Blue Jays: How many names in ink? Not as many as you’d think

Last but not least- The coaching staff

If I’m going to cover the various parts of the MLB roster, I figured I’d do the same with a few key positions on the coaching staff. I’m not going to break down every last area, but I will talk about three of the most significant roles on the bench.

I’ll begin with Pete Walker, who has become an institution in Toronto for his work with pitchers over the years. He’s highly regarded as of the better pitching coaches in baseball, and after the performance we’ve seen from guys like Robbie Ray, Steven Matz, and Ross Stripling in 2021, the legend continues to grow. It’s unfortunate he hasn’t been able to work that same magic with the bullpen, but I don’t think his job will be in jeopardy by any means.

More from Jays Journal

• Matt Chapman has been exactly what the Blue Jays needed
• Blue Jays: The goalposts are moving in the right direction
• Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays advance to the Championship Series
• Blue Jays: Comparisons for Alek Manoah’s Second Season
• Blue Jays: Adam Cimber, the unlikely decision King

How about hitting coach Guillermo Martinez? If we narrowed the focus to just the month of August then Martinez’s job might be in jeopardy, but looking at the season as a whole, I would argue he’s done an excellent job. Not only did we witness the breakout of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., we’ve also enjoyed the continued evolution of Teoscar Hernandez into a perennial Silver Slugger candidate, and a bounce-back campaign from Marcus Semien that will earn him some down ballot MVP votes.

The most noticeable difference to me this season is the way the Blue Jays have taken the ball to right field with their right-handed dominant lineup. That was especially the case earlier in the season, but players like Bo Bichette, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., and the trio I’ve already mentioned were making teams pay for shifting around the infield. The hitters were letting the ball travel a little longer in the count and staying aggressive early in their at-bats, and the recipe has worked well. They’ve been in a team-wide slump over the last few weeks, but overall I think Martinez will get solid marks for his work with the hitters.

And then there’s manager Charlie Montoyo, whose seat could be getting hotter by the day. The Blue Jays extended his contract before this season got started, and it doesn’t expire until the end of the 2022 campaign. That said, it’s very common to make sure that managers aren’t entering a season with “lame duck” status, and being let go with a year left happens more often than not.

Montoyo is a likeable character and the front office has adamantly endorsed him in the past, but fans have been growing impatient with him as the team has struggled to keep up in the playoff race. He’s made plenty of questionable decisions that have brought that criticism on as well, and while I once thought he was a lock to return in 2022, now I’m not so sure. In fact, if I had to make a better either way, I’m guessing we’ll see a new bench boss next season.

With such a talented young core in Toronto, we’re going to see a lot of familiar faces back in 2022 no matter what happens. However, there is going to be some changes coming one way or another.