We haven’t done one in a while.
Over the last 24 games, the Jays are 13-11. The hitters hit .302/.354/.467 with 29 home runs and averaged 5.4 runs per game (helped by the series against the Red Sox).
hot
Lourdes Gurriel: Started 22 games. He hit .391/.430/.506 with 1 home run, 6 walks and 12 strikeouts.
DHed in four of those games. He only has 5 home runs this year. But if he continues to hit near .400, I’m fine with less power. He’s only had 3 hitless games this month. He has had multiple hits 7 times. If he can get off to a hot start any season, he’ll be an MVP of sorts. His 6 hit game was a lot of fun.
Teoscar Hernández: He has played 24 games, 23 starts. Hit .344/.398/.622 with 6 home runs, 8 walks and 30 strikeouts.
DHed once. It’s been great. I don’t understand why they don’t put it back in the cleaning. He has his moments defensively when he doesn’t seem to act with urgency, but considering his bat, his defense is fine.
Raimel Tapia: Played in 15 games, 13 starts. He hit .420/.442/.660 with 2 home runs, 2 walks and 9 strikeouts.
Started 6 games in CF, 6 in LF and 1 in right. I’d like him to get a walk more than once a fortnight, but if he hits .400, I’ll be fine with that. When he was hitting the ball hard to the outs earlier in the season, we were hopeful that things would start to fall for him. I love watching him run the bases. He has 10 RBIs in his last 2 games, 29% of his season total.
Matt Chapman: Played in 23 games, 22 starts. He hit .281/.337/.561 with 6 home runs, 5 walks and 26 strikeouts.
All of his starts were at third base. If we did the last two weeks, he’d be “hotter,” .382/.462/.765. I really like seeing him play third, even though there are people on Twitter who tell me he’s overrated all the time. I’m not so sure I’m a big fan of his deep game, but he’s great, so I’ll trust him.
Vladimir Guerrero: He played in the 24, 23 starters. He hit .313/.330/.475 with 3 home runs, 3 walks and 18 strikeouts.
Started 18 games at first base, 5 at DH. A little warm instead of hot. But if our cutoff line were his last 20 games, his batting line would be .342/.353/.500. His walk rate is down this year, 2.9%, from 5.4 last year. I don’t know what’s going on. It looks like he’s trying too hard or something. I hope that now that the guys around him are beating him, he will relax a little.
Danny Jansen: Played in 7 games, 6 starts. He hit .273/.360/.546 with 2 home runs, 3 walks and 5 strikeouts.
He was great before he went to IL, and he’s been just as good since.
cold
George Springer: Played in 20 games, starting 19. Hit .231/.333/.423 with 4 home runs, 11 walks, 10 strikeouts and 4 steals.
Started 3 games at DH. He has been dealing with a sore elbow. George seems like a great teammate, great on the bench. I don’t know how much this is worth, but it must be worth something. He is now 32 years old. I wish the team would move him to a corner in the outfield. He plays all the time. I think if we get to value his contract, which is four more seasons after this one, we should take some stress off of him.
in between
Alejandro Kirk: He has played 22 games, 19 starts. Hit .312/.365/.390 with 1 home run, 5 walks and 6 strikeouts.
He caught 11 of the games, DHed in 8. A .312 average is great, but he didn’t have much in the way of extra base hits. It’s been great. Some of us figured it would probably be changed this year, but I sure hope not. A 23-year-old who can hit like Kirk is someone to hold on to. I’m a huge fan. Can you imagine what he will be like in his prime?
Santiago Espinal: He has played 22 games, 21 starts. Hit .293/.333/.366 with 1 homer, 5 walks and 9 strikeouts.
Started 1 game at third and 1 game at short. We’re not hearing as much about the extra 15 pounds of muscle now that he’s stopped getting extra base hits. He hit 2 home runs in April, 0 in May, 4 in June and 0 so far in July. So it must be 8 in August. Right now, his OPS+ is 101, and with his glove, that’s pretty good. He would be a great platoon player, in the era when you didn’t have to have 9 guys in the pen and you could have a bench. He has a .934 OPS against LHP and a .634 against RHP. He could hit at the top of the order against lefties, but should only bat ninth against righties. I am very happy that I was able to be in the all-star game.
Bo Bichette: Started all 24 games. He hit .271/.324/.396 with 2 home runs, 8 walks and 25 strikeouts.
DHed in a game. I’m not a fan of players who play every game. I think everyone needs time off from time to time. It’s just that we have weekends. Baseball players have long periods between weekends. “But he likes to play every day”, it doesn’t change things. Anyway… John Schneider has moved it to the cleaning site. “He’ll hit better there.” No, he’s hitting .192/.259/.269 hitting fourth. I think the time has come to put Teoscar back in that spot and drop Bo to 6th.
Cavan Biggio: Has played 16 games, 14 starts. He hit .269/.345/.404 with 5 walks and 14 strikeouts.
He played 6 games at first, 6 at second, 1 left and 1 right. He had a couple of bad stretches in there. Since returning from the IL, he has hit .265/.381/.444.
Also played
Zack Collins: Had 3 at bats in last 24 games. I don’t know why it has a place on the list.
Bradley Zimmer: Played in 18 games, 3 starts. He hit .091/.231/.364 with 1 home run, 0 walks, 3 strikeouts and 1 steal.
He’s had all 13 PA in our last 24 games.
Gabriel Moreno: Played in 8 games, 7 starts. Hit .200/.231/.431 with no extra base hits, 1 walk and 5 strikeouts.
It was fine for his first MLB look.