Blue Jays Discussion: It's the off-season. Stuff might happen. Or it might not.

[The Nemesis]

Also because the playoffs start on Tuesday I'm not going to have time for a brand new set of playoff avatars before then. So in lieu of that here once again is the full set of ones I made for the season:

Relief Pitchers

Infielders

Outfielders

Variants

류현진
(Ryu Hyun-Jin - Korean Nameplate ver.)

山口 俊
(Yamaguchi Shun - Japanese Nameplate ver.)

Click to read more...

 

[jetsforever]

Awesome to return to the playoffs! The youth movement is coming together nicely.

 

[Clark4Ever]

The best of 3 format in the opening round gives us a better shot at pulling off an upset.

 

[Dr.Funk]

 

[phillipmike]

 

[82Ninety42011]

This is awesome and great for the kids and organization. Hopefully we win some games and maybe get lucky go all the way. Huge confidence builder for a very young team. Brighter days have arrived for the Jays and were just starting the window to compete !!

 

[canucksfan]

With the Jays clinching, the Mariners still have the longest playoff drought. Haven't made the playoffs since 2001.

 

[stickty111]

Agreed with your suggestions guys. I think I might prefer Panik playing over Villar though. Villar hasn't done much yet and could be used as a PH or PR option in the game.

Thought Vlad was fantastic today as well.

 

[phillipmike]

Jays won 3 of 4 vs the Yankees here. If we got all 4 we would have the same record as the Yankees. Still only 2 games behind the Yankees. Got to win out and hope for the Yankees to lose 2 or more to have a shot at catching them.

Jays clinch on a minor league field. Has to be the first time in MLB history.

 

[canucksfan]

Grichuk better batting 6th or 7th. What sucks is Jays play the O's and he crushes them so Montoyo likely will put him up higher in the lineup.

 

[canucksfan]

Jays won 3 of 4 vs the Yankees here. If we got all 4 we would have the same record as the Yankees. Still only 2 games behind the Yankees. Got to win out and hope for the Yankees to lose 2 or more to have a shot at catching them.

Jays clinch on a minor league field. Has to be the first time in MLB history.

On a similar note, Yankees are terrible away from their stadium. Unfortunately for us their final series is at Yankee stadium.

 

[phillipmike]

Ryu has to be the Jays MVP. We wouldnt be in the playoffs without him.

Jays pitching f WAR: 4.1 fWAR
Jays starting pitching fWAR: 2.2 fWAR

Ryu's fWAR: 1.9 fWAR

Almost half of all the Jays fWAR from all pitchers and almost half from all starters.

 

[phillipmike]

Post-season seeding implications if the Jays sweep the Orioles this weekend

If the Jays win out against Baltimore, they will finish with a 33-27 record. It is the only way that the Jays can move up in the playoff seedings. Winning 2 out of 3 would not be good enough, even if we ended up tied with the Yankees.
Here is what could happen with post-season seeding if that occurs:

• Cleveland: If they lose all remaining games, the Jays would grab the 7th seed.
• Both teams would be tied in overall record (33-27)
• Both teams would be tied in the first tie-breaker (intradivisional records, 23-17)
• Both teams would be tied in the second tie-breaker (record over last 20 intradivisional games, 12-8)
• Toronto would win the third tie-breaker (keep adding a game to the last 20 intradivisional games, and the Jays won their 21st-last intradivisional game (against BAL) and Cleveland lost theirs (against MIN)
• Yankees: If they lose 3 or 2 games, the Jays would grab the 2nd seed in the AL East, and the 5th seed overall.
• If the Yankees lose 3 games, then the Jays would have the better record (33-27 vs 32-28), and win the spot outright.
• If the Yankees lose 2 games, then they would be tied overall (33-27).
• Both teams would be tied on the first tie-breaker (head-to-head record, 5-5).
• Both teams would be tied on the second tie-breaker (intradivisional record, 23-17).
• Toronto would win the third tie-breaker (last 20 intradivisional games) 12-8 vs 11-9.

There are no other teams the Jays can catch in the post-season seedings. The Astros (or Angels) would finish 2nd in the AL West, so they would automatically finish ahead of the Jays.

 

[Brock Boeser Laser Show]

Ryu has to be the Jays MVP. We wouldnt be in the playoffs without him.

Jays pitching f WAR: 4.1 fWAR
Jays starting pitching fWAR: 2.2 fWAR

Ryu's fWAR: 1.9 fWAR

Almost half of all the Jays fWAR from all pitchers and almost half from all starters.

They won 9 of his 12 starts.

21-24 in non ryu starts

really shows the need to upgrade the rest of the rotation. Someone like Bauer would make a world of difference. Same with a healthy Pearson or big year from SWR.

 

[phillipmike]

They won 9 of his 12 starts.

