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Better know your Blue Jays 40-man: Matt Chapman

By Tom Dakers
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MLB: OCT 07 ALWC Game 1 - Mariners at Blue Jays Photo by Julian Avram/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Matt Chapman came to us from the A’s in March of last year. Gunnar Hoglund, Zack Logue, Kevin Smith and Kirby Snead went to Oakland.

If you are wondering:

  • Hoglund missed most of last season. He had Tommy John surgery the May before.
  • Logue was lost off waivers.
  • Smith played 47 games for the A’s, hitting .180/.216/.302.
  • Kirby pitched in 46 games and had a 5.84 ERA.

Hoglund is who will make or break the trade for the A’s.

Chapman was coming off, not a terrible season with the bat, hitting .210/.314/.403 with 27 home runs, but a down year for him. He had hip issues and had surgery in September of that season.

We hoped that his numbers would improve with the repaired hip and with him moving from a huge, pitcher-friendly park to a smaller, far more hitter-friendly park. And they did, maybe not to the level we hoped, but his OPS+ went from 100 to 127. He did hit better at home (.240/.333/.492) than on the road (.218/.315/.435).

Matt had a slow start to the season. He was hitting .227/.300/.428 at the end of the first half. In the second half, he hit .231/.352/.440.

July was a terrific month: .325/.396/.699 with 9 home runs. If he could have done that all season long.....

He was fourth in the AL for hard contact rate, at 40.2%. He seemed to have bad luck with balls finding gloves. Matt had a .277 BABIP, you’d think with the hard contact rate, he’d have better luck.

Chapman turns 30 in April, but his reflexes at third base aren’t suffering. He and Scott Rolen are the two best defensive third basemen I’ve ever watched in a Blue Jays uniform.

Steamer figures he’ll hit .221/.313/.422, 26 home runs, in 150 games. I’m hoping for better, I think he deserves a little extra luck on batted balls.

Poll

If the over/under of Matt’s home runs is 26 I’d take the

This poll is closed

  • 76%
    Over
    (332 votes)
  • 23%
    Under
    (101 votes)
433 votes total Vote Now

Poll

The best defensive third baseman in Jays history is

This poll is closed

  • 3%
    Jose Bautista
    (17 votes)
  • 42%
    Matt Chapman
    (205 votes)
  • 1%
    Troy Glaus
    (9 votes)
  • 11%
    Kelly Gurber
    (58 votes)
  • 1%
    Brett Lawrie
    (9 votes)
  • 1%
    Rance Mulliniks
    (9 votes)
  • 32%
    Scott Rolen
    (157 votes)
  • 4%
    Someone Else
    (21 votes)
485 votes total Vote Now

Poll

If the over/under on Chapman’s bWAR is 4 I’d take the

This poll is closed

  • 60%
    Over
    (213 votes)
  • 40%
    Under
    (142 votes)
355 votes total Vote Now

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