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Blue Jays: Trying to tactfully sum up the first half of the 2018 season

By Chris Henderson

TORONTO, ON - MAY 23: Josh Donaldson #20 of the Toronto Blue Jays reacts after being called out on strikes in the third inning during MLB game action against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Rogers Centre on May 23, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - MAY 23: Josh Donaldson #20 of the Toronto Blue Jays reacts after being called out on strikes in the third inning during MLB game action against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Rogers Centre on May 23, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) /
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BOSTON, MA – MAY 29: Russell Martin #55 of the Toronto Blue Jays reacts after being struck by a pitch from Rick Porcello #22 of the Boston Red Sox during the seventh inning at Fenway Park on May 29, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA – MAY 29: Russell Martin #55 of the Toronto Blue Jays reacts after being struck by a pitch from Rick Porcello #22 of the Boston Red Sox during the seventh inning at Fenway Park on May 29, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

Underperformance

If we’re talking about the list of players who have failed to meet or beat their expectations this year, it would nearly cover the entire roster. There are obvious exceptions like Happ, Solarte, Curtis Granderson, and a few others, but the majority of the team has performed below what most of us had hoped to see.

Russell Martin had a terrible first half, and will look to salvage the remainder of the campaign and help the team pick up a few more victories. While he’s been worth 0.8 bWAR largely due to his defensive value, he’s continued to stumble at the plate. He finished the first half hitting just .172, and picking up just six home runs and 17 RBI in 62 games played.

When Stroman and Sanchez have been healthy, neither has been the type of “front of the rotation” option the Blue Jays were hoping for. Stroman has been significantly better since returning from the DL, but his season has been a disaster for the most part. Sanchez managed to stay healthy until the contusion on his finger has kept him out, but was just 3-5 with a 4.62 ERA. Add that on to Garcia’s 6.16 ERA which lead to him losing his rotation spot, and even Estrada’s 4.72 ERA, and it’s been anything but ideal for the starting group.

Then there were the epic struggles of Morales and Grichuk I mentioned earlier. Morales was a routine target for fans and writers online, with most of us (myself included) calling for the Jays to cut him loose as he struggled through the first couple of months. Grichuk wasn’t much better, but being a lot younger and cheaper, he didn’t face quite the same level of wrath. Kevin Pillar’s hot start to the year has provided him a much longer leash than he likely would have had otherwise, but he’s regressed back to even below his normal offensive standards.

Add the below-expected production together with the ridiculous amount of injuries, and it’s been a recipe for disaster for the Blue Jays. The proof is definitely in the standings, as even the Rays are ahead of the boys in blue right now, which is really disappointing for a number of reasons. Thankfully the Orioles have been as bad as they’ve ever been, keeping the Blue Jays out of the basement of the AL East this year.

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