My (Beer) Glass is Always Half-Full

April 28, 2015

By Tyler King

Canadian Baseball Network

Twenty games into the season and the Blue Jays have already experienced more ups and downs than R.A. Dickey’s knuckleball.

The three game sweep of the Baltimore Orioles last week feels like a distant memory after the Tampa Bay Rays returned the favour, sweeping the Jays in the very next series. 

I was hoping that was simply a case of the much-maligned Tropicana curse. However, blowing the first game against Boston offered little reassurance.

Twenty games is hardly enough time to determine a team’s identity, but the Blue Jays might still consider some psychotherapy for the serious case of multiple personality disorder they are obviously suffering from.

Honestly, they are showing about as much consistency as the 2014-2015 Toronto Raptors...

Too soon?

Four times the Jays have scored 10 or more runs in a single game. But seven times they’ve scored just two or less. They have also recorded 105 runs (tops in the league thus far) and hit an impressive 26 homers. 

Yet their .245 team batting average remains painfully mediocre... although don’t tell that to Jose Bautista (batting .140) or Edwin Encarnacion (.173). 

Despite the woes of arguably our two best hitters - don’t worry, I see you Devon Travis - the Blue Jays are on pace to score 850 runs. To put that number into perspective the L.A. Angels (of Anaheim? who knows anymore) led the 2014 season with 773 runs scored. The average total for American League playoff teams last year was 723.

Now the question becomes: is that statistic reassuring or troubling? 

I mean, hooray for runs but who cares how many times you score if your record is only 9-and-11. It might not matter if the Jays score 1000 runs since we’re giving them away like they’re on the clearance rack at Honest Ed’s.

Blue Jays pitching has allowed the third most walks in the league (74). The bullpen has already blown four saves (second most in the majors) and has a save percentage of just 50%. They also have a sickening team ERA of 4.83, a WHIP of 1.42, and are one of only six teams not to have shutout an opponent yet this season.

What was it people were saying in Spring Training? Something about “unproven, young arms” I think?

To be fair, section 108 hasn’t really been doing it’s part either. During the Atlanta Braves series at the ‘dome, we heckled Nick Markakis so hard I thought we’d be receiving some swift lifetime bans. 

A lot of good that did - Markakis essentially laughed in our face going 7-for-10 over the three game set. 

Unfortunately, most of my verbal exchanges went something like this:

Me: “Hey Markakis, how do you eat with those hands?!”

Markakis: *Rips another single to right...*

Annoyed fan behind me: “Looks like he eats just fine...”

...Touché.