At this point, nobody in baseball has reached 50 plate appearances, so it’s far too early to indulge in trendspotting. So that’s not what the following paragraphs purport to be.
But early on, there are a few items in Blue Jay land that catch the eye, for better or for worse.
The Return of Brandon Morrow, Power Pitcher
It’s only one game, but what a remarkable difference those few extra clicks made on Brandon Morrow’s game.
I was so incredulous, in fact, that I went to the trouble of checking the velocity on multiple sites after seeing the on-screen scoreboard. But beyond being impressed by the radar gun readings lit up as high as 98 mph, one had to be excited to see the degree to which Astros hitters were unable to put wood on fastballs thrown in the strike zone.
As a point of comparison, Morrow walked off the field for the last time in 2013 on May 28, having topped out at 92.9 mph and averaging just 88. Morrow is a pitcher whose secondary stuff is usually only effective when put in contrast with a hard and heavy fastball down in the zone, and the diminishment of that primary pitch was very worrisome. It had gotten to the point in the offseason that Morrow’s role on the Jays was scarcely discussed, and never put forth in a positive light
Without getting ahead of ourselves, Wednesday night’s start was something you could begin to dream on as a Jays fan, even with caveats attached.
The Perpetual Enigma
Speaking of players to dream on, Brett Lawrie continues to be one of the most maddening Blue Jays in recent history.
Granted, we might be reaching the point where it is safe to say that Lawrie isn’t generally a strong starter, but I think a fair contingent of fans came into this season with high hopes that this would be the year when the physical talent would coalesce into something more: A legit, top- flight third baseman. A potential all-star. Even a secondary-but-important role player on a good team.
As of yet, Lawrie has yet to hint that those aspirations are hidden in his cards.
Without sounding like too much of a pessimist, even Lawrie’s Wednesday night homer seemed like something less than satisfying. Lawrie has extraordinarily quick hands, but the position in which he has them after his last-second jerk of the bat before moving into the swing zone means that it takes the meatiest meatball, and the most mistaken of mistake pitches directly in the right place for him to really drive the ball into the seats.
It would be nearly impossible to live up to the hype generated following Lawrie’s 2011 season, and at 24, there’s still plenty of time for him to make adjustments to his swing. He even sports a comparatively calmer demeanour lately that makes you think that such a scenario is possible. But if you had talked yourself into believing that this was his year, you’re probably as disappointed as I am.
Melky Bombs
Through the early positive reports from spring training, most Blue Jays fans would have been happy with a version of Melky Cabrera that was mobile, and possessed the bat-to-ball skills that he’d previously demonstrated in Kansas City and San Francisco. But this April’s sudden power surge is more than welcome.
What makes those early dingers especially satisfying is the fact that Melky doesn’t seem to be selling out his swing for power. The most beautiful television shots from this early season have been the replays that show just how completely locked-in on the pitch Cabrera’s eyes are, and his pop seemingly comes as much from squaring the pitch up perfectly as opposed to muscling the pitch or yanking it out a pronounced and unsustainable uppercut swing.
It would be a stretch to imagine Melky’s name near the top of the list when the final tally for home runs is posted at the end of September. But based on early returns, his good approach and effectively simple swing could serve him and the Blue Jays very well.
Up and Down in the Middle
It’s a curious equation in the Blue Jays’ middle infield at the moment. Most folks figured that Ryan Goins would struggle, but even his very few ardent supporters – I guess that’d be me – would have to admit to a level of disappointment in what they’ve seen thus far.
As much as I loved to rave about how Goins looked like a “ballplayer” last season, I’ll confess to being underwhelmed, even by some very generous-but-still-low expectations. Goins has struggled to such a degree that Jonathan Diaz is suddenly being talked up as reasonable option for the second base role once Reyes returns.
Don’t get me wrong: I like a scrappy guy with a career .297 slugging percentage in 3111 minor league plate appearances as much as the next guy. He seems like a genuinely good guy, and as a 25th man on the roster, I suppose he’d do.
Thankfully, the 2014 edition of Maicer Izturis looks legitimately like someone who could serve as a starting second baseman on a major league team. Whether he was slowed by injury last year or is just having some ridiculously good luck in the opening weeks (.500 BABIP!), his work at the plate and in the field has been among the more pleasant surprises so far.
It’s almost enough to make you ignore how Emilio Bonifacio is setting Wrigley Field ablaze lately.
