What we learned through the Blue Jays’ first two spring training games

There’s no team that’s dominated this year's spring training spotlight like the Blue Jays. While this spring was always bound to be exciting due to the Blue Jays’ new faces, roster battles and impending free agents, part of the fun of spring training is keeping track of all the new storylines that pop up throughout camp. 

And after the first weekend of spring training, there are storylines abound. 

Orelvis Martinez is trying to smash his way onto the club 

The quickest way for a young position player to make an impression in spring training is by hitting the ball hard and far. And Martinez did just that on Saturday by launching a Brandon Leibrandt changeup 390 feet into right field for a solo home run. 

Martinez feasts off left-handed pitching (.300 average against lefties in 70 Triple-A at-bats last year) so it’s no surprise that he was able to shoot one out against the left-handed Leibrandt. What was surprising was the way he was able to do it. Instead of pulling a pitch inside the strike zone, he went out and poked a changeup away to the opposite field — a testament to his solid approach.

The Jays have at least one spot open for a reserve infielder (more on that in a second), so there’s a legit chance for Martinez to make Toronto’s Opening Day roster. The biggest question will come down to how his glove plays. He got the start at designated hitter on Saturday before playing at second base on Sunday, which could be a blueprint into how he could be used with the Blue Jays. 

He originally came up as a third baseman but now appears to have shifted to second base (which is to say nothing of him having a potential future at first base). 

Martinez missed out on three months of development last season after he got tagged with an 80 game suspension for PEDs. A strong spring can help him put that in the rearview mirror (and help him earn a spot on the Opening Day roster.)

The bottom part of the roster is far from settled 

Martinez staked his claim for one of the backup infield spots thanks after going 2-for-4 with a double and the aforementioned home run across the weekend, but he’s not the only young player trying to find an avenue to playing time in the infield. 

That said, the infield picture got a little murkier Sunday when Addison Barger left Toronto’s game with a right hand contusion after being hit by a pitch.

Barger, a trendy breakout pick for this year, can play all over the infield, so Toronto will need to adjust accordingly if he’s out for any significant period of time. Martinez, Will Wagner (who would have started at first on Monday if the game hadn’t been postponed) and Davis Schneider should all get more of a shot to crack into the infield picture if Barger has to miss any amount of time. 

There’s also a battle for a backup outfield spot since Daulton Varsho could miss a bit of time at the start of the season, and prospect Alan Roden did well to make an impression Sunday with two doubles and a nice catch.

Roden and Steward Berroa both have two doubles on the season, and are on the 40-man roster so they both have a legit shot to make the roster. Schenider could also work his way into the outfield, as could Joey Loperfido.

The Blue Jays have shifted the outfield mix throughout the first two games of spring (and would have on Monday had the game not been postponed), so it seems like everything should get a fair shake at earning one of the last spots on the roster.

The race for the last spot in the rotation is on

Yariel Rodríguez could be on the outside looking in when it comes to this year’s rotation and he didn’t do himself any favors on Sunday by allowing two earned runs in 1 1/3 innings. While it’s a fool’s errand to read too much into spring stats, Rodriguez is likely a bit lower in the pecking order after getting lapped by Bowden Francis last year, so a strong spring would go a long way toward helping him work his way into the rotation.

Jake Bloss is another guy looking to needle into the last spot in the rotation, but he allowed two runs in 1 2/3 innings on Saturday. Francis was supposed to toe the rubber Monday and now will get to work Tuesday and will look to avoid the same pitfalls that his competition fell into. 

No pitcher has gone more than two innings yet, but Ryan Jennings and Easton Lucas both impressed with two scoreless innings. Lucas recorded three strikeouts during his two innings of work in Saturday’s opener.