NEW YORK -- When manager Charlie Montoyo waded through a crowd of media following the Blue Jays’ series-opening 3-0 win over the Yankees on Monday night, he cracked a smile and teed one up.
“I bet you know what I’m going to say,” Montoyo opened.
Pitching and defense? Bingo.
Tuesday night’s 4-0 loss to the Yankees had only half of that equation, though, which has been the case in three of the Blue Jays’ first five games. This isn’t how it was supposed to look, as Toronto entered this season with one of baseball’s deepest and most talented rotations. But the shortened Spring Training has thrown early expectations out the window.
Yusei Kikuchi’s first start with the Blue Jays was more nerve-wracking than his line suggests; the lefty allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits and two walks over just 3 1/3 innings. Toronto’s defense saved him early, as Lourdes Gurriel Jr. robbed Aaron Judge of extra bases in the first with one of the best catches of his career, leaping against the left-field wall.
On the next play, Anthony Rizzo doubled, and Teoscar Hernández bobbled the ball in right field. But Hernández fired a great throw home to nab Josh Donaldson, who’d hesitated rounding third. Before Kikuchi walked off the mound for the first time, the Blue Jays' defense had already saved him two runs.
Long term, this might be good news. This rotation has the talent and track record to find its groove, and it’s far from the only group in baseball to get off to a rocky start. The Blue Jays’ defense, though, is already outperforming expectations. Here’s a look at where things stand after the first trip through Toronto's starting five.
The first five
Toronto’s starters combined for 18 innings over five games, allowing 16 runs (15 earned) while striking out 18 and walking 10. This should go without saying, but that won’t last.
Alek Manoah was the early standout, throwing six scoreless innings at Yankee Stadium on Monday, a stadium where he looks right at home. Pitching behind José Berríos and Kevin Gausman, who signed multiyear contracts to stabilize the top of this rotation, Manoah is dripping with upside, especially after flashing a changeup on Monday that could unlock another level of his potential.
Berríos’ Opening Day start might be the best example here. The right-hander lasted just one-third of an inning in a 10-8 win over the Rangers on Friday, allowing four runs in a hurry. Under the microscope, that’s ugly. Zoom out, though, and Berríos is one of baseball’s most consistent starting pitchers over the past five years. He’ll be just fine.
Yes, it's early
When Manoah bounded off the field after the fifth inning Monday, he was barely to the top of the dugout steps by the time he began campaigning Montoyo for another inning. Montoyo was quick to smile and oblige, because 85-90 pitches were already the plan, and his gifted young right-hander wasn’t there yet.
Overall, though, these Blue Jays pitchers aren’t where they’d typically be entering the sixth game of a season. Many pitchers around the Majors are in the same boat.
“That goes for everybody,” Montoyo said. “It goes for every team. They haven’t thrown as many as they used to with the regular Spring Training, so that just is what it is.”
The old thinking is that pitchers open the season with an advantage over the hitters, but it’s easy to see that’s not the case now. And, yes, it’s early.
Whole lot of glove
In 2019, when the Blue Jays were kicking the ball around, Montoyo made one thing very clear. Physical errors he could handle, and as long as the errors were part of development, he’d be patient. It’s difficult to be patient in a sport that plays nearly every day, but Toronto is finally starting to see the results.
After a collection of highlight-reel grabs in Toronto, the Blue Jays carried it over to New York on Monday when Bo Bichette made two of the best defensive plays of his young career, one throwing back across his body and another spinning to fire and record a double play. On the other end? Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who has become a vacuum capable of doing splits.
“I knew they were going to get better. The tools are there,” Montoyo said. “You just have to be patient. Everything I do as a manager, I think through it as a player. I was better at 27 than I was at 22. Of course, I’m not Vladimir Guerrero Jr. or these guys, but you know what I’m saying. Even if they struggled, they worked so hard. When you work hard, you’re going to get better.”