Troy Tulowitzki and David Price it’s not, but the Blue Jays have called the opposing dugout and have swung a trade with the visiting San Diego Padres. Sources: #BlueJays agree to acquire Melvin Upton Jr. from #Padres for Class A prospect. Financial terms not known. Likely finalized today. — Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 26, 2016 […]
Author: Kyle Matte
Josh Donaldson: The Draft Versus Development
Josh Donaldson was a first round draft pick, and given that he was named the American League’s Most Valuable Player just eight short months ago, this probably doesn’t come as much of a surprise. With the draft, and prospects, and international signings transitioning from niche interest to national news over the last decade, these young […]
How Aaron Sanchez Found Success vs Left Handed Hitters
Aaron Sanchez can manhandle a right-handed batter with the best of them. For his career, same sided hitters have slashed a less-than-robust .175/.243/.220 in 380 plate appearances. He allowed a home run to Adrian Beltre on May 15th, and that moment is only noteworthy because it represented the first dinger that he had surrendered to a right […]
Pitch Homogenization and Marcus Stroman’s Breaking Balls
Prior to being selected by the Blue Jays as the 22nd overall pick back in the 2012 draft, Marcus Stroman was drawing attention as an amateur prospect primarily for two reasons: a mid-90’s four-seam fastball and an upper 80’s slider, the combination of which guided him to an impressive 136 strikeouts over 98 innings in […]
Gavin Floyd: The Quasi Drew Storen
The closer debate began the moment the Blue Jays traded for Drew Storen back in January, and the embers of the competition were stoked throughout the full duration of camp. It wasn’t until March 30th that manager John Gibbons made the announcement that Roberto Osuna had won the battle and would continue the role in […]
On Stroman, Sanchez, and the Struggles With Fastball Classification
Neither Aaron Sanchez nor Marcus Stroman relies upon a four seam fastball as their primary hard-type offering. This has led many to envelop the hard-type pitches that they do throw into one single category with an interchangeable name; sinkers and two seam fastballs. While it’s an understandable association to make, given that both have great […]
Recap: Dodgers 6, Blue Jays 2; Kershaw Wins, Grass is Green, Water is Wet
It was just one inning, but when the other team has the best pitcher on the planet on the mound, sometimes that’s all it takes. Los Angeles sent six men to the plate in a three-run third inning, with four reaching on a trio of singles and a fielding error by second baseman Darwin Barney. […]
Troy Tulowitzki: The Blue Jays’ Linchpin Shrouded in Uncertainty
Josh Donaldson is going to be great. Jose Bautista is in week three of his six month rampage towards free agency. It’s probably not going to be pretty, and will assuredly include many thrown bats, nicks, bumps, and bruises along the way, but somehow Edwin Encarnacion is going to mash forty home runs. With the […]
Drew Storen Named Setup Man; A Temporary Loss for Progressive Thinking
Just yesterday it was announced that Roberto Osuna, the 21-year old Mexican who single handedly kept the bullpen looking somewhat respectable over the first two months of the 2015 season, would again be acting as the fireman at the back-end of John Gibbons’ bullpen to start the 2016 season. While Osuna did absolutely nothing to lose the […]
How the Blue Jays Can Emulate the Rays Pitching Success
The 2016 season opens for the Blue Jays in Tampa Bay against the Rays, and it’s an interesting coincidence, at least in the purview of this article, given the way that the new Toronto front office appears to be constructing its pitching staff. It’s certainly not a bad strategy to mimic; despite getting just 24 total […]