In defence of shaky pitching, fielders gotta show some glove
Better D would go a long way — they’re trying
The Blue Jays’ top priorities for next season are improving their pitching and defence. The two categories go hand in hand.
Toronto is never going to get back into contention until the rotation and bullpen start putting up better numbers. The easiest way to do that is by bringing in some high-ceiling arms, but it won’t be the only solution.
The Jays’ fielding also needs to progress. Toronto has ranked near the bottom of all the major defensive metrics at almost every position this season except at catcher. That must change. Otherwise, any gains on the mound will be offset by the mistakes away from it.
“I like the core that we’ve got,” Jays manager Charlie Montoyo said this week when asked about his team’s off-season priorities. “But like anywhere, our defence and pitching has to get better. When that happens, we’re going to win more games. That goes for any level, but even more so at this level. You see the teams that are ahead, winning, they all have pitching and defence.”
The Jays don’t have much of either right now. Toronto ranks 21st in the majors with an ERA of 4.83, 23rd in walks/hits per innings pitched (1.43), 24th in strikeouts (1,298) and it has the second-most walks with 593. That shouldn’t be surprising for a team that has used 47 pitchers, but a lack of quality arms is far from being the only concern.
Toronto’s outfield has been the biggest culprit behind the deficiencies in the field. Blue Jays outfielders have combined to post minus-30 defensive runs saved this year, which ranks 26th in the majors. The most severe problems, perhaps a bit surprisingly, can be found in right field where the club is minus-16, vs. minus-8 in centre and minus-6 in left.
There are issues around the infield as well, with minus-2 defensive runs saved at third, minus-10 at second and minus-6 at first. The only positives can be found at shortstop, where the likes of Freddy Galvis and Bo Bichette combined to post a plus-2, and at catcher, where Toronto ranks third in the league with 17 DRS. Everywhere else on the diamond, Toronto is considered below average.
The Jays can target a couple of these positions for upgrades this off-season. Toronto still needs a viable long-term centre fielder and there’s a potential opening at first base, where Rowdy Tellez is considered a liability because of his lack of range.
Most of the improvement, though, will have to come internally because a lot of these players aren’t expected to be going anywhere anytime soon.
“These kids are just going to get better,” Montoyo said. “They’re 20-year-olds and 21-year-olds. In years’ past, they would be in double-A, high-A. Now all these kids are getting to the big leagues faster than ever. You have to remember that. They’re going to get better, it’s just going to take time. I think they already have gotten better, but we have to get even more better than we have.”
Potential growth around the infield is easier to envision than the outfield. Bichette has proven himself capable of handling short, with three defensive runs saved in 361 2⁄3 innings. Some long-term questions remain, but the glove hasn’t been the liability some scouting reports suggested it would be. He’s the type of player the Jays are willing to bet on and there’s a similar sentiment about Cavan Biggio at second, even though his prospect blurbs were just as critical. Vlad Guerrero Jr. is a much bigger question mark at third, but the Jays are going to give him at least one more year to show he can handle the position.
The outfield, outside of Lourdes Gurriel Jr. in left, remains a more glaring concern with all the internal options — except for reserve outfielder Jonathan Davis — proving to be a liability while Randal Grichuk’s work in right has regressed to a minus-10 DRS.
That’s a significant issue because improving defensively in the outfield is a lot harder than getting better around the infield. By the nature of the sport, it’s easier to simulate proper ground-ball drills than it is fly balls.
Toronto has been using something this year it calls “live ground balls.” Instead of a coach tossing balls into the air and hitting weak grounders, he gets another person to make the throw. The result is a more realistic swing, with higher exit velocities and more spin for the infielders to handle. Outfielders can’t simulate their experiences in quite the same way and instead must get most of their work done in batting practice or from pop-up machines, which don’t provide the most realistic of game-like conditions.
The Jays will be using all these methods this winter at the club’s minor league complex in Dunedin, Fla. Early report dates aren’t mandatory, but infield co-ordinator Danny Solano will be there running the same drills Toronto has been doing all year. The Jays hope as the off-season progresses more players will be willing to put in a little bit of overtime.
“If we stay with the live ground balls, they’re all going to get better and I’ve seen improvement since we started doing it,” Montoyo said. “That’s the closest thing to a game. We’re going to keep doing that and I know they’re going to keep getting better, because I’ve seen them get better just by doing those drills.”
The Jays will need to plug at least a couple of their glaring holes this winter, but they will need internal improvement as well. If Toronto doesn’t get better defensively, the longtalked about pitching upgrades aren’t going to make as big of an impact as people once thought.