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

Over the last two weeks, the Jays are 7-7 (yeah, I thought it was worse than that too).

The offense averaged 4.2 runs per game, a step down from their season average of 4.6.

Hot

George Springer: Started 13 games. Hit ..347/.411/.490 with 4 doubles, 1 home runs, 6 walks, 12 strikeouts, and 2 steals.

DHed twice in those 13 games. In the couple of weeks before this, he wasn’t hitting at all (had the stretch of 7 hitless games in a row). Now he’s hitting great. Baseball is weird. It is likely we all go through slumps, we just don’t all get the numeric proof of slumps and hot streaks. If Springer could keep this up for the last month and a half it would really help our playoff chances.

Brandon Belt: Played in 12 games, starting 11. Hit .317/.440/.634 with 4 doubles, 3 home runs, 9 walks and 14 strikeouts.

Played 4 games at first base, 8 as DH. He had that 1 very bad error at first. A 1.074 OPS is definitely hot. He has been terrific. If we could get more guys hitting like this, life would be good.

Davis Schneider: Started 7 games. He .400/.516/.680 with 1 double, 2 home runs, 5 walks and 9 strikeouts.

Started 6 games at second base, 1 in left field. After leaving Boston, he’s hit .083/.313/.167. But then few guys have hit well since they left Boston. I think it is fair to say he isn’t a .400 hitter or a .083 hitter. The question is, where will he level out.

Cavan Biggio: Played in 9 games, starting 7. Hit ..259/.355/.407 with 1 home run, 3 walks and 9 strikeouts.

Kind of a hot lite, but we need someone in this group. Started 4 games in RF and 3 at second base. He has been very good for the month or so (.294/.410/.392 over his last 22 games). If he started the season like this, he’d be playing a lot more. He’s been pretty ok at second base, but I’m not a fan of him playing right.

Cold

Alejandro Kirk: Played in 10 games, starting 8. Hit .226/.351/.258 with 0 home run, 1 double, 5 walks and 4 strikeouts.

7 of the starts were at Catcher, 1 as DH. Two weeks ago, he was at the top of the hot list. I thought he was still hitting well, but no. That’s the problem with moving people in the order because of hot or cold streaks, you don’t know when they will end. Over the two weeks, he’s had 3 steals against, 2 caught stealing, which is a win. Unlike Jansen, he was only hit with one pitch, but it didn’t look pleasant.

Vladimir Guerrero: Started 13 of 14 games. Hit .235/.304/.353 with 1 home run, 3 doubles, 5 walks, 6 strikeouts, 1 caught stealing.

Played first in 10 games, DH in 3. It hasn’t been a good couple of weeks for Vlad. There will be a good game, some hard-hit balls, I think things are coming around and then, well they don’t.

Matt Chapman: Played in 13 games, starting 12. Hit .213/.275/.319 with 2 doubles, 1 home run, 3 walks and 17 strikeouts.

Another who was in the Hot group last time. He had 5 hits in the 3 game series against the Red Sox and 5 hits in the other 10 games.

Danny Jansen: Played in 9 games, starting 8. Hit .115/.324/.231 with 1 home run, 3 walks and 7 strikeouts. He was also hit by pitch a rather amazing 5 times.

He started 1 game at DH, the rest behind the play. It is hardly fair to put him in as cold since he’s been a target for opposing pitchers every game. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a player get hit so many times in a two-week period. He’s been hit 8 times this year, but 5 times in the last two weeks. I don’t think he is standing closer to the plate or anything. I do think that the scouting report is that if you go inside on him, be sure to miss off the plate inside, miss over the plate. He’s had 5 steals and 2 caught over the two weeks.

Santiago Espinal: Played in 9 games, starting 5. Hit .200/.304/.250 with 1 double, 2 walks and 3 strikeouts.

He started 3 games at short, 2 at third base. He is on a 3-game-hitting streak (4 for 10 in those 3 games), but those were the only hits over these two weeks. Since going to the All-Star game last year, Santiago is hitting .241. This year he’s got a .618 OPS.

Paul DeJong: Played in 11 games, starting 10. Hit .077/.077/.077. No walks, 14 strikeouts.

You get traded. You want to look good for your new team. And you get 3 singles in your first 39 at-bats. I mean he wasn’t hitting great for the Cardinals, but he did have 13 home runs. Oh well, it will either come around, or he’ll find himself in Buffalo when Bo comes back. His defense has been fine.

In Between

Whit Merrifield: Played in 14 games, started 13. Hit ..288/.312/.475 with 2 doubles, 3 homers, 1 steal, 2 walks and 10 strikeouts.

He started 5 games at second base, 9 in left field. Not quite hot and not at all cold, let’s put it in the middle. But he’s been very good. His defense in left field looks great lately. Maybe he’s improved with playing time out there, or I’m just noticing he’s better. I think he is a better left-fielder than a second baseman. I don’t think he’s bad at second, but he’s something better in left. He seems to not be stealing as much as he was earlier in the season, which is ok with me.

Daulton Varsho: Played in 14 games, starting 12. Hit .238/.273/.452 with 1 doubles, 1 triple, 2 home runs, 1 steal, 2 walks and 9 strikeouts.

Started 4 games in lF, 8 in center. Another who did well in Boston (4 hits in 3 games), but only 6 hits in the other games, though he’s had 3 hits in the last two games. It seems like he’s made some adjustments at the plate, but I’m not counting that as a win yet, as one or two good games don’t mean much. In between hot and cold seems right.

Also Played

Jordan Luplow: Started 2 games. Hit .429/.556/.429 with 2 walks and 3 strikeouts.

Nathan Lukes: Had 4 at-bats, with 1 single.

Ernie Clement: Had 1 at-bat, and doubled. Why he didn’t get more of a chance I don’t know.

Jordan Luplow: Had 1 at-bat and struck out. He’s hitting .333/.429/.556 in 21 PA with the Twins. I wish we would have let him play a bit.

IL

Bo Bichette: He has been running and even running the bases. He’ll be back as soon as he feels comfortable enough to run full out.

Kevin Kiermaier: Played in 7 games, starting 5: Hit .250/.294/.250 with 1 walk and 6 strikeouts.

He wasn’t great, before slicing his elbow on the cheese grater on the wall in center in Boston. If the Player’s Association was really a union, they would make the Red Sox cover that in some way so players don’t slice themselves on it. You would think that would be an easy fix. But If it was good enough to slice Joe Dimagio’s skin it is good enough to slice Kevin Kiermaier’s and he should be happy about it. But just think about the player you could build with the DNA on that.