Season Preview Part 3 - Bluejaysfan65's Dynasty

Arena Blog Dynasty Scores Sign Up ☰

Bluejaysfan65's Dynasty Blog

Season Preview Part 3

Posted on July 17, 2013 at 07:02 PM.

(0)

Complete Toronto Blue Jays 2013 Season Preview: Hitting

Scouting the Hitting

The best part about the offseason trades that changed the makeup of the lineup so drastically is that the Blue Jays gave up very little major league quality talent.

Last year�s shortstop Yunel Escobar was shipped out, along with Adeiny Hachavarria and Jeff Mathis, while Kelly Johnson was lost to free agency; but other than that, most of the talent was retained. With more hitters coming in than leaving, manager John Gibbons has a lot of firepower and lineup combinations to work with.

Whereas last year the lead of spot was a trial and error type of situation, newly acquired Jose Reyes will be a mainstay at the top of the order this year.

Reyes has proven he can be an extremely effective leadoff hitter with a career .342 OBP, and just one year removed from hitting .337 with the Mets. He has the speed (410 career stolen bases) and power (462 career extra base hits) to be a real threat at the top of the order.

Who will hit second is a little bit less definitive, but there is really no bad option. Whether it ends up being Melky Cabrera, Brett Lawrie, Emilio Bonifacio or a revolving door of players, the Blue Jays are in a fortunate situation to have so many options. Whoever hits second will be tasked with getting on base (ideally pushing Reyes into scoring position) for the big guns that are coming up next.

Hitting Bautista third in the lineup is probably the best thing for this team. Firstly, it forces opposing pitchers to face him in the first inning. It also means that pitchers cannot pitch around him in order to get past him in the lineup.

The reason it is foolish to pitch around Bautista is the Blue Jays clean up hitter, Edwin Encarnacion. He enjoyed a breakout season in 2011 and has never looked back. He has hit .276 over the last two years including 42 homeruns last year.

While once a liability at the plate (career .245 BA pre-2010), and in the field (his 103 errors from 2005 to 2010 earned him the nickname E5) Encarnacion is now a source of strength in a very powerful lineup.

The rest of the lineup will be some combination of Colby Rasmus, Adam Lind, J.P. Arencibia, and Maicer Izturis. Each of these hitters have the ability to contribute significantly to the team but have struggled to do so consistently in their career.

Rasmus hit .276 in 2009 and saw his average drop to .225 in 2011 before recording 75 RBI in 2011. Regardless of his performance at the plate, Rasmus has been steadily improving in the outfield and has played the ultra-important center field position well during his time in Toronto. Whether or not he can hit consistently at the plate will be secondary to his play in the field, especially hitting alongside such talented hitters.

The ever-so-frustrating Adam Lind will be on a short leash this season. His time in Toronto was on the clock last year, and that clock may become an hourglass this season.

When the Blue Jays put him on waivers last year, not one team filed a claim for him. That was a clear indication of his perceived value around the league, and unless he can improve at the plate, he will be spending much of his year two hours down the road in AAA Buffalo.

That being said, when he hits, he hits well. In 2009 he hit .305, and after being recalled from AAA last year, he hit .301 to close out the season. Consistency is a clear issue for Lind, but his upside remains an enticing conversation piece. If he can figure out how hit consistently, he may be the piece that turns a good lineup into a great one.

The Blue Jays have a very good batting order. Not the best in the league, but powerful enough to give their starting pitchers a lead. Which may be all they need.