COMPETITIVE JAYS LOOK TO BECOME WINNERS
Montoyo ‘patient’ as young hitters struggle at plate in the early going
The last thing Ross Atkins was going to do was mute the enthusiasm and perceived invincibility of a group of young and driven Blue Jays players and temper their expectations.
If Bo Bichette and his young gun pals believe they can win a World Series in 2021 — or sooner — have at it.
But the Toronto Blue Jays general manager has been around the game long enough to know that a rapid ascent from the start of a rebuild to championship calibre is rare. And with that in mind, Atkins has an ideal description of what he believes is at play with a team that took a 6-8 record into Sahlen Field for a Wednesday night game against the Miami Marlins.
“Things could be very different,” Atkins said during a Zoom call, speaking about the team’s record but also about some of the struggles with his young hitters.
“One of the hardest things — and we talk about it often — is going from a competitive team to being a winning team. We’re confident that’s going to happen. It’s just difficult to put a hard timeline on it.”
Atkins never predicted there would be a regression — short term or otherwise — but he’s not surprised his young hitters have struggled at the plate in the early going.
“I think it’s youth is what we’re seeing and we know that,” Atkins said, without even factoring in the challenges of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. “We expected there would be bumps. One of the biggest differences in the major leagues obviously is talent, but it’s also game planning and the ability for (opposing teams) to prepare for lineups and prepare for hitters, and then hitters needing to make adjustments to that too.”
The Jays have seen examples already throughout the early portion of the season. When an opposing pitcher — and perhaps more importantly opposing coaches and video staff — sense a weakness in a hitter, you bet they’ll exploit it.
“That will happen,” Atkins said. “Our hitters are talented and they’re going to make adjustments, but you’re seeing over time that pitchers have executed pretty well against us. They recognize that we have been a little too aggressive.
“I do think there’s a little bit of the guys, just because they believe in one another and themselves, trying to do too much. These guys have all done it in the minor leagues and some have done it in the major leagues. We’re confident in the talent level, and most importantly, we’re confident in their character and resilience.”
The events of the Jays first 14 games offers a perfect opportunity to parse what Atkins is saying. In all but one of those contests, the Jays have been competitive, in clear position to win going into the late innings. A number of players have referenced the fact that the record could easily be flipped.
Essentially, as the GM says, what we’re seeing is the difference between a competitive team and a winning one. The latter doesn’t allow other teams to walk them off and find ways to lose games. They find ways to end up on the right side.
Going further, a consistent winning team knows when to find the jugular of a vulnerable opponent, something the Jays have yet to do this season. Tuesday’s home opener at Sahlen Field was a prime example. The new hosts led 4-1 only to squander that advantage in the top of the ninth before recording a walk-off win on Travis Shaw’s RBI single in the 10th.
A competitive team is in the game from start to finish. A winning team closes it out without having to go to extras.
Few of the Jays are hitting like they were through an impressive run last year in September that fuelled so much optimism in the off-season. As always though, so much attention centres on first baseman Vlad Guerrero Jr.
“Vladdy will adjust,” Atkins said. “He has the innate ability to manipulate the bat and the bat path and make consistent contact. The biggest factor — it’s not a significant fundamental adjustment or mental adjustment — it’s really for him to get more confidence and stick to his approach and swing at balls he can drive.
“When that happens, that talent level and innate ability to hit, you’re going to see a different walks and strikeout line than you are seeing right now with swings and misses.”
The players themselves would shudder to have it referred to as a sophomore jinx, but there is the real challenge of adapting to big-league pitching.
“Most of the guys haven’t been in the big leagues for a full year,” manager Charlie Montoyo said on Wednesday. “We’re still rebuilding here. I’m just going to be patient.”
And if his players start showing similar patience at the plate, it might just serve them well.