There are certain teams that are clearly going for a World Series Championship in 2021 and some that are clearly not. The Padres and White Sox are two examples that have shown that they will stop at nothing to dramatically improve their rosters and make a run in ’21. Add the Toronto Blue Jays to that list.
The Blue Jays are a team that was heavily involved with almost every major free agent – and it wasn’t just for show. Toronto just signed superstar and former 1st round pick George Springer to add to a lineup that was already potent without him and has now become one of the scariest lineups in baseball. The deal is reportedly for 6 years and $150 million.
In Springer’s seven year big league career, he has a .361 on base percentage and 174 home runs with 3 All Star Selections and two Silver Sluggers. In 2019, the last full Major League Baseball season, he 39 bombs with a .292 average and .974 OPS. Springer is clearly the superstar bat that the Blue Jays wanted, and now they have landed him.
The Lineup
Springer is a perfect fit with the young Blue Jays as some one who is still in his prime yet has 7 years of big league experience and has playoff and World Series experience. He will be joining the likes of Bo Bichette, Vlad Jr, Cavan Biggio, and the powerful Teoscar Hernandez in a lineup no pitcher should be eager to face. In fact, here’s an example of what it might look like:
1. George Springer OF
2. Cavan Biggio 2B
3. Bo Bichette SS
4. Teoscar Hernandez OF
5. Vladmir Guerrero Jr 3B
6. Lourdes Gurriel Jr OF
7. Rowdy Tellez 1B
8. Randal Grichuk DH
9. Danny Jansen C
That lineup is loaded with power and could stack up well man to man with any lineup in baseball including the Dodgers. Cavan Biggio in his very young career already has 112 walks with a .368 on base percentage and 24 home runs in 574 at bats. Biggio will likely develop even more power as his career progresses and is a serious threat to hit over 30 home runs over a 162 game season. He also brings defensive flexibility as some one who can play outfield or any infield position.
Then there’s Bo Bichette, who hit .311 in 2019 then .301 in 2020. Bichette can also work the count and has a .347 career on base percentage. He also brings elite defense and is only 21 years old. Teoscar Hernandez just had a monster 2020, hitting 16 home runs in 190 at bats with .919 OPS. He was 11th in the MVP voting and brings big power to the middle of that lineup.
Guerrero Jr. is another huge name and despite not exactly tearing it up over his first 2 seasons, people have to remember that he just turned 20 years old. Advanced stats show that he hits the ball hard but too often into the ground. Some slight adjustments and experience can and likely will make a huge difference going forward. However, even if we are to expect about the same that we’ve seen from Vlad Jr, he should still be good for over 20 home runs over a full season and an on-base-percentage of at least .330. The potential is there, however, and I expect something even better from him in 2021.
Gurriel Jr. is another guy who hit over .300 in 2020 and has 42 career home runs in just 771 at bats. And the power doesn’t even stop there as Rowdy Tellez follows with his 33 career bombs in 553 at bats. Again, these are relatively inexperienced big leaguers but they’ve all been solid if not excellent throughout their careers and all bring a mix of power, ability to get on base, and decent if not superior defense.
Randal Grichuk is a guy who does offer some experience yet is only 29 years old. Does he also have power? Absolutely – Grichuk hit 31 home runs in 2019 and 12 more in the shortened 2020 season. His on base percentage was just .312 but for some one who could be slotted in the 7th, 8th or even 9th spot in the order, he is more than ideal. The power in this lineup is simply relentless. At catcher there’s Danny Jansen who hasn’t been a great hitter so far but has shown a lot of promise in the minors and is some one the Blue Jays seem to believe in. However, they also have Alejandro Kirk, who showed some very impressive skills with his bat in 2020 as well as other options like Reese McGuire and no. 8 prospect Garbriel Moreno. In other words, even at possibly their weakest position, the Blue Jays are deep and have options.
The Rotation
1. Hyun Jin Ryu
2. Nate Pearson
3. Tanner Roark
4. Tyler Chatwood
5. Robbie Ray
The first thing I notice when I look at that rotation is the #5 guy is some one with a career 11.1 strikeout per 9 ratio and 4.26 ERA. Robbie Ray re-signed earlier this offseason with the Jays after they traded for him midseason in 2020 and I believe this was a huge move. Ray completely lost control in 2020 with the DBacks and had no idea where the ball was going. However, he improved some with the Blue Jays and will hopefully figure something out in 2021. Just going back to 2019, he was 12-8 with a 4.34 ERA and 235 strikeouts in 174 innings. Even then, he had a 4.3 walk per 9 ratio but that was a lot better than his 7.8 ratio in 2020. If Ray can get back to anything like the 2019 version, he’ll be a massive addition to this rotation.
Going through the other four arms, there’s Ryu – an absolute superstar who was 2nd in the Cy Young voting in 2019 then 3rd in 2020. He is simply an Ace and will anchor a rotation that also includes Nate Pearson and Tanner Roark, both extremely solid if healthy. The Jays have also reportedly reached a deal with Tyler Chatwood and if this is confirmed, Chatwood could fit in nicely as a starter or reliever. Trent Thornton could also be in there but also there’s several young options like Thomas Hatch, Anthony Kay and Julian Merryweather. Hatch was a starter in the minors and was 3-1 with a 2.73 ERA in 2020 in 17 appearances although he only started one game. In other words, the Jays have options and depth in that rotation.
The Bullpen
The bullpen for the Jays also has plenty of solid options, some of which I already mentioned for those who don’t end up in the rotation such as potentially Hatch, Kay, Merryweather and Thornton. Their 2020 pickup from Japan did not pitch well but Shun Yamaguchi should get another shot to prove what he can do in 2021. Jordan Romano was looking good until he cut his finger and missed the remainder of the season. He has 42 career strikeouts in just 30 innings and can be absolutely filthy. He will be an integral part of the bullpen in ’21. Ross Stripling is an experienced arm who could even start some games or find himself in the rotation if he pitches well enough.
Other important arms include A.J. Cole and Rafael Dolis, who were both outstanding in 2020. The Jays also have some pitching depth in their farm system and have the resources to put out at the very least a decent if not excellent bullpen in 2021.
Conclusion
While the Blue Jays are going to be going up against some very formidable teams in the American League East, they have done everything necessary and more to send out a powerful, ready to win competitive team every single night. There are no obvious holes now with the addition of Springer. There is a bon a fide superstar on the offensive end and pitching end of the spectrum. Nearly every player on the roster is either in their prime or quickly approaching it. This team could do major damage in 2021 and even if ’21 isn’t their year… it’s coming quickly.