Looking at the Jays batters over the last two weeks.
Over the past two weeks, the Jays have been 9-4. The offense has averaged 5.3 runs per game, much better than 4.2 for the season.
Hot
Addison Barger: Played in 13 games, starting 12. Hit .326/.404/.609, with 4 doubles, 3 home runs, 8 RBI, 6 walks, 11 strikeouts and 1 steal.
Played third base in all the games. I try not to read too much in small sample sizes, but I really like how he’s swinging the bat. I’m worried he will lose playing time with Gimenez returning from the IL tomorrow. I know they have many players all looking for playing time, but I think Barger should be an everyday player. He isn’t hitting lefties at all, but I’d like to give him the chance to prove he could. His arm plays well at third base.
Alejandro Kirk: Played in 11 games, starting 9. Hit .367/.488/.400 with 1 double, 5 RBI, 9 walks and 1 strikeouts.
More extra base hits would be ok, especially if he’s going to hit in the clean-up spot, but there isn’t too much to complain about with his performance. That 9 to 1 walk to strikeout rate is something else. He’s throwing out 25.6% of base stealers. He’s great at framing and at blocking pitches. The Athletic has a story saying how much his pitch calling has improved (one of those things that’s tough to quantify), but there is little to complain about with his game at the moment.
Vladimir Guerrero: Started all 13 games. Hit .265/.379/.490 with 2 doubles, 3 home runs, 8 RBI, 7 walks and 5 strikeouts.
DHed twice. Not hot for him, not cold. He’s been on base in 32 straight games. It would be nice if he would get really hot for a stretch. He’s been consistently good but not great. Defensively, FanGraphs has him at a +1 run above average. I don’t think he’s a bad first baseman, but he’s not terrific.
Ernie Clement: Started all 13 games. Hit .327/.389/.531 with 4 doubles, 2 home runs, 7 RBI, 4 walks and 4 strikeouts.
He started two games at first base, which I really don’t understand. He’s the best second and third baseman on the roster (best shortstop too), and we play him at first base. He has a 1.154 OPS against LHP and a .536 mark against RHP. He must have been thrilled when he saw the A’s were using left-hand starters against us. The Gimenez signing is still a mystery to me. I think Gimenez is slightly better defensively at second, but there isn’t enough of a difference to make it worth playing Gimenez.
Nathan Lukes: Played in 12 games, starting 9. Hit .344/.417/.469 with 1 double, 1 home run, 7 RBI, 4 walks and 3 strikeouts.
Started 5 games in left and 4 in right. He had a few innings in center field. We have too many left-handed hitting outfielders, but Varsho’s injury lessens that. He and Roden will be battling for innings. He’s been steady this year, on a team that is anything but steady.
George Springer: Played in 12 games, starting 11. .237/.362/.526 with 2 doubles, 3 home runs, 6 RBI, 6 walks, 6 strikeouts, and 1 steal.
Played RF in five games, DH in five and left in one in games he started. Another whose two weeks nicely break into one terrible week and one really good week. This might be who he is for the next year and two-thirds: slow stretches and hot streaks. That play where he was bouncing up and down on third base and got tagged is one of those moments that would get other players benched for a week.
Jonathan Clase: Played in 7 games, starting 6. Hit .450/.560/.550 with 2 doubles, 3 RBI, 5 walks, 3 strikeouts and 2 steals.
He has been making it hard to get Roden into the lineup. With Gimenez coming back, he will likely lose some playing time, Barger might play some in the outfield. For a team with a farm system rated as lousy as ours, they have a lot of young players who deserve playing time.
Cold
Myles Straw: Played in 10 games, starting 5. Hit .227/.292/.273, 1 double, 2 RBI, 2 walks, 1 strikeout and 1 steal.
He’s going to get more playing time with Varsho out. I’d rather Roden get that playing time, but they don’t ask me. He played two innings at second base.
Anthony Santander: Played in 9 games, starting 8. He hit .160/.323/.280 with 1 home run, 2 RBI, 6 walks and 11 strikeouts.
DHed four times and played right four times, in games he started. He’s on the IL now.
Daulton Varsho: Started 10 games. Hit .175/.209/.424 with 2 doubles, 1 triple, 2 home runs, 7 RBI, 2 walks and 11 strikeouts.
Now he’s back on the IL. He’s been all or nothing this season (or on the IL). He’s another who had one bad week and then a good one (.860 OPS in his last five games). I hope he’s not out too long.
Michael Stefanic: Played in 6 games, starting 4. Hit .143/.294/.143 with 3 walks and 2 strikeouts.
He’ll be going back to Buffalo with Gimenez coming off the IL.
Inbetween
Bo Bichette: Playing in all 13 games, starting 12. He hit .222/.263/.426 with 3 home runs, 2 doubles, 10 RBI, 3 walks and 7 strikeouts.
DHed once. We could break Bo’s two-week period in half. The first week, he was terrible (.129/.156/.129). We discussed whether we should trade him. The second week, he hit .296/.367/.704. It seemed to start with a pinch-hit home run. It is nice to see him hitting the ball hard. If he could continue to hit like he did this past week for the rest of the season, we’d be thrilled (and he’d be wealthy). Defensively? He’s made some spectacular plays in the past couple of weeks, but overall, he hasn’t been good. FanGraphs has him at a -5 runs above average and a -4 fielding run value. And, for a guy who isn’t slow, he doesn’t grade out well as a base runner, -0.9 runs.
Also Played
Alan Roden: He has been up for a few days, and all he’s done is pinch run once.
Davis Schneider: Played in one game. Went 1 for 3 with a walk and a strikeout.
IL
Andrés Giménez: Should be back Tuesday, which will mess with Clement and Barger’s great work.
Tyler Heineman: Played in one game. He should be back tomorrow too.