Blue Jays History: 5 spring training performances that fooled everyone

It's hard to ever put any real stock in Spring Training results. After all, the level of competition varies from inning to inning and a lot of the top players are usually only giving it about 75% of their full effort. So it's hard to say that stats from Spring Training gave any indication that a player would be able to replicate that production when the real games started.

However, when it comes to these five players, there were some reasons to think that what they did in February and March could carry over into the regular season. But in the end, it just wasn't meant to be.

Blue Jays History: 5 spring training performances that fooled everyone

Gabe Gross 2005

A first round draft pick (15th overall) by the Blue Jays in 2001, Gross had made his big league debut in 2004. In 44 games he hit .209/.311/.310 with three home runs. Chalk it up to a young guy getting overwhelmed in his first taste of the big leagues. But during Spring Training the next year, it looked like Gross was ready to show everyone why he was a first round pick. He hit .392 and tied the Blue Jays Spring Training record with eight home runs.

But his 2005 regular season lasted just 40 games. Gross hit .250/.324/.348 with one home run. He was sent down to Triple-A Syracuse for the rest of the season and during the offseason he was traded with Dave Bush and Zach Jackson to the Milwaukee Brewers for Lyle Overbay and Ty Taubenheim.

Victor Zambrano 2007

The 31-year-old Zambrano was signed to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training. After battling injuries the previous year, Zambrano looked to be in top shape when he pitched 19.2 innings in Grapefruit League action and allowed just five earned runs with 14 strikeouts.

Zambrano worked out of the bullpen in the early part of the season, but was moved into the rotation in May and after giving up eight runs in 2.2 innings in a 9-2 loss to Boston, he was put on the IL. Zambrano was then released on July 9.

Dana Eveland 2010

By the time Eveland had gotten to the Blue Jays he was 26 years old and had 83 big league games under his belt over five seasons in the majors, including 44 starts. He had a career ERA of 5.54 in 276.1 innings pitched, but teams thought there was true untapped potential in the southpaw and the Blue Jays thought they might have finally harnessed it when Eveland pitched 25 innings in Spring Training, striking out 21 batter and allowing just five earned runs.

Once the regular season started though, Eveland had trouble with his command and in 44.2 innings he walked 27 hitters while only striking out 21 and ended up with a 6.45 ERA in nine starts, and was traded to Pittsburgh in June.

JP Arencibia 2013

Through his first two full seasons Arencibia was one of the better power hitting catchers in the league. In fact among all primary catchers he was fifth in home runs with 41. Unfortunately, he also struck out a ton with his K% at 28.1% and outside of hitting home runs, he didn't manage to put the ball in play a whole lot.

In the spring of 2013 Arencibia had 18 hits, only five of which were home runs. His .439 batting average, while lofty, gave Blue Jays fans an impression of what a more, well-rounded hitter Arencibia could be. However, he once again became an all-power or nothing type guy when he hit 21 home runs, but struck out a career high 148 times, an hit a career low .194/.227/.365

Aaron Sanchez 2019

By 2019, Sanchez had already experienced some of the highest highs and lowest lows you can experience at the big league level. From pitching in the postseason in his second year, to making the All-Star team and leading the American League in ERA in 2016. Sanchez was expected to be one of the faces of the Blue Jays pitching staff for the foreseeable future.

But that came to a screeching halt when a blister issue flared up in 2017, limiting him to eight starts that year and in 2018 he pitched to a career high 4.89 ERA. So when it looked like he was healthy in the spring of 2019 it gave reason for fans to be optimistic. He had a 1.53 ERA in 17.2 spring innings with 14 strikeouts and allowed just three earned runs.

Sanchez lasted just 23 more games as a member of the Blue Jays. He pitched 112.2 innings, giving up 76 earned runs and had a WHIP of 1.686 before he was traded to the Houston Astros at the deadline, along with Joe Biagini and Cal Stevenson for Derek Fisher.