It’s a good thing leadoff hitters don’t have to be fast in today’s game, because the Jays don’t have anyone fast. One of the keys to Cleveland’s success over the past two seasons has been Terry Francona’s willingness to start Carlos Santana at the #1 spot despite having speedier options in guys like Rajai Davis, […]
Author: Elie Waitzer
How to Pitch to Giancarlo Stanton: The AL East’s Newest Slugger
Whew. It was tough work. Exhausting really, but the payoff was well worth it. After watching every plate appearance and digging into every single advanced stat I’ve done it. It’s not what I expected to find, but if the Jays’ pitchers just follow these six simple lessons, according to my calculations, newest Yankee, Giancarlo Stanton won’t […]
Checking In On 2017 First Rounder Nate Pearson
The Vancouver Canadians have rebounded nicely after finishing with a franchise-worst 29-45 record in 2016. The C’s clinched a playoff berth with a first-half pennant and are rolling along thanks to an influx of fresh young talent. A key part of that influx is 28th overall pick in the 2017 Draft, Nate Pearson, who may just have the highest […]
Why J.A. Happ is Throwing His Changeup Faster to Succeed
How might it feel to be one of Ray Searage’s ‘projects’? On the one hand you’re no longer mediocre, and that means money—a lot of money—for you. On the other hand, even though you’re the one dominating, most of the credit is going to Searage. All day long it’s Searage this, Searage that. As one of […]
MLB Draft: Blue Jays Select RHP Nate Pearson with the 28th Pick
After making polished college shortstop Logan Warmoth their first selection in the 2017 MLB draft, the Blue Jays picked six-foot six, 240 pound righty Nate Pearson two slots later out of Junior College of Central Florida. Pearson was ranked 13th by Baseball America, 28th by Keith Law, and 35th by MLB Pipeline. Some of that volatility […]
Jason Leblebijian is the Answer to the Blue Jays Middle Infield Problem
The middle infield was supposed to be a strength of this year’s club. It would’ve been nice for Gibbons to be able to pencil in Troy Tulowitzki and Devon Travis at the 4 and 5 every game, but it hasn’t quite worked out that way. As of today, Tulowitzki and Travis have combined for 302 PA […]
Imagining the Ridiculously Athletic Jays Outfield of the Future
We’ve seen Anthony Alford in the big leagues. He struck out a bunch and reached base just once, but the hit tool isn’t why he was 93rd on Baseball Prospectus’ annual prospect rankings. Baseball Prospectus’ latest eyewitness scouting report from Steve Givarz gives him a 55 glove grade and 70 speed grade. Alford was fresh off […]
Devon Travis is Primed to Turn His Season Around
Stop me if you’ve heard Buck say this line with Devon Travis at the plate: “He missed a big chunk of Spring Training, so he’s still working on getting his timing right.” Any seasoned baseball fan will tell you that Spring Training stats don’t matter, but in a game of inches, those repetitions are crucial for […]
Reviewing Stroman’s MVP Performance
Shouldering a championship trophy half his size, last night’s starter for Team USA contained his grin under the bright lights of Dodger Stadium as he soaked in his new title. Marcus Stroman, World Baseball Classic MVP. That’ll look really nice on the resume next to a B.A. in Sociology from Duke. Last night was possibly the […]
The Fly Ball Revolution Has Arrived in Toronto
2016 was an odd year for home runs; they went up by 14% between 2015 and 2016. The last time we saw so many home runs was in 2000, when the home run leaderboard looked like this. When this historic spike began to come into focus down the stretch last season, baseball writers had a […]