For the Toronto Blue Jays and their attempt at playoff contention, the season ended when Jose Bautista went under the knife to stabilize a tendon in his left wrist. This was heart-breaking news for Blue Jays fans, as Bautista, the elite slugger in baseball, at least provided the fans with something to root for when it was clear Toronto was not ready to challenge for AL East supremacy in 2010 and 2011.
This season, the Blue Jays took a step backwards in the win column, but that does not mean that there isn’t a reason to tune in or at least check the box scores.
Edwin Encarnacion is having a historic season, Darren Oliver continues to get better with age, Casey Janssen has answered the call as the closer, and mid-season acquisition Steve Delabar looks like a keeper for middle relief.
Ultimately, 2012 will forever be known as the season that Edwin Encarnacion took the leap to stardom. We have certainly witnessed some ridiculous hot streaks before including when he finished 2010 with eight home runs in the final 16 games. Encarnacion also swatted 11 home runs with a .291 average and .382 on-base percentage following the All-Star break last season.
This season Encarnacion has been able to sustain the hot bat. He has blasted five or more home runs with 13 or more RBIs in each month. Just like the second half of last season, Encarnacion offered a .382 on-base percentage in the first half of this season. The difference in consistency is clear as he has managed to improve that figure over the second half of the season.
With 40 home runs and 103 RBIs, Encarnacion would have been a contender for the AL MVP award if the Blue Jays had been able to play meaningful baseball this year. Instead, Blue Jays fans will have to look forward to seeing what Encarnacion’s development can lead to when batting next to a healthy Bautista in 2013.
Last season, the Blue Jays bullpen proved erratic as Jon Rauch and Frank Francisco wore out their welcome in just one season and forced the Blue Jays to actively replace them during the off-season. While the most attention was given to the trade for closer Sergio Santos, it is the 42-year-old Oliver who has been the most dominant.
The former starting pitcher with 115 wins under his belt has redefined himself since returning from Asia in 2006. Since then, Oliver has lowered his career ERA in every single season. In fact, Oliver has established career-best ERA’s in each of the last five seasons.
Oliver is currently having the best season of his career with three wins, two saves, and an ERA of 1.84. Oliver is not just a lefty specialist either. Both left-handers and right-handers are barely north of the Mendoza line (.200 average) against Oliver. His four-plus strikeout-to-walk ratio illustrates how dominant Oliver has been. Expect the Blue Jays to keep Oliver with the club next season with a $3 million option.
When the Blue Jays originally called up Janssen in 2006, the plan was for the fourth-round pick out of UCLA to become a part of the starting rotation. Ultimately, Janssen struggled as a starter and transitioned to the bullpen where he flourished with six saves in 2007. Injuries cost Janssen the 2008 season and much of the 2009 campaign, but by 2010 he was again an integral part of the bullpen with a 5-2 record and 3.67 ERA.
In 2011, much of the Blue Jays greatest struggles came from the bullpen, and while management did not believe Janssen was ready for a high-profile role, as he managed just two saves, the middle reliever was dominant with a 6-0 record and 2.26 ERA.
This year when Santos went down with a season-ending injury just a few weeks into the season, Janssen earned the promotion to the closer’s role. Simply put, Janssen has been outstanding with 20 saves, a 2.61 ERA, and most impressively a 0.82 WHIP as a result of an incredible .189 opposing average and a better than 6:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The 31-year-old veteran is a bit of a late bloomer, but with his injury woes in the past, Janssen should remain the team’s closer next season.
Finally, a last pitcher who should help keep the bullpen a strength next season will be mid-season acquisition Steve Delabar. The long-time minor leaguer has evolved into a dominant hurler thanks to a fastball that reaches the mid-90s, leading to tons of whiffs by the opposition.
A fan favourite in Seattle, Delabar made his debut in 2011 with seven solid innings of relief. This season Delabar had some bad luck in Seattle, as his ERA soared to 4.17 despite solid control and an opposing average of .177. The Blue Jays were willing trade participants and Delabar’s ERA has improved to 3.57 with 90 strikeouts in just 63 innings of work. Best yet, Delabar is not arbitration eligible until after 2014, making him one of the best bargains in baseball.