General Blue Jays Discussion Thread (2023)

[BCZ]

I think his wRC+ since May 1 is 118

A nice bench piece. Baseball rat who fills that role well because he’s always prepared and has a high baseball IQ. Above average speed.

wRC+ with scattered playing time rarely tells the truth. Give a guy everyday ABs and he could be closer to what he's been lately.

As happens with a lot of players, the guy got injured and didn't bounce back very well... everyone decided he was replacement level player and somehow his first two seasons we're just a fluke. Now the guy is healthy and looking really good. There's a chance. Not saying, just saying.

[harvey16]

Jays could potentially finish with the 3rd best record in the AL and have to play on the road in the WC round, while Minnesota has the 6th best record and gets potentially 3 home games, that's f'ed up. Now with a more balanced schedule, really need to rid of priority seeding for division winners. Teams in perennially strong divisions like the AL East always get shafted. If Jays were in the Central they'd be cruising to a division title right now instead of battling for a playoff spot.

[John_Havok]

Jays could potentially finish with the 3rd best record in the AL and have to play on the road in the WC round, while Minnesota has the 6th best record and gets potentially 3 home games, that's f'ed up. Now with a more balanced schedule, really need to rid of priority seeding for division winners. Teams in perennially strong divisions like the AL East always get shafted. If Jays were in the Central they'd be cruising to a division title right now instead of battling for a playoff spot.

Happens pretty much every year. THe problem with balancing schedules is that travel becomes exceptionally unbalanced. West coast teams already travel far more than central teams and east teams and that disparity would only get wider. I get that many don't really think of this as much of a factor, but it is.

[Omar]

Jays could potentially finish with the 3rd best record in the AL and have to play on the road in the WC round, while Minnesota has the 6th best record and gets potentially 3 home games, that's f'ed up. Now with a more balanced schedule, really need to rid of priority seeding for division winners. Teams in perennially strong divisions like the AL East always get shafted. If Jays were in the Central they'd be cruising to a division title right now instead of battling for a playoff spot.

Yes they should just eliminate the divisions altogether. I think they will do that eventually once they add another team. Or maybe go back to the old AL east/west.

[harvey16]

Happens pretty much every year. THe problem with balancing schedules is that travel becomes exceptionally unbalanced. West coast teams already travel far more than central teams and east teams and that disparity would only get wider. I get that many don't really think of this as much of a factor, but it is.

I have no problem with the current schedule, playing more games against teams in your division, glad it's a little more balanced now at least, but do away with the priority seedings for division winners. Could even still guarantee that division winners get playoff spots, but don't give them priority 1,2,3 seedings. Just seed the teams based on record alone.

[Terminator]

Would love to see them abolish the divisions altogether and just go AL and NL with the top 6 making the playoffs and the top 2 getting byes. Would make the standings so much easier to look at.

They could even make getting the top record in each league special by calling that the "Pennant". So for example if the Braves get the top record in the NL this year they win the "National League Pennant".

[John_Havok]

I have no problem with the current schedule, playing more games against teams in your division, glad it's a little more balanced now at least, but do away with the priority seedings for division winners. Could even still guarantee that division winners get playoff spots, but don't give them priority 1,2,3 seedings. Just seed the teams based on record alone.

Yeah, but the issue that happens there is that if teams don't play each other equally, then using an overall WL record is even less equitable since certain teams will always play garbage teams more than others because of differences in schedule.

[jaysblue]

Jays could potentially finish with the 3rd best record in the AL and have to play on the road in the WC round, while Minnesota has the 6th best record and gets potentially 3 home games, that's f'ed up. Now with a more balanced schedule, really need to rid of priority seeding for division winners. Teams in perennially strong divisions like the AL East always get shafted. If Jays were in the Central they'd be cruising to a division title right now instead of battling for a playoff spot.

Wasn't the AL West a strong division a week ago when you had all three of the Astros, Mariners and Rangers in playoff spots?

I don't think there is a perfect solution. We've been saying if the Jays were in a different division they would be dominating since the early 2000s. I remember during that decade, you had the Yankees and Red Sox dominating. Other teams like the Rays and Orioles have showed that they could win the division and be contenders.

[Dick_Pole]

Assuming expansion to 32 teams, I'm fine with an NHL-like division format. Unfortunately, i think what is being pushed is an NFL-like division format which would give me an aneurysm. There's a reason why the NFL needs - and can get away with - eight divisions of four. And even then you see the occasional 7-9 team get in. A sport with 162 games has no need for that setup.

[Ehjays]

DeRosa's recap of some "Teachable" moments from Saturdays etra innings game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHaKgHiiVuA

[Stangstag]

Jays could potentially finish with the 3rd best record in the AL and have to play on the road in the WC round, while Minnesota has the 6th best record and gets potentially 3 home games, that's f'ed up. Now with a more balanced schedule, really need to rid of priority seeding for division winners. Teams in perennially strong divisions like the AL East always get shafted. If Jays were in the Central they'd be cruising to a division title right now instead of battling for a playoff spot.

Yup. Hopefully changes come sooner than later…

[G-Snarls]

Hmm

All our competitors play today but not us

[John_Havok]

Hmm

All our competitors play today but not us

Yeah and really you’d only expect the Astros as the best bet to lose, and that’s pretty close to a coin flip. But, maybe the Athletics play loose and beat the Mariners and maybe the Red Sox get lucky against Texas.

[metafour]

But, maybe the Athletics play loose and beat the Mariners and maybe the Red Sox get lucky against Texas.

Sweeping the Red Sox right before they play Texas is big because they will 100% be awake for this series. They're one inning away from taking game 1.

[M.E.]

Thank you CB Buckner for being bad in the Rangers game

[Dick_Pole]

I just realized that the Jays aren't the main characters in this tragic story. It's the Rangers. They are following the 2021 Jays pattern. In 2021 Jays go into New York, facing a historical nemesis where many bad things have happened to the team. Against all odds they sweep the four games and look to be in control of their own destiny. Then a whole bunch of bad things happen after that series and they miss the playoffs. Rangers come into Toronto, a place where many bad things have happened to the team going back to the 1980's. Against all odds they sweep the Jays...then drop the next four...and counting.