DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Ask about the lineup too early in Spring Training and you’ll typically be reminded that it’s February. Well, it’s March now.
With the Blue Jays trying to become “the most creative lineup at scoring runs in baseball” under new hitting coach David Popkins, some of these bigger, philosophical questions about the lineup feel more pressing than they do in a typical spring. The changes feel like they could be more aggressive, more noticeable.
So much of this orbits around proper situational hitting. Popkins and manager John Schneider have adopted golf clubs as metaphors, speaking about using the right club at the right time. Don’t try to groove a three iron when all you need is a sand wedge, and when it’s time to pull out the driver, let it rip.
“The big thing, too, is how the lineup unfolds. Everyone is going to have a role,” Schneider said. “If we’re asking you to move the ball forward, you’ve got to move the ball forward. If we’re asking you to move him over, move him over. Then, when the situations pop up for the guys in the middle, go ahead and do your thing.”
This is where it gets interesting. Schneider wants to keep the core of his lineup locked in, but everything else is up in the air. We should start to see something closer to the real thing later this week, but until then, “creativity” can mean a lot of things.
“The consistent part right now is going to be Vlad and Tony [Santander], probably with Tony behind Vlad,” Schneider said. “Then, it’s going to depend on who we’re facing. I think it’s going to work. I love that the guys are on board with it.”
At this point, the Blue Jays are trying to turn a “good” lineup into something better than good. They’re trying to squeeze every drop out of this thing, which starts with a few big-picture decisions.
1. Who leads off?
The candidates haven’t changed: Bo Bichette, Will Wagner, Andrés Giménez and George Springer.
This feels like a question of how aggressive the Blue Jays feel they can be with Bichette. Yes, Bichette’s aggression is a unique fit up top, but the Blue Jays could blitz opposing starters with Bichette, Guerrero and Santander right out of the gate. Bichette has looked fantastic in camp. Everything his bat touches is loud.
Batting Wagner leadoff would shift that trio to the 2-3-4 spots, which could work wonderfully if Wagner reaches base at a .350 clip or better. He and Bichette feel like the likeliest candidates right now … but if top outfield prospect Alan Roden breaks through early this season, he could change that quickly.
2. Where will Giménez hit?
Here, Schneider hinted at how the bottom half of the lineup could look. Giménez isn’t exactly this team’s biggest offensive threat, but his speed needs to be put in the right spot of this lineup, which makes his placement important to everything else.
“You probably want Giménez ahead of [Alejandro Kirk] because of the stolen base potential,” Schneider said. “You want guys who can keep you in a platoon-neutral run of the lineup with bullpens coming in, and who can use their skill of contact or on-base accordingly. Then, you want those guys to run, too. If you can set the table and turn it over to the top of the lineup, I think that’s the way.”
If Giménez is wedged in ahead of Kirk -- let’s say in that 5th-to-7th range -- that would leave Ernie Clement and an outfielder, like Joey Loperfido, at the bottom to turn the lineup over.
3. Where is the second source of offense?
Bichette, Guerrero and Santander should handle half the offense by themselves. It’s about finding that second source, which brings us back to Kirk. He’s having an excellent camp.
“Huge,” Schneider said, the moment he heard Kirk’s name.
“He’s operating in a smaller area of space in the box, if that makes sense,” Schneider continued. “He’s not getting out front too much. His pitch recognition is where it should be and he’s hitting the ball hard. His first game, I think he hit the ball 109 mph and 110 mph. That’s really good for him right now. The work he did in the offseason will show with the bat speed and the exit velo.”
At his best, Kirk is a great situational hitter. He needs some pop behind all of that contact, though, and with that creeping back in after a muffled 2024, he could quickly reemerge as one of Toronto’s most important run producers.