<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>Toronto &#187; Atlanta Braves</title>
	<atom:link href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/tag/atlanta-braves/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com</link>
	<description>Comprehensive coverage of the Toronto Blue Jays</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Tue, 24 Mar 2026 03:35:47 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<language>en-US</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
	<generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.1</generator>
	<item>
		<title>3 Things to Watch for Against the Atlanta Braves</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/05/15/3-things-to-watch-for-against-the-atlanta-braves/</link>
		<comments>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/05/15/3-things-to-watch-for-against-the-atlanta-braves/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 15 May 2017 10:51:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[BP Toronto Team]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Atlanta Braves]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Freddie Freeman]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=10909</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Written by Sean Addis, Dave Church, and Matt Gwin Freddie Freeman’s Ascension to Hitting Royalty Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman is the best kept secret in the major leagues. During the Braves&#8217; rebuilding process, Freeman was the one piece that the team wouldn&#8217;t move. He&#8217;s repaying that loyalty in a big way. Freddie Freeman [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center"><em>Written by Sean Addis, Dave Church, and Matt Gwin</em></p>
<h4>Freddie Freeman’s Ascension to Hitting Royalty</h4>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman is the best kept secret in the major leagues. During the Braves&#8217; rebuilding process, Freeman was the one piece that the team wouldn&#8217;t move. He&#8217;s repaying that loyalty in a big way.</span></p>
<p>Freddie Freeman has always been a solid hitter, but not quite as explosive as he is now. Over his first five seasons, <span style="font-weight: 400">he </span><span style="font-weight: 400">hit an average of 21 home runs and put up a slash line of .286/.368/.850.</span><span style="font-weight: 400"> But in his last 155 games, spanning most of 2016 and the start of 2017, </span><span style="font-weight: 400">Freeman has hit .315 with a .417 OBP, 1.046 OPS and 40 home runs. Those are numbers that should garner MVP votes, even for a player on a win-lacking team like the Braves.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">So, what changed?  In one word…everything. </span><a href="http://www.macon.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/bill-shanks/article150371132.html"><span style="font-weight: 400">Bill Shanks of The Telegraph</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> wrote that Freeman started this hot streak when Brian Snitker took over from Fredi Gonzalez as manager on May 16, 2016. He put Freeman third in the order and left him there. Shanks later went on to discuss how the addition of Matt Kemp provided Freeman with the protection he had been lacking behind him in the order.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">Exploring deeper into Freeman&#8217;s zone breakdown, it is clear that on pitches in the strike zone Freeman has made hard contact, excluding those up and middle away. This coupled with his patience at the plate makes him a difficult out.</span></p>
<p><a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/Screen-Shot-2017-05-14-at-8.55.21-PM.png"><img class="alignnone wp-image-10915 size-full" src="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/Screen-Shot-2017-05-14-at-8.55.21-PM.png" alt="Screen Shot 2017-05-14 at 8.55.21 PM" width="589" height="335" /></a></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">Another aspect of Freeman’s success has been his ability to hit almost any type of pitcher.  As seen in the Pitch Breakdown chart, the only pitch with enough of a sample size that has given him any difficulty are the two-seam fastball.  However, this will go against the Jays starters strengths as they rely on sinkers, curves, change ups and four-seam fastballs.  </span></p>
<p><a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/Screen-Shot-2017-05-14-at-8.55.31-PM.png"><img class="alignnone wp-image-10916 size-full" src="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/Screen-Shot-2017-05-14-at-8.55.31-PM.png" alt="Screen Shot 2017-05-14 at 8.55.31 PM" width="620" height="293" /></a></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">The key for the Blue Jays pitchers will be to make sure that Freddie Freeman doesn’t beat them. If they can neutralize him, it could go a long way to helping Toronto win the home and home series and continue their climb back to .500.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h4>The Bats Are Back in Town… Kind Of</h4>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">The Blue Jays&#8217; biggest problem so far this season has been one that they unfortunately brought over from last year: a struggling offense. An early injury to Josh Donaldson—the one bat in the lineup that wasn’t a cavernous sinkhole of disappointment—didn’t help matters, as the Jays struggled with a slow start.</span></p>
