numbers and track record speak for themselves. We move him all over the field when we have to late in games. We’re not expecting the power all the time, but he’s seen this division a ton and is comfortable hitting here. He’s been a huge part, a deserving All-Star.”

Those are plenty valuable in the modern game. Biggio should clear 100 games played this season, given his late-game assignments as a pinch-runner, and Espinal should approach 90. They’ll be leaned on, especially given how uniquely the Blue Jays use their final bench spot. Whether it’s been Nathan Lukes, Jordan Luplow or Ernie Clement, they’ve rarely seen anything resembling regular reps.

Cavan Biggio (mostly 2B, RF, 1B)
On April 21, Biggio was hitting .121 with a .428 OPS on the season, so Schneider went to the player he knows so well from their days coming up the ladder together.

“Dude, I’m never going to give up on you,” Schneider told him. “No one is.”

Biggio’s numbers aren’t all the way back, but he’s moving in that direction, and he feels much better following a change to his thought process at the plate in early May. He’s getting his hands moving a little earlier now, before his body begins to rotate, which he feels leads to more contact and backspin on the ball. He appreciates his manager having his back, too.

“He understands how hard it is to put up numbers and be consistent coming off the bench with limited at-bats,” Biggio said. “When I was going through that funk, my mindset was just to help this team out any way I could, whether that was defensively, playing the outfield, first or second, whatever I had to do.”

Santiago Espinal (2B, 3B, SS)
Espinal’s numbers are moving in the right direction, too, with an improving plate approach he credits to the “plan” he forged in Spring Training working with Victor Martinez.

“It’s hard to get into a rhythm if you play one or two games in a week. It’s hard, but at the same time, I keep the same routine,” Espinal said. “I don’t try to change anything. I go to the plate in the same mode that Victor taught me and try to stay consistent. I’m not going to change anything. I feel comfortable.”

When Espinal is at his best, he mashes lefties. He’ll still be given some opportunities to do that, but given his role as the primary backup at multiple positions, he’s always one bad bounce away from a major role. An All-Star himself just a year ago, Espinal’s role in 2023 has come with some growing pains, but you can see the adjustment taking place.

The rest of the way
If the Blue Jays chase a right-handed bat or more power at the deadline, an outfielder feels likelier. That could potentially push Merrifield to second base more often, sliding both Biggio and Espinal down a rung. These things tend to take care of themselves, though, and there’s rarely a shortage of playing time.

Neither Addison Barger, the Blue Jays’ No. 6 prospect, or Otto Lopez (No. 14) are kicking the door down in Triple-A, so it’s on this group to get hot down the stretch.