Jays Pitching The Lone Cause For Concern Down The Stretch

     Even with the acquisition of David Price back in late July, pitching remains the Blue Jays' achilles heel as we are now into the final month of regular season play. The Blue Jays are (without a doubt) the best team in baseball since the all-star break, and their pitching has been rock solid for them the past month. For the most part. Amidst the star-studded batting order and flashy defence, pitching will be the one area of this Blue Jays team that will have you pulling your hair out as we head down the final stretch of the season.

     Let's get this out of the way now, there shouldn't be any doubt in the ability of the Blue Jays rotation, especially with David Price. When Price takes the mount, you're almost guaranteed a quality start. That's assured. It's the rest of the rotation that scares me a bit. It helps that the other four pitchers are on a roll right now (minus Drew Hutchison) and the team is giving them major run support, but down the stretch, if the Jays' bats can't provide 7-8 runs a game, there is some fear of the Jays' pitching not being able to hold down the fort against the best in the majors. It should also be noted that Marco Estrada has done a tremendous job for the Blue Jays this season and aside from the MVP season from Josh Donaldson you could argue his rise has been the biggest factor to the Jays having the success they've had this season. Without Marco Estrada, you aren't near .500 when you're entering the all-star break / trade deadline. It's not like the Jays' pitching has been atrocious this season, far from that, but it's still an area of concern for the blue birds.

     If there's a single starter who reflects the Jays' pitching staff this season, it's Drew Hutchison. Hutch has a great record of 13-3. If you don't look past that, you'd think Hutchison is having a great season. However, that's not exactly the case. Hutchison sports a 5.07 ERA with a 1.42 WHIP. If you didn't look at his record and saw those stats, you'd think his record would be terrible. Luckily, Hutchison has gotten the best run support in the league and has been able to shut the door when he's needed to to allow the Jays to win ball games. It's not a bad thing, but down the stretch against world series contenders, you can't have pitchers giving up a baserunner or two every inning, it will come back to bite you. His last start doesn't help Jays' fans sleep easily either, as he went 5 innings, allowing 9 hits and giving up 6 earned runs to the Baltimore Orioles on home turf. Not what you want to see from your 4-5 starter heading down the stretch.

     While R.A. Dickey's tenure as a Blue Jay has been a bumpy one to say the least, he's done his part since the all-star break. Minus a rough outing or two his knuckleball has been fooling the opposition since late July, which is what we need to see from him here in September when wins are more important than ever. The only cause for concern with Dickey is the unpredictability. On any given day his knuckleball just might not have the movement needed and could get knocked around. That being said, that theory swings both ways, but unpredictability isn't something you want heading down the stretch. If Dickey can continue to throw quality starts as we approach the post-season, he'll be much more reliable on the hill for the Jays when they need it in October.

     Mark Buehrle is the grizzled veteran of the group, and all season he's been captain consistent. He doesn't throw anything extremely hard or eye-opening but he's a technician on the mound. He hits his spots and keeps the ball in the park and in play for his teammates. He's had a couple bumps in the road in his last few starts which is unsettling, but Jays fans shouldn't have to worry much about the performance of the Bulldog in the last portion of the season.

     The Blue Jays bullpen has been an area of concern the entire season. With Brett Cecil and Aaron Loup both having disapointing seasons and the downfall of Steve Delabar, the Jays bullpen needed new life to step in and help stop the bleeding. Luckily for the blue birds, 20-year-old Roberto Osuna did just that. Osuna now has 16 saves out of the bullpen and has looked composed as can be on the mound in very stressful and pressure-cooker situations. The most impressive stat for Osuna is his WHIP, which currently sits at 0.86. Not only is he baffling the opposing hitters with incredible velocity and movement, he's also keeping runners off base in the late innings. Not to mention, Bo Schultz has done a terrific job as well this season as he's answered the call and then some. The addition of LaTroy Hawkins to the bullpen has also helped the young Jays relievers immensely, as the 20-year veteran has imposed a much more veteran-feel to the pen. It also helps that Hawkins has been lights out since coming over from the Rockies. With Marcus Stroman looking like he'll be coming out of the bullpen in the near future, it'll only fortify the Jays' resurgence out of the pen.

     Again, I'm not saying the Jays' pitching is terrible by any means, but if there's an achilles heel to this juggernaut squad, it's on the hill. Here's to hoping the Blue Jays' pitching continues to shut the door and allows their bats to distance them from the opponent, as they approach the final chunk of the season with a small lead and a chance to break a 22-year post-season drought.

