Grichuk setting his sights on breakout year
DUNEDIN, FLA.— Standing atop the hill on Field 3 at the Mattick Training Centre, Blue Jays closer Roberto Osuna razzled a little hesitation wrinkle at the top of his windup, much like the Stro Show, then fired his fastball.
Newcomer Randal Grichuk was not fooled. He kept his hands and weight back, uncoiled a powerful right-handed swing and drove the ball deep over the fence in rightcentre field. Three batters later, as Osuna left the mound following his last pitch, he bro-hugged his catcher, as is the custom, then quietly offered an aside to Grichuk, “I’m glad we’re teammates.”
By the end of the season, manager John Gibbons is hoping everyone in that Blue Jays clubhouse feels the same way about the 26-year-old right-fielder obtained from the Cardinals.
The outfield had clearly been the most pressing area of need for manager John Gibbons. While not offering the same drama as Giancarlo Stanton’s addition to the Yankees and J.D. Martinez’s signing with the Red Sox, the acquisitions of Grichuk and veteran Curtis Granderson are upgrades for the Jays.
“When I got traded, I started looking over the roster and seeing who we had,” Grichuk said. “There’s no reason why we can’t be just as good as the Yankees, that made the playoffs and ran deep, but I think that we’re right there with them. Obviously, they have a couple more big names. But we have our fair share too.
“I feel like there’s no reason I can’t go out there and perform like those guys that they added this season. I feel good with where my body is, my swing, so it’s all about staying positive.”
Much has been written about Grichuk’s off-season sports vision work with a clinic in Houston that he believes will help him focus and be more discerning at the plate, leading to better at-bats, fewer strikeouts, more production. However, after a week in camp, the Jays’ coaching staff has found another hidden skill ready to be rolled out: his ability to run the bases.
“I’ve already talked to (coach Tim Leiper) about getting good jumps, reading guys and being able to allow my speed and agility to be able to produce steals,” Grichuk said.
“So we’ve already begun those topics and I feel like that’s one of the things I try to pride myself on. Making sure you can go first to home on a ball hit in the gap, second to home on a single, or first to third on a tough play. I definitely think working with the coaches can improve on that.”
This bonus skill could mean Grichuk has a real chance to earn a position hitting near the top of the Jays’ order.
The Cardinals did not really want him to run and he hit seventh in the lineup more than anywhere else.
“One year, I literally hit everywhere, with inter-league play,” Grichuk said, when asked about his preference.
“That’s kind of a tough question. I feel like I was battling a lot over there. I was working on a lot of things, mentally, mechanically. So far I’ve felt a lot better here and (been) able to relax and just go out there and play.”
It’s all about learning each other. Grichuk played in the NL and trained cross-state with the Cardinals, so Jays coaches are finding out more about him every day. So what would be Grichuk’s idea of a successful spring?
“Just having some quality at-bats, staying healthy, and feeling good mentally and physically with my swing,” he said.
“Obviously, spring training games matter in the sense of performing, having a job and things like that. I think I want (to be) feeling confident going into the season and healthy and just feeling good.”
Gibbons has had to think about his batting order and he promises to go in to the spring with an open mind. He doesn’t necessarily think Josh Donaldson is set returning to the two-hole unless he feels that the bottom third of the batting order can set the table consistently and provide the Jays’ best player the best RBI opportunities.
If Donaldson were to hit third, the Jays would need someone to fill the spot before him, and Grichuk may be able to bring his baserunning and power combo to the two-hole as a poor-man’s Donaldson — a bringer of mist.
Leiper has been doing preliminary work with Grichuk, mostly comparing philosophies and checking his willingness to work hard on his baserunning. Leiper likes what he sees.
“The biggest thing, just like with all of us, is that it just comes down to preparation and just knowing the spots to run,” Leiper said. “I’m just excited to work with him to make him feel comfortable on the bases.
“For us, our strength is our offence. We don’t ever want to run into outs on the bases. We don’t ever have to steal for the sake of stealing, but I think he’s absolutely good enough. When he has information on pitchers, he’s going to be able to get them.”