TORONTO — What a difference three weeks can make.
When the Blue Jays returned from their West Coast road trip from Hell on July 10, the painful end of a 1-9 spiral, they had stumbled into a last-place tie for the AL Wild Card with the Mariners. It was the Red Sox, now in absolute freefall, who sat comfortably on top.
The Blue Jays are playing their best baseball of the season at the best possible time. With Sunday’s 4-1 win over the Tigers, who had more errors than hits, Toronto is 12-3 since returning from the West Coast and is 11-3 under new manager John Schneider.
“I love it,” Schneider said. “We’re coming off a tough stretch on the road and everything that happened off the field, and I love the consistency with which they’re playing. Offensively, defensively and on the mound. Our bullpen has been fantastic. Our starters were great. The boys are rocking it. It’s fun right now.”
Schneider’s role has not been subtle. There was a change at the top of the lineup, resulting in a noticeably more aggressive style of play. On Saturday, as the players filed in for the day game after a night game, a DJ set up in the middle of the clubhouse, blasting the walls with music. That’s easier to accomplish when you’re winning, of course, but with the trade deadline looming, this team should only get stronger.
Last season, that meant Jose Berríos, whom the Blue Jays landed on July 30 for Austin Martin and Simeon Woods Richardson, their No. 2 and No. 4 prospects at the time. On Sunday night, instead of worrying about what jersey to wear on Monday, Berríos will host his Blue Jays teammates at his home near Tampa, Fla., for a team-building party. He will join his neighbor, George Springer, in the backyards for the festivities.
He and the rest of the Blue Jays will follow, hopeful but confident.
“In this situation, we have two more months of the season left,” said Berríos. “We are still there. We have a chance to make the playoffs. Everyone knows we have a chance to add some skill. I don’t know who or when [a trade is] it will happen, but i know it will. Right now, we still believe in our group. We have the talent. We have the group.”
Berríos’ July has helped limit the Blue Jays’ need in their starting rotation. Consistency eluded the right-hander for most of the season, an odd turn for one of baseball’s most predictable commodities heading into 2017, but he has finally righted the ship, giving the Blue Jays three playoff-caliber starters along with Alek Manoah and Kevin Gausman.
Matt Chapman has been the driving force behind that surge for the lineup, his two-run homer on Sunday his fourth in as many days. He’s spent the month of July doing his best Vladimir Guerrero Jr. impression, and after a recent swing tweak to better use his legs has paid off, the star third baseman is ready for a stretch run scorchers
Chapman was the big signing earlier this year, in the middle of Spring Training, so he knows the world of trade speculation well.
“Everybody talks about it a little bit, like, ‘Where is this guy going to go? ” Chapman said. “It’s more interesting that guys’ names are being thrown around and where they’re going to go instead of who we’re going to get. We’re not in those conversations with the front office, and we don’t necessarily know. We are confident with the group we have right now. Obviously whatever Ross [Atkins, executive VP of baseball operations and general manager] and Mark [Shapiro, president and CEO] and these guys decide to do it, we’re on board.”
Every player is different. Some like to play GM while others prefer to stay away from the noise, but there’s a common thread that runs through it all: it’s much easier to track that speculation when your team is buying, not selling.
The bullpen remains Toronto’s biggest need, but even that group has looked strong recently. Starting depth and bench position depth are also on the table, with the Blue Jays well-positioned in terms of prospects and dollars to make a major push if they find the right fit. That deadline will be motivated by the opportunity in front of the Blue Jays, but it’s one that this roster has completely earned, coming off an uneven start to the season.