Key Players To Success

With the season entering the home stretch, the Jays are in the middle of a highly competitive AL wildcard race. Coming into the season, the team had World Series aspirations, but due to some injuries and poor performances, they find themselves currently hanging onto a wildcard spot by the skin of their teeth. In baseball, it takes multiple players to perform well for a team to win, but I am going to highlight three players that I think remain key to the Jays’ success as we near the end of the season, despite some causes for concern.

George Springer

Of course, guys like Vladdy, Teoscar, Gurriel, are vital to the team’s offence, but it starts at the very top. Springer is the leadoff man, and when healthy, he’s one of the best leadoff men in the game. He’s a dynamic player and can give the Jays an early lead with one swing of the bat. He is fourth all-time with leadoff homeruns in his career with 51, and that is just two shy of Hall of Famer Craig Biggio for third all-time. He also greatly lengthens the lineup because guys like Gurriel and Teoscar will move down in the order, providing less breathing room for the opposing pitchers. Obviously, the biggest concern with Springer is his health. He has been bitten by the injury bug since joining the Blue Jays and it is paramount that he can remain as healthy as possible down the stretch. He’s been battling an elbow issue for most of the season, which looks like it won’t go away, and is something that he and the Jays will have to manage the rest of the season. If that means he spends more days as the DH and doesn’t play the outfield, then so be it. He is imperative to the offensive success of the team, and the Jays need to do whatever it takes to ensure he plays in as many games as possible the rest of the way.

José Berríos

To say that Berríos’ season has been a rollercoaster would be an understatement. He has had stretches where he looks unhittable and like the player he has been his entire career, but then there are games where everything is hit hard, and he can’t get out of the third inning. It has been a puzzling season for the right-hander as someone who has been so consistent for his entire career, to have a season filled with inconsistencies. If the Jays have any serious chances of not just making the playoffs, but going on a deep run once they’re in, they need Berríos to be the Berríos of old. Gausman and Manoah have been the Jays’ best and most consistent starters this season, but they alone will not be enough to take the team to a championship. While Ross Stripling has done an excellent job in the rotation this year, having to rely on him to pitch in big games for the team isn’t the most ideal of situations, as he may not be able to match up with some big time pitchers, such as the likes of Gerrit Cole or Luis Castillo. However, Berríos has been working extremely hard with the coaching staff all season to be more consistent and find what works. After making countless adjustments, now it is time for him to go out there and be the guy that the Jays signed to a 7-year $131 million extension last offseason.

Jordan Romano

This one may confuse some people, given how good Romano has been this season. However, my reason is not based on injuries or poor performance, it is strictly due to his importance to the team. Having a strong closer in the back of your bullpen is critical because in a big game you need someone that can get those final three outs. The Jays’ bullpen has been shaky at times this season, but with some nice additions at the deadline, they seem to have stabilized. You could make an argument that the middle relievers play more of a factor to the Jays’ success due to the fact that they will have more innings to cover and are more volatile. Manager John Schneider and pitching coach Pete Walker will change the way they use some of the middle relievers, based off of the given matchups and situations at the time. The only guy in the bullpen that has a certain role, and you know where he is going to pitch is Jordan Romano; he is pitching the ninth.

There is no worse feeling than losing a game in the ninth inning. When you’re leading going into the final frame, you have to hand the ball to a guy that can handle the big moment and shut it down. Romano has developed into a great closer, however he has struggled at times this season on the road. In 22 games on the road, he has a 4.79 ERA and allowed 13 runs, as opposed to a 0.37 ERA with only 2 runs allowed in 23 at home. There are going to be some very important games in September that the Jays will be playing on the road in places like Tampa, Baltimore, and Philadelphia, and if the Jays are leading by a run in the ninth, Romano has to come in and finish the job. There are about six weeks left in the regular season and the Jays are in the middle of a chaotic AL wildcard race. Schneider has used the word “urgency” to describe how the Jays have to play the rest of the way, and he’s exactly right. They need to play with a sense of urgency or they could find themselves missing out on the playoffs yet again. It will take the entire roster to get this team where it wants to go, but at the end of day, the superstars will have to step up, play to their potentials – consistently – and lead this team to October.