<p>The series against Seattle appears to have woken some of the dormant bats from their slumber. After scoring eight runs in the last game of the Cleveland series, the Jays have scored seven, four, seven, and three runs in the four games against Seattle. While this isn’t a huge outburst, it was a welcome sign to fans who have seen the Jays struggle and produce an offense that’s 21st in the majors in runs scored.</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">The outfielders have been leading the charge: Ezequiel Carrera, Kevin Pillar, and Jose Bautista, who have notched OPSs of 1.000, .925, and .946 respectively. While Pillar has been good at the plate for the majority of the season, it’s the return to form of Bautista which should be the most encouraging sign. <a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/05/08/the-early-season-struggles-of-jose-bautista/" target="_blank">BP Toronto’s Nick Dika speculated on this possibility</a> recently, which has borne out in his recent play.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">Normal reserve infielders (and defensive stalwarts) Darwin Barney and Ryan Goins have joined the hit parade as well, rocking OPSs of .905 and .901. Though they’re less likely than most to keep that up, any contributions they make until Troy Tulowitzki and Josh Donaldson return will help the Jays get back in contention.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">There are still some holes: Kendrys Morales and Devon Travis are scuffling, and Luke Maile is a hitter only in the sense that he holds a bat and addresses the plate as a hitter should. But after an abysmal start offensively to the season, seeing the Jays put up some crooked numbers is an excellent sign. A matchup against a struggling Braves team can only help their offense continue to get better.</span></p>
<h4></h4>
<h4>The Back End of the Blue Jays Bullpen Can Finally be Counted On</h4>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">Coming into the 2017 season, a back end of the Blue Jays bullpen that consisted of Roberto Osuna, Joe Biagini, and Jason Grilli looked like the one piece of the reliever puzzle that need not be worried about. After two seasons of wear, Osuna had shown no signs of regression from his dominance as a closer. Despite being a Rule 5 pick, Biagini flourished at every opportunity in which he was given more relief responsibility. While he had a rough start to the 2016 season in Atlanta, </span><a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&amp;stats=rel&amp;lg=all&amp;qual=y&amp;type=3&amp;season=2016&amp;month=31&amp;season1=2016&amp;ind=0&amp;team=0&amp;rost=0&amp;age=0&amp;filter=&amp;players=0&amp;sort=15,d&amp;page=2_30"><span style="font-weight: 400">Jason Grilli became a shutdown king in Toronto</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400">. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">Then April happened.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">In April, the Blue Jays were second only </span><a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&amp;stats=pit&amp;lg=all&amp;qual=0&amp;type=3&amp;season=2017&amp;month=4&amp;season1=2017&amp;ind=0&amp;team=0,ts&amp;rost=0&amp;age=0&amp;filter=&amp;players=0&amp;sort=15,d"><span style="font-weight: 400">second to the Milwaukee Brewers in meltdowns</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400">, and their </span><a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&amp;stats=rel&amp;lg=all&amp;qual=0&amp;type=8&amp;season=2017&amp;month=4&amp;season1=2017&amp;ind=0&amp;team=0,ts&amp;rost=0&amp;age=0&amp;filter=&amp;players=0&amp;sort=15,d"><span style="font-weight: 400">bullpen ERA was getting eerily close to 5.00</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400">. This was in large part due to failings from the back end two key pieces: Roberto Osuna and Jason Grilli. The former posted an April ERA of 5.63</span><span style="font-weight: 400">, the second highest single month mark of his career, while the latter couldn’t find the strike zone. The back end’s only saving grace was Joe Biagini; the only one of the trio to perform just as well as expected. However, as we now know, Biagini has left the setup role for a temporary(?) place in the rotation, leaving the Jays to find another solution. As such, the Blue Jays were left with two of their original late game trio, with the only two left fallen away behind expectations. The team needed a solution.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">One piece of that solution looks to have come in the form of tweaks from Roberto Osuna. Last Friday at BP Toronto, Dave Church wrote about how, in May, Osuna has</span><a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/05/12/roberto-osuna-back-to-doing-what-he-does-best/"><span style="font-weight: 400"> returned to the pitch mix that he’s been most successful with over the last two seasons</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400">. In addition, John Gibbons has slowly pulled back on the leash he gave Jason Grilli in the 8th inning. In April, Gibbons didn’t stray from his trust for Grilli late in the game, using him exclusively in the 8th inning, 9th inning, and high leverage extra innings. In five appearances from Jason Grilli in May, however, three have come in the 7th inning. In his place the Jays have utilized Joe Smith and a mix of Ryan Tepera, Aaron Loup, and Danny Barnes.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400"> While he struggled with the long ball throughout last season, in 2017 Smith has stepped up and returned to elite relief form. Joe Smith has spent a majority of his 11-year career pitching in the 8th and 9th innings. While that may not functionally be predictive of his ability to pitch in high leverage innings in 2017, it has certainly given John Gibbons the confidence to use Smith in those situations. As for the second setup spot, Tepera, Barnes, and Loup have all had adequate enough results to garner the position. Some have better peripherals than others (I&#8217;m looking at you Danny), but not so much so as to take hold of the spot and give John Gibbons a de facto setup choice. Perhaps this series against a poor Braves team will spark that separation.</span></p>
