Blue Jays: Cash In Runs and Keep the Line Moving

Home runs are fun and exciting. It fills up the stadium. The Toronto Blue Jays will need to do a little more than just hitting home runs. The Jays need to put the ball in play more often in the upcoming 2022 season.

There’s no question that the Blue Jays have one of the deadliest lineups in the MLB. I don’t even have to mention every name because it’s right there. Look at what they did last year. If George Springer had stayed healthy for most of the season, they might’ve reached 95-100 wins last season. However, I want to see this team keep the line moving. Home runs are exciting when a record is broken or seeing a walk-off to win the game, but I like seeing teams scoring runs with singles, doubles, and triples mixed in as well.

The 2015 Toronto Blue Jays were one of the best teams to not win a championship, especially in the 2010s. You had the American League MVP Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion, and midseason pickup Troy Tulowitzki – whom three of those four players hit over 35 home runs that season. I felt a mismatch in the American League Championship Series against the Kansas City Royals.

The Blue Jays hit quite a few home runs in 2022 but the club may need to mix in some singles and extra-base hits to be playoff contenders.

The Jays were a home run hitting team and the Royals were a contact hitting team. The Royals didn’t smack too many home runs. In the postseason, the Royals’ bread and butter were to put the ball in play. They used this game plan against the Houston Astros, Blue Jays, and New York Mets and that’s why they won the World Series that year.

You have got to get guys on base. Take advantage of runners in scoring position. Cash in those runs and keep the line moving. Leaving too many men on base can cost you games. Therefore, I’m hoping that the Jays can be more disciplined at the plate, don’t swing at everything, and try to get on base by any means necessary. Draw walks. Just don’t rely so much on the long ball.