Looking at the Jays batters over the last two weeks.
The Jays were 3-9 over the past two weeks. I didn’t realize how bad it had been.
Our batters hit .260/.315/.426 and averaged 4.1 runs per game.
Hot
Spencer Horwitz: Played in all 12 games, starting 10. Hit .357/.413/.714 with 3 doubles, 4 home runs, 8 RBI, 4 walks and 7 strikeouts.
They started seven games at first, three at DH and played a bit of second base after pinch-hitting. What an amazing two weeks he’s had. He has been much better vs RHP (.920 OPS) than LHP (.437, just 60 PA), but I’d have him play against lefties as much as I could the rest of the way. He’ll get better against LHP with time, I’m sure. I want him to get as much playing time as possible for the rest of the season. He played a little outfield in the minors, I wonder if they will give him some innings out there?
Vladimir Guerrero: Start 11 games. Hit .326/.354/.478 with 4 doubles, 1 home run, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts and 7 RBI.
He DHed five times and played third once. It’s very much kind of a hot lite for him. He seems to be battling little injuries. He fouled one off his leg yesterday (they did an MRI on it, and there’s no fracture), and it didn’t look good. I wouldn’t say I like the idea of him playing third, thinking he needs DH time when he plays first. He’s too good a batter for me to want to move to a more demanding position. But we will see. I understand they want to get another bat into the lineup, and Horwitz doesn’t seem like a second baseman to me. A lot is made of him not hitting as well when he is DH, but it is just 101 PA, which isn’t a sample size I’d worry about. But he will have to figure it out. He will be playing DH some of the time going forward.
Will Wagner: Played in 10 games, starting 8. Hit .371/.389/.629 with 3 doubles, 2 home runs, 6 RBI, 1 walk and 6 strikeouts.
He started all the games at second base and played a couple of innings at first base. Yeah, a 1.018 OPS is hot. He’s 22 games into his major league career. He’s, at the very least, earned himself a shot at winning the job next spring. With 17 games left, I’d like to see him start all of them. It still isn’t a large enough sample, but it will give us a clue. His defense looks good enough to me at second.
Nathan Lukes: Played 7 games, starting 6. Hit .435/.500/.565, with 1 double, 1 triple, 4 RBI, 4 walks and 4 strikeouts.
Started 4 games in left, 2 in right. Don’t read too much into 28 PA, but he looks good out there. But let’s keep running him out there. I think he’d be a good fourth outfielder.
Cold
Alejandro Kirk: Started 10 games. Hit .244/.262/.317 with 3 doubles, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts, 2 RBI.
DHed twice. Very slightly to the hot or at least warm side. He is getting more playing time and seemed to react well to it, at first. I’d imagine the long season is getting to him a bit, but then there are up-and-down stretches for everyone. Base stealers were 6-3 against him, which is more or less break even.
Ernie Clement: Played in all 12 games, starting 10. Hit .250/.267/.364, with 2 doubles, 1 home run, 3 RBI, 2 steals, 0 walks and 4 strikeouts.
He started 8 games at short, 2 at third, and he played a bit second. I’d like him to take a walk more than once every two weeks. I like his defense at third (even after last night’s mistake) and short. I’m not sure I’d want him to be an everyday player, but he could be a good utility guy.
Davis Schneider: Played in 7 games, starting 4. Hit .071/.188/.143 with 1 double, 1 walks, 7 strikeouts, no RBI.
He started 3 games in left and 1 at DH. He seems to be having trouble with the reduced playing time, but that is his role if he wants to be a major leaguer. He is he poster boy for not buying into hot streaks.
Daulton Varsho: Started 10 games, playing in 11. Hit .167/.222/.429 with 2 doubles, 3 home runs, 3 walks, 17 strikeouts, 5 RBI.
He is hot and cold, isn’t he? He was doing very well in the two spot, but that’s ended. Baseball Reference has Varsho at a 4.7 WAR, which seems high, judging by the eye test. We have to give in to the idea that he is an average batter. He will be around 100 OPS+ each year, and with his defense in center, that’s good enough. But we need to have enough bats that he can hit further down in the order.
George Springer: Started 9 games. He’s hit .200/.317/.229 with 1 doubles, 1 RBI, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts.
DHed once. Has he been hot at any point this season? Two more seasons of this? He’s 35 in ten days, and I’ve given up any thought that he’ll be a useful player again. They have to move him out of the leadoff spot. If Rogers or Shapiro decided to fire Ross Atkins, the new guy could release George. It would be harder for Ross to release him. It is a lot of money. But….I don’t know; he has a 1.3 bWAR, but the last three seasons have got 4.1, 2.1, and now 1.3…..if this was one of those math questions that ask what the next number in this sequence is, I don’t think we want to know the answer.
Joey Loperfido: Started 7 games, played in 9. Hit .222/.250/.296 with 2 doubles, 2 RBI, 1 walks and 9 strikeouts.
He started 5 games in left, 2 in center. I think he’s a better hitter than he has shown, but he will have to prove it at some point. It looks like he has good speed, there is power (something the team needs) and his defense looks good. But he does need to hit. We have two everyday outfielders who don’t hit. We can’t have three.
Inbetween
Addison Barger: Played in 10 games, starting 9. Hit .219/.257/.469 with 2 doubles, 2 home runs, 5 RBI, 2 walks, and 9 strikeouts.
He started 7 games in third base and 2 in right. 7 hits, 4 of them extra-base hits. I’m a fan, he hits the ball hard. I like guys like that. I’d like him to walk more too, which might come with playing time. Kind of hot.
Leo Jiménez: Played in 9 games, starting 8. Hit .208/.387/.333, with 1 home run, 6 RBI, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts and 4 hit by pitch.
Started 4 games at second and 4 games at short. I’m not sure the 4 hit by pitch, in 31 PA, is sustainable. That’s a fair bit of why his on-base is so high. His glove looks good at short. Excellent on base average. Alm
Brian Serven: Played in 5 games, starting 4. Hit .200/.250/.400 with 3 doubles, and 5 strikeouts.
I think he’s fine as a backup catcher. On the season, he’s 2 for 16, throwing out basestealers. But in these two weeks, he’s caught 2 of 4.
Also Played
Luis De Los Santos: Played in 3 games, starting 2. Hit ..143/.143/.143 with 4 strikeouts in 7 PA.
Likey will go down for Bo.
IL
Bo Bichette: He might be back with the team, maybe as soon as next weekend.