The Blue Jays are currently caught in a tough spot. They continue to boast a core group of players with several years of control remaining: Marcus Stroman, Aaron Sanchez, Roberto Osuna, Devon Travis, Joe Biagini, and Kevin Pillar. They also have money tied up long term to some aging players to help complement the young […]
Tag: Russell Martin
Bold Predictions for the Blue Jays in the Second Half
Monday night’s game against the Yankees marked the official midpoint of the 2017 Blue Jays’ season. While the season hasn’t played out the way Blue Jays fans would have liked thus far, there are 78 games still to be played. And a lot can happen in 78 games. Speaking of a lot happening in 78 […]
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 […]
Russell Martin on the Art of Pitch Calling: A Masters in Communication
“If you believe your catcher is intelligent and you know that he has considerable experience, it is a good thing to leave the game almost entirely in his hands.” – Bob Feller DUNEDIN – Catcher defense is an interesting thing. When trying to evaluate it, most of the talk has shifted towards pitch framing (or […]
Re-assessing How We View Russell Martin for 2017
Russell Martin is the best catcher that has ever played for the Blue Jays, and he’s a stark contrast for a history littered with with fan favourites, defensive wizards who couldn’t hit, the occasional serviceable veteran who put in a few good years, and several catchers-of-the-future who never quite lived up to their billing. It’s […]
An Early End to the Blue Jays Comeback (and Season)
TORONTO – Well, that didn’t last long. The hope, the optimism, the belief – they all died quickly in the Blue Jays’ ALCS Game 5 matinee against Cleveland. Cleveland scored three times, once in the first, then again in the third and fourth, and the Jays hardly threatened, if ever. Ryan Merritt threw slop that […]
Blue Jays Bats Stay Silent
TORONTO – It’s no fun to pile on when a person is down, but so far in the American League Championship Series the Toronto Blue Jays have been completely outplayed in every facet. No one is going to point fingers at the Jays’ pitching, but a whole lot of weight falls on the shoulders of […]
The Blue Jays’ Canadian Trio on the Playoffs in Toronto
Toronto – The postseason is the biggest stage that Major League Baseball has to offer. It’s a time of high intensity, high pressure, and high stakes. Every little detail matters. In the course of a season, or even a game, a misplay or poor decision can go unnoticed. Lost in the greater context of events […]
Assessing the Trade Deadline: The Upgrades We Haven’t Talked About
This week marked the passing of the Major League Baseball non-waiver trade deadline. With the Blue Jays a year removed from the trade deadline to end all trade deadlines, this season’s transactional activity lacked the same excitement as 2015. While this year’s moves may not be as sexy, that doesn’t mean the Blue Jays’ front […]
Recap: Blue Jays 10, Orioles 9; Two Unlikely Homers Lead the Jays to Victory
With four doubles, the Blue Jays put up five runs in the bottom of the first inning and appeared to be on their way to a smooth Sunday win. Ubaldo Jiminez made his shortest start of the season, getting just one out and giving up five runs before giving way to Vance Worley. Aaron Sanchez […]