Why Josh Donaldson Will Be The 2015 American League MVP

Just a few days ago, Blue Jays Central's Gregg Zaun made quite the surprising statement, saying that Josh Donaldson had zero chance of winning the 2015 AL MVP, picking Mike Trout to win the honour with six weeks left in the regular season. Now this isn't a major issue by any means in regards to the Blue Jays as a team, but it shocks me that Zaun didn't even consider the Blue Jays all-star third baseman as a candidate for the Most Valuable Player award. While there's still six weeks left in the Blue Jays' season, not only do I think Donaldson is in the running for the AL MVP, I think he will win the MVP award.

To this point, Josh Donaldson is batting .296 with 33 home runs and an MLB-leading 91 RBI's. Into the more advanced statistics, Donaldson has a .365 on-base percentage and a .940 OPS percentage, ranking 7th in the majors in that stat category. It's without question that Donaldson has been the backbone of the Blue Jays' season to this date, as on both sides of the ball he has been front and center since coming to Toronto in the offseason. Mike Trout is no stranger to being front and center in his young career. Trout is the face of baseball, I get that, but the MVP award isn't a popularity contest. In almost every aspect, Donaldson has had a better season than Mike Trout, with both men leading the way for their respective ball clubs. In comparison, Trout is batting .294 with 33 home runs and 71 RBI's. In the advanced statistics, Trout has a slight advantage over Donaldson with a .391 on-base percentage and a .977 OPS percentage. Trout's speed also gives him a small advantage on the basepaths, as he has stolen 10 bases this season over Donaldson's 4, but that won't be the difference in an MVP race like this one. Donaldson also leads the majors with 63 extra base hits, while Trout sits tied for 5th with 57. It's no doubt a tight race between the two all-stars, but in my opinion, the advantage at the plate goes to Josh Donaldson.

I don't think there's any question in the defensive abilities of Mike Trout in center field. While his raw talent puts him first in putouts from center, and also with the help of advanced statistics, it's clear cut that Trout is the best defensive outfielder in the majors. Josh Donaldson doesn't have the consistency defensively like Trout does, but he's still exceled over at third base for the Jays this season. He's made a handful of unreal grabs and plays from the hot corner, as he also holds onto the most putouts by a third basemen in the majors. While it's clear cut that Trout is the better defensive player of the two, Donaldson has still had a terrific season at third base for the Jays this season.

The deciding factor between the two comes down to the turnaround by the Jays this season, and how much Donaldson has contributed to this team. Trout and the Angels have been postseason contenders for a few years now, with Trout leading the way each and every season. Donaldson came into a brand-new clubhouse this season and from April onwards he lead the way, something that hasn't been highlighted enough in the midst of the Blue Jays' success. If the Blue Jays make the postseason, it'll be the first time the Jays enter the playoffs since they won the World Series back in 1993, that's a 22 year drought, the longest in the majors. It's something statistics can't judge, Josh Donaldson has led the way for the Blue Jays from the beginning of the season and has been the biggest factor in the Jays turning the ship around this year.

While both Mike Trout and Josh Donaldson are all-star caliber players both in the hunt for the AL MVP title, to write off Donaldson with so much time left in the season is ridiculous. I have firm belief that Donaldson can continue at the pace he is hitting right now and win the AL Most Valuable Player award when all is said and done.

Blue Jays Returning Players to Make Bigger Impact Than Trade

     It's not hard to be dissapointed that the Toronto Blue Jays failed to make any moves at the MLB trade deadline, but you have to look at the bigger picture to see why Alex Anthopoulous held back on making a splash (or even a ripple) at the deadline. With many key players out of the line-up and set to return in the near future, the return of the Jays' star players will make much a bigger impact than any trade could make.

     Sure, the Blue Jays missed out on a quality stater in both Jon Lester and David Price, but at what cost? The Oakland Athletics gave up back-to-back home run derby champion Yoenis Cespedes to acquire Lester, and Lester's contract expires at the end of the season, meaning the A's could be trading away Cespedes for a pitcher they could only have for the next two months. For the Blue Jays, landing either Price or Lester would've meant trading away the shallow prospect pool they have and then some, ruining the chance at a future pennant-winning team. So why take a chance on a pitcher who could leave your organization in the next handful of months for your entire future? It simply doesn't make sense for the Blue Jays at their state and it's a good thing Anthopoulous didn't budge at the deadline.

     When you look at the Blue Jays starting infield right now, it seems like a AAA team is being fielded by manager John Gibbons. Aside from Jose Reyes, you have Ryan Goins, Munenori Kawasaki, Danny Valencia, Juan Francisco and Steve Tolleson taking turns at various positions on the infield. Without Edwin Encarnacion and Brett Lawrie on the corners and Adam Lind at first, the team loses a lot of defensive liability, and it shouldn't even have to be mentioned how much it hurts their offensive game as well.