<p><em>Lead Photo: © Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports</em></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/05/15/3-things-to-watch-for-against-the-atlanta-braves/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Blue Jays to Acquire Jason Grilli</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/05/31/blue-jays-to-acquire-jason-grilli/</link>
		<comments>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/05/31/blue-jays-to-acquire-jason-grilli/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 31 May 2016 21:15:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Joshua Howsam]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Atlanta Braves]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jason Grilli]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Toronto Blue Jays]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=3271</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It looks like the Blue Jays are going to be getting some bullpen reinforcements after all, #BlueJays acquiring Jason Grilli from #Braves in exchange for Sean Ratcliffe, sources say. Story coming soon on @BB_Essential. &#8212; Robert Murray (@RobertMurrayBBE) May 31, 2016 According to reports, the Jays have agreed to a swap of minor league pitcher [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It looks like the Blue Jays are going to be getting some bullpen reinforcements after all,</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlueJays?src=hash">#BlueJays</a> acquiring Jason Grilli from <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Braves?src=hash">#Braves</a> in exchange for Sean Ratcliffe, sources say. Story coming soon on <a href="https://twitter.com/BB_Essential">@BB_Essential</a>.</p>
<p>&mdash; Robert Murray (@RobertMurrayBBE) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobertMurrayBBE/status/737746952289288192">May 31, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>According to reports, the Jays have agreed to a swap of minor league pitcher Sean Ratcliffe for veteran reliever, Jason Grilli.</p>
<p>As some of you may remember, the Blue Jays were actually very close to signing Grilli when he eventually re-upped with Pittsburgh after the 2012 season. He pitched a couple of good years there before being traded to the Angels for human homer machine, Ernesto Frieri, then signed with Atlanta following the 2014 season. His Atlanta tenure started out brilliantly, as he struck out 45 batters in 33 innings and posted a 2.94 ERA, and once again the Jays showed interest in acquiring his services, but his season was cut short by a torn achilles.</p>
<p>Fully healthy this year, Grilli was installed as the Braves closer The plan was surely to flip him at the deadline and install Arodys Vizcaino as the closer, but a disastrous few outings caused that switch to happen a lot sooner than expected. At the time of this trade, Grilli has a 5.29 ERA in 17 innings of work. The strikeouts are still there, with a very healthy K/9 of 12.2 (23 Ks), but his command has been horrible. In those 17 innings, he has walked 13 batters (6.9 BB/9). He has never been a command specialist, per se, but that&#8217;s far and away the worst rate of his career.</p>
<p>One argument would suggest that he is bound for some regression in that area, but Grilli is 39 years old, and happens to be dealing with some lost velocity.</p>
<p style="text-align: center"><a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/05/Brooksbaseball-Chart-1.png"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-3272" src="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/05/Brooksbaseball-Chart-1.png" alt="Brooksbaseball-Chart (1)" width="500" height="333" /></a></p>
<p>Like the last closer the Blue Jays have brought in (Storen), Grilli is down over two miles per hour from his 2015 averages, and over one and a half from his 2014 numbers. The max velocity numbers are even more worrying.</p>
<p style="text-align: center"><a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/05/Brooksbaseball-Chart-151.jpeg"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-3273" src="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/05/Brooksbaseball-Chart-151.jpeg" alt="Brooksbaseball-Chart (15)" width="500" height="333" /></a></p>
<p>Grilli&#8217;s max fastball velocity is down over 2.5 mph from the last three seasons. He had an abridged spring training (still recovering), so he could be still rounding into form, but is also getting fewer missed swings on his slider. In short, there are lots of reasons to worry.</p>
<p>All of that being said, this is a relatively low cost pickup. Sean Ratcliffe is from the Toronto area (Ajax), but has yet to reach full-season minor league ball. He was a former 18th round pick (2013), and has pitched as a reliever his entire time in the minor leagues. At 21 years old already, he does not appear likely for a big league future. Even though the Braves are picking up all but the pro-rated minimum, it still amounts to not much more than a salary dump for Atlanta.</p>
<p>So Grilli is finally a Blue Jay and it cost them basically nothing. The expectations should be low, but if there is even a small chance that he can recover any of his former glory, it&#8217;s a good move. Even if he just pitches slightly better, it&#8217;s a great move.</p>
<p>After all, the bullpen can use all the help it can get.</p>
<p><em>Lead Photo: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports</em></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/05/31/blue-jays-to-acquire-jason-grilli/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
	</channel>
</rss>
