The Toronto Blue Jays are practically guaranteed to endure a losing season, but that does not make the final two weeks a waste for its fan base. Instead, there are plenty of storylines that should attract the attention of Blue Jays fans and it’s not just the battle against the Boston Red Sox to avoid last place.
Is Brandon Morrow an ace?
The Blue Jays figured they had an ace with Ricky Romero, but the southpaw who had improved from 13 to 14 to 15 wins in his first three seasons endured a disastrous 2012 with 14 losses. Romero’s 5.87 ERA is more than twice the 2.92 ERA he posted last season. With Romero’s control and ability questioned for next season, the Blue Jays are hoping Brandon Morrow can step up to ease the burden.
Similar to Romero, Morrow is a former first-round pick with a great deal of upside. In his first two seasons as a starter, Morrow posted 10 and 11 wins. The hard-throwing right-hander was on his way to surpassing those figures this season as he boasted a 7-3 record through 12 starts with a 2.90 ERA before leaving his June 11 start with an injury.
Morrow has always had dominant stuff, as evidenced by his 381 strikeouts in just 325.2 innings of work over the last two seasons. However, Morrow struggled to throw strikes and then keep the ball in the park throughout the last five seasons. This season he seems to have turned around both trends.
Morrow has cut his walk rate in half, and the opposition is hitting just .220 against him. With a 2.98 ERA through 18 starts, Morrow’s success has occurred over greater than half a season. He has been stellar before and after the injury and is primed to enter next season as the franchise’s ace, assuming he can avoid the injury bug and build on his impressive 2012 season.
Can Colby Rasmus gain some momentum?
By the time the St. Louis Cardinals had given up on Colby Rasmus last season, they were willing to exchange him for some spare parts en route to a World Series title. On the receiving end, the Blue Jays were hoping that Rasmus would return to the form that had many scouts think of the five-tool talent as a rising star. Even after a horrific finish to the 2011 season with the Blue Jays followed by a disappointing spring training, Toronto had hope that Rasmus would flourish by the time that the 2012 regular season was in full swing.
It has been a very uneven season for Rasmus, who is currently batting .231 with an on-base percentage south of .300. He struggles to make contact, with 133 strikeouts and his speed has not been utilized, as he’s four of seven on the base paths. Rasmus did show signs of stardom as he blasted eight home runs with a .291 average and 25 RBIs in June. Unfortunately, the momentum did not last as he followed with batting clips south of .200 in the next two months.
Perhaps the most glaring weakness for Rasmus this season has been his proficiency against southpaws (.191 average, .312 slugging percentage). In the final few weeks of the season Rasmus can provide us with a better idea of whether the potential remains or if he is little more than a platoon option for the 2013 season.
Can J.P. Arencibia build some trade value?
The Blue Jays’ greatest strength in the farm system comes from behind the plate. While JP Arencibia is a slugger at the big-league level, Travis d’Arnaud and A.J. Jimenez are two backstops earning some attention in the farm system.
The problem for the Blue Jays is that Arencibia has never been known for his defence, and even his offence has been in question since becoming an everyday player in 2011. The former first-round pick swatted 23 home runs with 78 RBIs in his rookie campaign, but only hit .219 with a .282 OBP. In an injury-plagued 2012 season, Arencibia is only reaching base at a .266 rate.
Even with a solid slugging percentage, having Arencibia in a batting lineup can prove costly because of his inability to reach base consistently. The Blue Jays have the opportunity to upgrade with younger talent in the farm system, and with a strong finish for Arencibia they may be able to gain a decent return for their current catcher.
Can Moises Sierra, Yan Gomes, or Anthony Gose give reason to believe?
Injuries may have been the source for the Blue Jays initial downfall, but it may also be a source for optimism for the future. With Jose Bautista out for the season, the Blue Jays provided Travis Snider with some at-bats. When he failed to make an impact, the Blue Jays traded Snider to the Pittsburgh Pirates and now several young talents including Moises Sierra, Yan Gomes, and Anthony Gose are getting a look.
After blasting 18 home runs with 16 steals and a .277 average at double-A last season, Sierra earned a promotion to triple-A to open this season. Sierra blasted 17 home runs with a .289 average in just 100 games before earning the call to the Blue Jays. Sierra hit well through his first 25 games with a .286 average and three home runs. However, the 24-year-old has mustered just four hits in 30 at bats since then and now has his average down to .243.
Yan Gomes first earned the call to the majors just six weeks into the season. He then managed five hits in his first five games for a .357 average before going hitless in his next seven games, dropping his average to .172. Though he hit .328 in 79 games at triple-A, Gomes has appeared lost at the plate in the majors. His average is down to .171 through 82 at-bats, which is not a good sign considering Gomes is 25 years old and should be entering his prime.
A former second-round pick and top-40 prospect coming into the season, Anthony Gose is a speedster who also showed a blend of power in the minors. The problem for Gose is his lack of plate discipline, which has been exposed in the majors. While the speed has translated to the highest level, as Gose has 15 steals in 17 attempts, his batting average is just .221, and he has struck out in roughly 40 per cent of his at-bats. For a player with his type of speed, Gose needs to put the ball in play and work the count better in order to optimize his value.