     And while the Blue Jays are just 2.5 games back of the Baltimore Orioles for the lead in the AL East, there's still 41 games left to play, which is ample time for Encarnacion and Lawrie to contribute and contend for a division title. Not to mention, the Blue Jays still have a 3-game lead with the second wildcard spot in the American League, which would face them off against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in a one game showdown to see who takes on the best of the AL in the ALDS.

     It's too bad the Blue Jays couldn't rack in an all-star pitcher or a go-to second baseman at the MLB Trade Deadline, but it's not the end of the world by any means. When the Blue Jays are healthy, they have one of the most potent line-ups in the American League. As long as the current roster stays healthy for the majority of the remaining season and Encarnacion and Lawrie return on time, the Blue Jays still have an excellent chance at contending for a division title.

   

A Streak to Remember

      Behind the insane offence from Edwin Encarnacion and some stellar defence, the Toronto Blue Jays are having a month to remember. The Blue Jays are the winners of nine straight and fifteen of their last twenty games, taking over 1st in the AL East and becoming arguably the hottest team in the Majors. The month of May has been one that Blue Jays fans have been craving for a long time, and if the Jays can keep getting the same production and defence as they're getting now, we could finally see some October baseball north of the border once again.

     The Blue Jays have been gifted with an explosive core of offence for the last four seasons, lead by their two main power hitters, Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion. While Joey Bats has had an average start to his 2014 campaign, Encarnacion had a relatively slow start to the season before May

Encarnacion has been locked in this month.

came around. However, Edwin turned on beast mode once the calendar flipped to May. Encarnacion has hit a team record 14 home runs in the month of may thus far, and there's still a couple of games left before the month is over to try and tack on a few more bombs. The offence has surged while Edwin has lead the way, with breakout months from Anthony Gose, Brett Lawrie, Juan Francisco and Jose Reyes. It's been a collective effort for the Blue Jays' offence, but Encarnacion has been the spark that has ignited the team.

     Adding onto the ridiculous offence, the Jays' defence has also played a contributing role to the streak the Blue Jays are enjoying. With a collection of outstanding plays from Anthony Gose, Brett Lawrie and Melky Cabrera in just the last game, the Jays' position players have bailed out the pitching staff multiple times during this run. It shouldn't be ignored that even some of the below-average defensive players in Adam Lind, Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Bautista have also chipped in with some uncharacteristic plays to keep the opponents off the scoreboard.

     Whether it has been Edwin blasting the ball into deep left field or Anthony Gose climbing the wall to make a spectacular catch, the Toronto Blue Jays are on a roll. Behind some solid pitching from Mark Buehrle and R.A. Dickey being sufficient enough to get the job done, the Blue Jays have been able to topple some of the MLB's finest, including the sweep of the Boston Red Sox, Oakland Athletics and Tampa Bay Rays. There's still a long season ahead, but the Blue Jays are giving fans some promise, something this organization hasn't seen in a long time.

The Bulldog Comes Up Big

     After a close 4-2 victory last night, the Toronto Blue Jays got another quality performance from their starting pitcher in a characteristic 3-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays, putting the team over.500 for the first time since Carlos Delgado's departure (kidding). Mark Buehrle froze the Tampa Bay Rays' batters numerous times, striking out 9 of his 11 victims while the bat lay on their shoulders. Jose Bautista hit his first bomb of the season, and the Blue Jays played a rock solid defensive game behind a stellar pitching performance. Unlike the season opener, this was a game that the Blue Jays want to remember.

     The MVP for the Blue Jays was without a doubt their starting pitcher, Mark Buehrle. Buehrle went 8 and 2/3 innings, striking out 11 batters while only allowing 4 hits and 1 walk. Buehrle was a

Mark Buehrle had a performance to remember.

machine, as he used his veteran pitching knowledge to his advantage, striking out 9 of his 11 victims looking. Buehrle didn't overwhelm any batters with his mid-80 speed, but his pitch selection and placement was perfect. It should also be noted that Buehrle and newly acquired catcher Dioner Navarro created some great chemistry throughout the game, as the two were both on the same page the whole way through. For Buehrle, who is usually a slow starter with a 6.35 ERA in April last season and a 4.35 ERA career in April, it was a breath of fresh air for Mark Buehrle to get the season off on the right foot.

     The Jays' defence was also critical in the victory, as the team behind Buehrle made some stellar defensive plays and never commited an error in the victory. In particular, Jonathan Diaz was lights out at short stop, making some nice stabs at hot ground balls to make the hard plays look easy. Colby Rasmus also played very well in the game, tracking down some difficult balls that originally looked like trouble. It should also be noted that the Blue Jays are having all of this success without the services of all-star short stop Jose Reyes, who is on the 15-day DL with hamstring tightness. If the Jays could have a defensive game like that night in and night out, maybe the Blue Jays can become contenders again.

