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Should the Blue Jays bat Troy Tulowitzki seventh in the Playoffs?

By Samuel Bruce |

Last night saw the long awaited return of Troy Tulowitzki to the Blue Jays lineup. His return to the lineup gives the playoff bound Jays another All-Star bat to add to the murderous lineup they already have. His return to the batting order saw something a little different though. He batted seventh. John Gibbons has long been known to change things up on the batting order, evidenced when he slated Tulo as the leadoff spot upon his arrival to the team after the Trade Deadline.

That being said, batting seventh is something Tulo is not familiar with. While it makes sense to move him further back into the lineup to help him rest his shoulder. Should the Blue Jays bat Tulowtizki Seventh in the Playoffs? This is the lineup before Tulowitzki left the lineup.

  1. Revere
  2. Donaldson
  3. Bautista
  4. Encarnacion
  5. Tulowitzki
  6. Smoak/Colabello
  7. Martin/Navarro
  8. Goins
  9. Pillar

This is pretty close to the standard roster we saw before Tulowitzki went down. Last night saw something a little different.

  1. Revere
  2. Donaldson
  3. Bautista
  4. Encarnacion
  5. Colabello
  6. Martin
  7. Tulowitzki
  8. Pillar
  9. Goins
Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays /

Toronto Blue Jays

While moving Tulowitzki to the Seventh spot was to help support Tulowitzki and make his return to the lineup easier, should Gibbons look to make this the playoff lineup? The first four are not in question at all. Revere thru Encarnacion is an absolute lock and represents the very core of the Jay’s lineup. From there, things get a little more interesting. Pre injury Tulo fit as a nice fifth batter, adding even more pressure to a pitcher who’s already had to deal with the previous four. However, by moving up Smoak/Colabello and Martin/Navarro the Jay’s lineup looks even more dangerous. Smoak (.353 Average, 4 Runs, 2 HR, and 6 RBI over last seven games) and Martin (.357 Average, 5 Runs, 2 HR, 5 RBI over last seven games) present a pair of batters that shouldn’t be counted out either. They have put up sensational numbers over the last several weeks and have contributed mightily from the fifth and sixth slot.

The final three batters on the playoff roster is Tulowitzki, Pillar and Goins. Much like Smoak and Martin have been on fire lately so as Goins and Pillar (let’s not forget the latter was AL Player of the week last week). They not only have recently discovered their bats, but also represent some of the fastest people on the team. Getting them on base as the lineup cycles back into the top of the order only increases RBI opportunities. The lineup is so incredibly in sync with eight batters that Tulowitzki’s loss was almost not felt. This effectively allows Gibbons to play with Tulowitzki’s bat.

With no batter on the team a clear ninth batter having Goins or Pillar in the last two spots is more appealing than just about any other team’s eighth and ninth batter.  Thus sliding Tulowitzki into the seventh slot is not only a great way to keep him fresh, but also adds additional pressure upon the opposing team. Only in the All Star Game could you see someone of Tulowitzki’s caliber batting for the first time in the top of the Third. The Blue Jays net an advantage no matter where Tulowitzki is in the lineup. Given that the Jay’s continued to get the job done tremendously without him, his bat back in the lineup is just icing on the cake for the Blue Jays and murder on opposing pitchers.

Next: 5 Blue Jays that never got their taste of playoff ball in Toronto

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