Inbox: What do Vlad Jr.'s numbers tell us?

Keegan Matheson answers questions from Blue Jays fans

August 3rd, 2020

The Blue Jays are finally off to Atlanta to resume play on Tuesday after their weekend series against the Phillies was postponed, and they’re eager to get back to any form of routine.

Until then, here are your questions after a 3-4 start for the Blue Jays.

When do I have permission to be worried about Vlad? I don’t know the numbers, but I feel like I’m seeing just as many ground balls this year.
-- Chris A.

Guerrero is still young and, yes, this shortened season will cause some slow starts, but plenty of other young players have hit the ground running and this season is about competing, not just developing. The Blue Jays need , and hitting .172 with a .476 OPS through seven games isn’t what anyone had in mind.

Last season, Guerrero’s average launch angle was 6.7 degrees. For context, that ranked him 234 out of 250 qualified hitters. There’s a such thing as “too much” launch angle, but ranking that low is a bad sign. This season, he’s averaged even lower at 5.8 degrees (231 out of 271 qualified). Let’s revisit those numbers when he has another 10 games in, but at this point, launch angle will be the biggest variable in Vlad’s long-term success. He's actively working on it, but it's not reflecting in the numbers yet.

I was wondering what the remaining players on a team's 60-man roster do during the season. Are they playing unofficial games somewhere against each other or just working out like an extended spring camp?
-- Rob (G_Dot21)

It means different things for different players, which makes it interesting. There will be plenty of sim games or live BP sessions, which aren’t true games, but they get close enough to speed of live play. This can also allow the Blue Jays to individualize things, whether that means a hitter getting in extra work against a lefty, or a pitcher working on one certain pitch.

For prospects like Jordan Groshans, Alejandro Kirk, Alek Manoah or Simeon Woods Richardson, this is development camp. At points in a player’s development, there’s oftentimes a team wishes they could pull them from games for a few days to level them out and focus on one small thing in their swing or delivery. That’s what these next couple of months will be all about. While a Minor League season would have been preferable, hands-on development as in-depth as this is a rare opportunity.

In this 60-game season, do you think Charlie Montoyo's managing with enough urgency? Do you think he adjusts his bullpen management and lineup construction as the season goes on with less emphasis on getting guys "work" and more of a focus on winning that day’s game?
-- Eric (@flexableroster)

This coming week will tell us a lot. The Blue Jays dropped two games late, both with Shun Yamaguchi on the mound, and saw high-leverage innings for Sam Gaviglio go awry. After a 2019 season that was focused on development, not making a playoff push, the urgency of these games are new to everyone -- including Montoyo in the manager’s role. Some early lessons have been learned, so I expect you’ll see some decisions move from patience to aggression soon, as they should in a 60-game season.

Feelings on Giles? With his injury issues last year & now do you think the Blue Jays even bother to try to sign him? Are they grooming Romano for that role?
-- Lori (@brightskies99)

With a forearm strain and the PRP injection, it’s “wait and see” time. turns 30 in September and is headed for free agency, but he’ll need to return this season and show teams those radar readings they’re so used to seeing from one of baseball’s best closers. Above all else, this is just very unfortunate timing. could be an option long-term and that's a personal goal of his, but Montoyo was confident turning to . Down the road, keep Julian Merryweather’s name in mind.

Is Fisher on the cusp of a breakout?
-- Daniel (DanielJTiller)

We’ll need to see plenty more, but I got a handful of questions about this week and we should give credit where it’s due. Fisher showed some pop in Summer Camp and has homered once in his five games, but the number I like so far is three walks with four strikeouts. If Fisher can keep those numbers closer than he has in the past and force some more pitches out over the plate, that’s when he’ll be able to tap into his raw abilities. Physical tools are great, but players need to set themselves up to use them fully.