     The Blue Jays' offence wasn't dynamite, but they cashed in when they were given the opportunity much more often than they have in the games prior. Jose Bautista led things off in the 4th inning with a

Joey Bats had 2 solo bombs in the 3-0 victory.

bomb to left field off a hanging curve ball from Matt Moore, giving the Jays the 1-0 lead. After a clutch double from Edwin Encarnacion, Dioner Navarro would deliver, cashing in Edwin from 2nd to give the Jays a 2-0 lead. Joey Bats would cap off the night with his second dinger of the night, taking Josh Leuke deep to left in the 7th to give the Jays a commanding 3-0 lead. From there on, Buehrle took over and secured the victory for the Jays. If there is any concern on the offensive side thus far, it's Brett Lawrie. Lawrie is now 0/10 on the season and is still awaiting his first hit in the young season. It seems like Lawrie has changed his swing, slowing down his movement and planting his feet a bit more in his stance, which has caused some speed bumps for the 24 year old. Lawrie just needs to settle down and get back to his game, but his defensive play has been top notch thus far, so it's not like it's a pressing matter at the moment.

     The Blue Jays close out the series tomorrow, with Brandon Morrow taking the mound to take on Chris Archer in the series finale. After a horrendus start to the series, the Blue Jays have outscored the Rays 7-2 in the past two games and have tamed the Rays' offence. Mark Buehrle might have been the star, but the Toronto Blue Jays should be feeling confident with their progress since the disastrous season opener. The Blue Jays will exit the opening series with a .500 record at the least, and that has to be assuring for a team that has had troubles against the Rays in the past. Last season, starting pitching was the biggest question mark on the team, but with the stellar performances from both Hutchison and Buehrle, Jays fans are finally being assured of some solid starting pitching. R.A. Dickey on the other hand, still has some explaining to do. Regardless, the Blue Jays happily take the 3-0 victory on the back of a red hot Mark Buehrle, and hope to keep the momentum rolling heading into the series finale tomorrow night.

Same Old, Same Old in Toronto

     After a horrendus season that had the Blue Jays as World Series contenders, the Toronto Blue Jays looked to put a dark season behind them and start fresh for the 2014 season in their season opener in

Tampa Bay. However, nothing has changed in Toronto. Alex Anthopoulous (don't check my spelling on that one) made little to no moves in the offseason, and it showed on Monday afternoon. R.A. Dickey had a rough outing, allowing six walks and six earned runs in just five innings of work in an eventual loss. Dickey couldn't throw strikes consistently, and when he did, he got knocked around by the eager Rays. Not to mention, Jose Reyes left after just half an inning with a left hamstring injury, one that he aggravated in spring training. It's the start all Jays fans feared, and it's coming in the worse way.

     R.A. Dickey is quite the odd character. To be thirty-nine years old and be the only knuckleballer in the MLB and the #1 pitcher of the Toronto Blue Jays. Dickey was coming off a Cy Young season

R.A. Dickey had a rough outing to start the 2014 season.

when he was traded to the Blue Jays, in return for top prospect Travis D'Arnaud and much more of the Jays bright future. Although he had a better second half of 2013, Dickey's season was still nowhere up to snub. Dickey was announced the opening day starter for the second straight season, and for the second straight season, the Jays lost. Dickey got shelled in his five innings of work, with the bullpen warming up as early as the third inning to relieve the #1 pitcher. Dickey struggled to find the strike zone all game, as he walked six, yes, six batters in just five innings of work. When Dickey did find the zone, he got knocked around for five hits and six earned runs before being chased out of the mound. It was a rocky start to the season for the knuckleballer, to say the least.

     Although Dickey had a bad outing, his offence didn't back him up. The Blue Jays had two runners on base with none out twice in the first three innings, and failed to generate any runs both times. The Blue Jays were 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position, something that will need to be fixed if the Blue Jays want to have a successful season. Pinch hitter Erick Kratz was the only Blue Jay to get on the board, as he knocked a 2-run homer off of David Price in the eighth inning, ending Price's shutout. It's alarming when Maicer Izturis, Josh Thole and Erick Kratz are your most productive hitters at the plate over guys like Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion and Brett Lawrie. Despite Dickey's failure on the mound, the Jays should also be held accountable at the plate.

     Although there are still 161 games remaining in the 2014 season, the Toronto Blue Jays did not get off on the right foot against the Rays in their season opener. The pitching was bad, the hitting was bad, the team was bad. All Jays fans are hoping for a bounceback game from the boys in blue and white, as Drew Hutchison takes the mound to face-off against Alex Cobb. Opening day may not be a foreshadowing for the rest of the season, but it was an opportunity missed to get the 2014 season headed in the right direction.