Young core can teach the veterans some new tricks
Matz has shown promise with his command early in spring training games
From the outside looking in, the Blue Jays young core was among the factors that swayed George Springer to join the organization this off-season.
Now on the inside of the clubhouse, Springer has been reminded: age is just a number.
“A lot of people will say that they’re young but I think that they’re advanced for their age ... You just kind of realize the talent it takes to play at this level at age 21, at age 22. It’s beyond impressive to be in the big leagues this young and to do the things that all these guys can do,” Springer said on Tuesday after making his spring training debut, going 1-for-2 at the top of Toronto’s order.
The average age of Toronto’s lineup in the 4-2 win over the Phillies was 26.1 years. Take out Springer, 31, and Marcus Semien, 30 — the Jays’ two recent veteran additions — and that number falls to 24.8 years. But the thought Springer’s younger mates put into their preparation, be it about what they’re going to do with a certain ground ball or what time they’ll be at the park the next day for optional work, seems mature to the centre-fielder.
“I can see that the talent’s there, the ethic’s there, they’re ready to work hard every day,” Springer said.
While he is open to sharing his own experience with his less experienced teammates, Springer is also learning from them.
“I’ve learned a lot just by watching Vladdy hit and Bo hit, just how they like to understand things and to pick their brain and understand what they’re thinking at the time,” he said.
Springer, Toronto’s designated hitter on Tuesday, hopes to play in the outfield in his next Grapefruit League appearance. He said his focus in spring is to hit the ball hard and make sure he’s seeing it as well as he can. Cutting it short: The Jays and the Phillies played six innings on Thursday, with the game ending in what manager Charlie Montoyo called a “double walk off” after Toronto broke a tie and added a bonus run in the bottom of the final frame at their home ballpark.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. opened the scoring with a solo home run to centre field in the fourth and Josh Palacios added an RBI in the same frame. Non-roster invitee A.J. Cole blew the save in the fifth, but catching prospects Riley Adams (hit by pitch) and Philip Clarke (walk) reached with the bases loaded in the sixth to earn the unusual outcome.
Back in the game: Left-hander Tim Mayza pitched in a game for the first time since blowing out his left elbow and flexor tendor in September 2019.
Mayza had life on his fastball in his inning of work, when he walked one batter, Montoyo said.
“He’s going to get his chance,” Montoyo said. “He’s competing for a job. But honestly, it was great to see him out there.” Rotation rebuild: It’s a small sample size to be sure, but the Jays will like what they’ve seen from two arms that could be key to the success of their pitching staff this season.
Robbie Ray was pleased with his control after his debut on Monday. Steven Matz followed up that performance with two innings of one-hit ball on Tuesday against the Phillies, striking out three of the six batters he faced.
“For this early in spring, I feel really comfortable on the mound. Command’s a big thing early on and having a feel for the pitches, so it was good to get that feel,” Matz said following his outing.
Both pitchers are wild cards this season, after down years where they struggled to throw strikes. Early improvements in that area could be a good sign for the middle of Toronto’s rotation.
Up next: The Blue Jays visit the New York Yankees for a Wednesday nighttime game in Tampa, starting at 6:35 p.m. ET.