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Anybody who watches baseball, Blue Jays common supervisor Ross Atkins included, has to have at the very least some admiration for the game-changing majesty of a giant house run.
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However in discussing how he sees his offence being retooled (but once more) for 2025, Atkins made it clear that he’s not overly in love with the lengthy ball.
“Energy is the low-hanging fruit so as to add,” Atkins stated when requested if including some thump to the lineup could be a precedence this low season to assist return the workforce to a legit run-scoring menace. “I feel in as we speak’s recreation, you additionally should be cognizant of strikeouts everytime you do (add an influence bat.)”
Atkins isn’t mistaken in some respects, however is he dismissing one of many key elements that made the 2021 and 2022 variations of his workforce extra of a menace on a nightly foundation? We will solely think about the quantity of inside dialogue the Jays have on this topic as they attempt to clear up the puzzle of a workforce that scored simply 671 runs in 2024, it’s lowest output since 1997.
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That stated, Atkins made it sound as if he believes {that a} energy bat turns into muted when baseball turns to October, a cause he doesn’t see it as a easy answer to his workforce’s benign output.
“I feel that’s one thing that we’ve been working very exhausting to grasp, what meaning within the playoffs, as properly,” Atkins stated of the general significance of loading up a lineup with energy hitters. “It’s clear that contact is exceptionally essential within the playoffs. That’s confirmed. So, balancing that with energy additions is clearly crucial.”
In fact, attending to the playoffs is one other factor, a subject for one more day (or the following 12 months) because it pertains to the Jays. As a corporation below Atkins, the Jays place a excessive worth on versatility and that goes past the power to play a number of positions defensively. Atkins explains that these qualities additionally apply to what he prefers in a hitter.
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“I don’t assume (fixing the offence) is so simple as simply plugging in an influence bat,” Atkins stated. “If an influence bat can also be a really full hitter, right-handed or left-handed pitching doesn’t matter. They’re on base. Their contact price is excessive. There are simply so many variables and such a posh equation of scoring runs.
“Speaking in regards to the complexity of simply hitting and offence, I feel there’s extra to it than including energy bats. However we’re definitely open to including an influence bat.”
With Vlad Guerrero Jr. the one constant menace in that space. it’s clear the shortage of energy the Jays had at their disposal this previous season was a legal responsibility. Their house run output of 156 within the simply accomplished season was their lowest since 2008 and a loopy slide of greater than 100 since they hit 262 simply three seasons earlier in 2021.
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Atkins has already had a response to that with the short-term reply to implode the hitting division by shuffling the teaching employees and ranging from scratch with respect to strategy.
“This 12 months, we didn’t drive the ball,” the GM stated. “Vlad, he did clearly, definitely within the second half, however we simply didn’t drive the ball. We weren’t moving into benefit counts as properly. Doing harm is the place we noticed guys take some steps again.
“That’s one thing I’ve bought to determine and the way we’re supporting them.”
That course of started with the dismissal of hitting coach Guillermo Martinez the day after the season ended and transferring Don Mattingly again to a bench coach position reasonably than the thriller offensive co-ordinator title.
And has been a gentle chorus over current off-seasons, the Jays imagine enchancment from inside is a part of the answer.
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“It warrants some actual reflection on the way in which we’re placing the workforce collectively and mixing expertise,” workforce president Mark Shapiro stated of the offensive woes. “I’m watching the identical video games as (Atkins) is and it’s simply as irritating for me figuring out the quantity of expertise we’ve and considering we ought to be scoring extra.
“Actually, studying from the previous few seasons and a few of our offensive disappointment is without doubt one of the issues we’re searching for to do now. We should be extra considerate in how we produce runs.”
Apparently — however maybe not surprisingly given he’s the man within the dugout each day — Jays supervisor John Schneider has a distinct tackle the problem of what’s wanted.
“I feel (energy) sort of takes precedence over place, defensively,” Schneider stated on the ultimate weekend of the season when requested if he felt his lineup wanted extra explosiveness. “We nonetheless have good hitters which might be right here and must to carry out higher and I feel energy, sure, and general doing extra harm on the fastball as a gaggle (is what’s wanted.)”
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