21-24 in non ryu starts

really shows the need to upgrade the rest of the rotation. Someone like Bauer would make a world of difference. Same with a healthy Pearson or big year from SWR.

We would be legit division contenders with an arm like Bauer joining Ryu. Dont care about draft picks anymore, would go after as many qualified free agent pitchers as possible.

 

[Morgs]

Ryu has to be the Jays MVP. We wouldnt be in the playoffs without him.

Jays pitching f WAR: 4.1 fWAR
Jays starting pitching fWAR: 2.2 fWAR

Ryu's fWAR: 1.9 fWAR

Almost half of all the Jays fWAR from all pitchers and almost half from all starters.

Him or Teo. Biggio is the only other one even in the conversation.

Just shows how vital it is for us to get another top of the rotation starter going into next season.

 

[phillipmike]

I got 25.8 to make it the youngest in Jays history but ill trust Sarah Langs as she does this for a living.

 

[canucksfan]

They won 9 of his 12 starts.

21-24 in non ryu starts

really shows the need to upgrade the rest of the rotation. Someone like Bauer would make a world of difference. Same with a healthy Pearson or big year from SWR.

Agreed. What's nice is the position players are pretty good. 3b is the most pressing upgrade but Groshans or Martin could be fairly close. I would like an upgrade in CF. The other positions are set.

Rotation, I would like them to bring Ray back and as you said, another top pitcher would be a huge acquisition.

Ryu
Bauer/Someone similar
Pearson
Stripling
Ray

 

[The Nemesis]

Him or Teo. Biggio is the only other one even in the conversation.

Just shows how vital it is for us to get another top of the rotation starter going into next season.

Ahem

 

[Revolt]

Can't wait to watch playoff baseball again!

 

[phillipmike]

First Impressions: C Alejandro Kirk

Through 5 starts and 17 at-bats, Kirk has done exactly what you’d expect someone with his track record of hitting throughout his minor league career to do, hit. He has hit, and his stats are impressive. Although it’s a small sample size, you can’t take away how impressive his start to his career has been. Kirk’s track record and reports were that he makes a ton of contact, doesn’t strikeout, and isn’t the best defensively. He has done exactly what most scouts believe he’d do, hit and play below-average defense.

Go Ahead And Believe In Alejandro Kirk | Defector

It’s not that no one saw Kirk coming, exactly. He is unusual enough, in enough ways, that he’s been hard to miss from the moment he signed with Toronto. Scout Aaron Acosta had tried to sign Kirk after seeing him play as a teenager in Tijuana, first failing to convince the Rays to do so and then making Kirk his first signing after moving on to the Jays.

Last year, Lansing Lugnuts broadcaster Jesse Goldberg-Strassler asked Acosta how good Kirk could be. “Oh, oh my god,” Acosta said. He noted that Kirk won the triple crown in the Mexican Academic League, but said that what really popped for him was that Kirk also stole 20 bases. “And this kid, he is not fast,” Acosta said. In the second game of Lansing’s season last year, Kirk stole home.

Kirk’s limitations matter, and will have an impact on what kind of career he has; this is how it goes for baseball players and everyone else who works for a living. But the limits of baseball’s imagination seem to have mattered much more when it comes to gauging what that career might be than anything that Kirk has yet to master. One evaluator, who is notably high on Kirk, was frustrated at how Kirk has been assessed. “His Trackman data is absolutely absurd,” he said. “If he didn’t look the way he does, he’d have been a top 2-3 prospect in the game the last few years.” Few other scouts have said as much, but that’s the point. Everything that can be measured all suggest that Kirk is a hitting savant; the less-tangible things that still have a bearing on player evaluation speak well of him, too, as everyone that has been around Kirk has praised his makeup and dedication.

Would be fitting if we played Tampa and Kirk excelled us past them into the next round.

 

[Discoverer]

The Jays are going to be a clear underdog and expected to lose no matter who they play. If they play Tampa Bay, beating them could avenge a decade of frustration with that team in three days.

I say bring on the Rays.

 

[Discoverer]

Agreed. What's nice is the position players are pretty good. 3b is the most pressing upgrade but Groshans or Martin could be fairly close. I would like an upgrade in CF. The other positions are set.

Rotation, I would like them to bring Ray back and as you said, another top pitcher would be a huge acquisition.

Ryu
Bauer/Someone similar
Pearson
Stripling
Ray

I would love Justin Turner on a short-term deal. Plug him in at 3B to fill in until Groshans or Martin is ready, and if they come up while he's still around then you can figure it out at that point.

 

[Cloned]

I think you have to re-sign Walker. He's not old and if he stays healthy he's a very good #3 and a makeshift #2.

 

[kb]

I think you have to re-sign Walker. He's not old and if he stays healthy he's a very good #3 and a makeshift #2.

Would you consider re-upping Ray? His stuff is dynamite.....both when he is on, and when he isn't - but for vastly different reasons.