Blue Jays First Half Surprises

The first half of the Toronto Blue Jays season is behind us. Likely, fans are split in their feelings about the first 3.5 months. On the one hand, we’re disappointed that this club seems to be built to win and they’re not. On the other, we’re excited that with over two months remaining, we’re right in the think of what could be a wild playoff race. Such is the life of a Blue Jays fan, I suppose. Whichever side of this fence you’re on, you will have noticed that there were some great performances of the first half of the season.

Toronto Blue Jays

The purpose of this post is not to praise the performances of guys like Josh Donaldson, who is having an early MVP showing. It’s not to extol the virtues of Mark Buehrle who has been nothing short of the savior of the starting rotation. Nor is it to sing the praises of Jose Bautista who is a walk machine. See, we kind of expect it from those guys. As great a half as they’ve had, we’re not really surprised. Instead, we’re going to look at a few players who have actually surprised us.

Whether it is the domination of a bullpen arm that can’t even buy himself a drink on the road, or it is the offense provided by a guy who wasn’t even in professional baseball a while back, or the guy who throws his body around to catch anything and everything, or the rookie who was traded for next to nothing and was a question mark, there are plenty of things to look back on and smile. Some will say they saw it coming. Others will call them ‘sayers of falsehoods’.

No matter what happens for the remainder of the season, we can look back at these performances and enjoy them for what they were. They may or may not lead to a division title, but they certainly did their part in making a run. And, if we’re being completely honest, the current situation with the Toronto Blue Jays could be much worse. If it weren’t for these surprises, it just might have been.

Don’t forget to take our poll at the end and vote for the Blue Jays biggest first half surprise!

Next: The Kid is Alright!

During spring training, we’d heard that Roberto Osuna could very well be a bullpen option with the big league club. It seemed odd that the Blue Jays would be considering this with a 20 year old starter who hadn’t pitched higher than A+ Dunedin. But, situation being what it is and the Blue Jays failing to pick up any type of help during the offseason, Osuna was thrust into the role.

Betsided

And, he hasn’t looked back. In fact, thanks to the struggles of others, he might be leaned on as the closer of this team. That is of course, unless the Blue Jays can pick up a closer in the next few weeks.

So far, he’s 1-3 on the season with 4 saves. His ERA sits at 2.25. He’s striking out 9.9/9 innings, which is good for 28%. Hitters are having very little success against him at .185 and only able to make hard contact 23.5% of the time. His WHIP is very low at 0.93.

When called upon, he’s brought a calming force into the game many times over. Can anyone really say that they expected this from Osuna? Maybe the Blue Jays will say they did. They felt confident enough in him to start him with the big league club. That confidence has only become greater. John Gibbons seems to turn to Osuna in important situations. A lot. Osuna’s totaled 40 innings pitched thus far.

Now, what this means for his future remains to be seen. Will the club ignore that he was supposed to be a starter? Will they continue his bullpen success? Time will tell. For right now, though, Roberto Osuna is one of the pleasant surprises of the 2015 season thus far.

Would you say he’s been THE surprise of the first half? Cast your vote in our poll at the end!

Next: The BABIP Machine!

Jun 24, 2015; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays left fielder

(15) reacts at home plate after hitting the game-winning home run during the twelfth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 1-0 in the twelfth inning. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Chris Colabello was supposed to be a depth pick up. That’s it. He was supposed to be a “just in case” kind of guy. And yet, here he is with 55 games in (221 plate appearances) and a .325 average. He’s hit 8 home runs, scored 37 runs and driven in 32. And, before anyone feels the need to, I will acknowledge his astronomical BABIP of .421. That definitely indicates a success that will surely regress. But for right now, let’s just enjoy the surprise that he has been providing us.

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Colabello has been providing good at bats looking at hitting the ball up the middle as evidenced by 41.9% hit toward center. He’s not walking a ton, but he has provided a nice complimentary bat for this heavy lineup. His first half has his +WPA at 5.08. Fangraphs.com also puts his batting value at 10.6! He’s been a valuable piece to the offense.

Yet, overall, his WAR sits at -0.1.  That’s because as good as his bat has been, his defense has been the polar opposite. He’s played left field to the tune of -45.9 UZR/150 and -10 DRS in 247 innings. Nope, it’s not been pretty. In right field, it’s been bad too: -51.9 UZR/150 and -5 DRS 108 innings. What about first base where he is really supposed to play? Well, in 86.2 innings it looks like this: -13.8 UZR/150 and -3 DRS. Those who are going to argue against Colabello will point to these numbers.

Numbers don’t lie. Defensively, he’s been bad. But, with a bat, Chris Colabello has been one of the bigger surprises of the first half of the 2015 season.

Agree? Disagree? Take our poll at the end and choose your Blue Jays Surprise for the first half of 2015.

Next: Spiderman is in the House!

Jul 2, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays center fielder

(11) catches a ball during the ninth inning in a game against the Boston Red Sox at Rogers Centre. The Boston Red Sox won 12-6. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

Before the season started, it looked like Dalton Pompey would man center field and Kevin Pillar would be fighting for everyday at bats. And, it has long been thought that all Pillar needed was a chance to have his name written in the lineup regularly to flourish. Well, this season he got his chance. Michael Saunders was taken out of the equation by a sprinkler head. Pompey struggled and was demoted. The starting job was Pillar’s by default.

But, since then, he’s wowed us with his fancy acrobatics and all out style of play. He crashes into walls more than a kid’s remote control car. He’s been fun to watch. Remember this?

Except that catch back on Jackie Robinson day is not where his contributions end. It seems like very week, there is a Pillar highlight to watch. All told, his outfield defense has been worth a UZR/150 of 9.4 and a DRS of 13! According to Fangraphs.com, his defensive value sits at 5.7. 

Betsided

But, he’s not just getting it done with the glove. With everyday playing time, Pillar is hitting .278 with 7 HR and 37 RBI. Now, he still doesn’t walk much (4.5%), but he is certainly holding his own, which might be a surprise to some. But, he brings a solid bottom of the order bat that can run the bases well. His BsR (Base Running Runs Above Average) is at 5.0.

Can we ask for anything more out of Kevin Pillar? Probably not, since we didn’t even think we couldask for this out of him. With an overall WAR of 2.3, the Blue Jays may be getting a massive steal, here since Fangraphs translates Pillar’s value to $18M!

Is Kevin Pillar your biggest surprise from the first half of the 2015 season? Vote in our poll at the end!

Next: Is There a New Devo in Town?