Who’s Hot, Who’s Cold: Blue Jays Batters

Over the past two weeks, the Blue Jays have been 5-8. Our batters hit .212/.282/.357, averaging 2.9 runs per game.

Hot

Davis Schneider: Played in 11 games, starting 10. Hit .290/.389/.452, 2 doubles, 1 home run, 4 walks, 9 strikeouts, and 4 RBI.

He started 4 games at second, the rest in left. He’s played second three times but hasn’t started a game at the position. I like him better in left, in part because there are fewer opportunities, but he seems, to me, better there. But if playing second is a way to get him in the lineup more, I’m ok with it. Outs Above Average has him at a -1 in total on defense. He seems to be a streak hitter, but most hitters are streak hitters. Then, I’m streaky at everything I do. I’m sure that if I could hit a baseball, I’d be streaky at that, too.

Danny Jansen: Played in 9 games, starting 8. Hit .296/.387/.741 with 3 doubles, 3 home runs, 3 RBI, 4 walks and 4 strikeouts.

A nice start to his season. He hasn’t been as good at throwing out base stealers as Kirk (8% caught rate for Danny). And he isn’t as good as Kirk at framing. But, we aren’t scoring, and Jansen is hitting. I want him in the lineup.

Daulton Varsho: Started 12 games. Hit .237/.356/.500 with 2 home runs, 4 doubles, 7 walks, 13 strikeouts, 6 RBI and 2 steals.

He started 8 games in center and 4 in left. The past few games have been much better. He’s 3 for 8 with 2 home runs in his last two starts. I’m hoping this is a trend. He had a very good spring. If the team doesn’t want Vlad in the lineup spot, Varsho would be a good choice. He’s only had 1 hit in his last 6 games. Defensively, he has been amazing. 7 Outs Above Average.

Justin Turner: Played in 12, starting 11. Hit .250/.302/.500 with 1 double, 3 home runs, 2 walks, 9 strikeouts, and 6 RBI.

He started 2 games at first, the rest as DH. Not as hot as he was at the start of the season, but still better than most of our hitters (the two home runs on Wednesday didn’t hurt). This is more what I expected from Turner, and I’m quite happy with it.

Ernie Clement: Played in 9 games, starting 5. Hit .231/.286/.462 with 1 home runs, 4 RBI, 1 walks, 1 strikeout and 4 RBI

Started the 5 games at third. He seems great at third base on defense (at all positions, he’s a plus two in Outs Above Average), and he’s hitting reasonably well. He’s kind of a hot lite, but still, he’s doing well. I really like him. I think, if he played full time, he’d give as numbers that would, at least, equal what we got from Matt Chapman.

Cold

Cavan Biggio: Played 11 games, starting 9. Hit .080/.303/.120, with 1 double, 5 walks, 10 strikeouts, and 1 RBI (and 3 hit by pitch).

He started 7 games at second base but also played right field twice and finished a couple of games at second base. Cavan started off great but has had a terrible couple of weeks. We know he is a hot and cold hitter. If we could figure out when he was going to be hot and when he was going to be cold, it would make putting together a lineup a lot easier. He’s had 2 hits in the last 11 games.

Alejandro Kirk: Started 5 games. Hit .200/.235/.400 with 1 home run, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts and 1 RBI.

This last week, he’s 3 for 9 with the home run, which is better but in a small sample size. His defense has been terrific. He’s thrown out 37% of baserunners and is at the top of the list for pitch framing. If the team was scoring, I’d be okay with him not hitting because of his defense, but the team isn’t scoring.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa: Played in all 13 games, starting 10. He’s hit .235/.297/.294 with 1 tripe, 3 walks, 4 strikeouts, and 1 RBI

He’s played third in six starts, second in two games, and one at short. All in all, he’s been almost exactly who we thought he would be. His .250/.315/.345 batting line is almost exactly his career numbers. His defense has been great. Just like Kirk, if the team was scoring, I’d be ok with IKF in the lineup for his defense. But we aren’t scoring. and He’s helping us not score.

Kevin Kiermaier: Played in 11 games, starting 9. Hit .167/.219/.200 with 1 doubles, 2 walks, 10 strikeouts, 1 RBI, 2 steals.

He looks pretty lost at the plate. Last season, he started so well but didn’t do as well as the season went along. He won’t hit as poorly as this all season, but it will be nice to see some sign that he’s getting the bat going.

Vladimir Guerrero: Started all 13 games. Hit ..260/.315/.320 with 3 doubles, 4 walks, 14 strikeouts and 3 RBI.

He DHed twice game and played first in all the others. I don’t know. personally, right now, I’d put him at the top of the order, tell him to take pitches, get on base, and wait for his pitch. I’m sure he has been told to wait for his pitch. And, of course, telling a player something and him doing it are two different things.

Bo Bichette: Started 12 of 12 games. Hit .174/.208/.217 with 1 triple, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts, 4 RBI, 1 steal and 1 caught.

A month in, he has a .557 OPS. He’s had slow starts before, and he always finishes the season in about the same spot. Of course, that doesn’t mean it will happen this time. But then the team has no choice but to see if it does. They aren’t going to win if he doesn’t hit. Well, he and Vlad. If they don’t hit, we can’t win. And they can’t win with those two on the bench. He made two errors in the season's second game but hasn’t made an error since. But Outs Above Average has him at a -2 already this season.

George Springer: Started 11 games. He’s hit .200/.217/.311 with 2 doubles, 1 home run, 1 walks, 12 strikeouts, and 1 RBI.

He started one game in CF (and he looked pretty good there), and the rest in right. In my world, it is time to time him out of the leadoff spot. Almost anyone would be better. Hit him further down the order and hope that he figures things out. He got on base 10 games in the last two weeks. I want better out of my leadoff hitter, though if you throw a dart at the lineup, you will hit someone who I’d like to see hit better.

Also Played

Daniel Vogelbach: Played in 3 games, starting 2. He’s hit .111/.111/.222, with 1 double, 0 walks, and 3 strikeouts and 1 RBI in 9 PA.

In a way it isn’t fair. He’s not playing enough to get his swing down, but then he isn’t hitting enough to force his way into the lineup. I’d love to see Spencer Howitz up. And I don’t know the status of Joey Votto.

Addison Barger: Started 5 games. Hit .056/.056/.056 with 6 strikeouts.

Played left, right and third, 18 PA isn’t enough of a sample size to know anything. I’d love for him to get more playing time.

IL

Kevin Kiermaier: Played in 5 games, starting 4. Hit .167/.167/.250 with 1 doubles, 0 walks, 1 strikeout, and 1 RBI.

He has hit in the batting cage and could be activated soon.