Entering spring training, the Blue Jays appeared to have a top-heavy roster that would require standout contributions from big-name stars to have any shot at contending. Through the first 2 1/2 months, it has been the role players who have stepped up to save the season.
The surging Jays are getting value from someone new just about every night. The players who emerged either started the year on the bench or in the minor leagues, and have since carved out pivotal roles on a team that has won nine of its last 11 games heading into Tuesday night.
Addison Barger is in the midst of a breakout year. Jonatan Clase, Nathan Lukes and Myles Straw have vastly succeeded expectations in the outfield. Ernie Clement has delivered timely hits and gold glove-calibre defence all over the diamond. Lefty Eric Lauer has turned into viable option on a team that lacked starting depth.
The list doesn’t end there. Backup catcher Tyler Heineman has been batting over .400. Lefties Brendon Little and Mason Fluharty became two of the better relief options in the majors. Versatile arms Yariel Rodriguez, Braydon Fisher and Paxton Schultz have done their part, too.
Forget the stars. This year, a long list of unsung heroes have banded together to keep the Jays competitive. Manager John Schneider has used platoons to his advantage all season and it has paid off in a big way for a club that entered Tuesday with a share of the top wild-card spot.
During the off-season, general manager Ross Atkins was tasked with improving a team that finished last in the American League. In an effort to extend a window of opportunity that was rapidly closing, Atkins tried to upgrade just about every section of the roster and used the deep pockets of owner Rogers Communications to make it happen.
Slugger Anthony Santander received $92.5 million (U.S.) to hit homers in the heart of the lineup. Second baseman Andrés GiménezÌý— and the nearly $100 million he was owed on a long-term dealÌý— was acquired to improve the infield. Jeff Hoffman and Yimi GarcÃa signed as part of a bullpen makeover, while future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer was supposed to be the missing piece for the rotation.
What seems difficult to fathom is that the Jays have extracted very little value from that group as a whole and it hasn’t mattered.ÌýWhether it was players who were drafted and developed by the Jays, signed as minor-league free agents, or added through seemingly insignificant trades, there has been no shortage of surprise contributors.
Ìýattempts to summarize a player’s total value to their team in one statistic. The top Jays aren’t the usual suspects. Alejandro Kirk ranks first at 2.2, followed closely by Clement at 1.6 and Heineman at 1.5. Barger, who didn’t even break camp with the team in the spring, is tied for fourth with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at 1.4. A bit further down is Straw at 0.8 and Lukes at 0.5.
The pitching staff reveals a similar story. As expected, the top performers are starters Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt and José BerrÃos, but right behind them are Little and Fluharty. Fisher, Schultz and even Josh Walker are among the others who have exceeded, or at least matched, the WAR produced by Hoffman, who signed for $33 million.
Former Jays knuckleballer R.A. Dickey used to say that every team needs contributions from an unexpected player or two in order to contend. The Jays have about a dozen, which has led to a well-balanced approach.
For proof, look at the recent 11-game stretch. On Monday, Clase hit a game-tying homer off St. Louis Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley. During the Twins series, it was Barger and George Springer who delivered big homers. Against the Phillies, Straw and Heineman came through with multi-hit games.
Meanwhile, Santander is on the injured list, but even when he was on the active roster the 30-year-old was batting .179 with a woeful .579 on-base plus slugging percentage. Giménez hasn’t been much better with a .207 average and .594 OPS. Scherzer has thrown three innings on a one-year, $15.5-million contract. Hoffman’s talent remains obvious and yet he has three blown saves and an ERA over five.
If those numbers were known in advance, just about every reader of this column would have assumed the Jays would be in last place. Instead, they have turned into one of the hottest teams in the majors and their dream of making the playoffs remains very much alive.
The stars don’t deserve credit for that, but the lesser-known names certainly do. Who would have predicted that?
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