This story was excerpted from Keegan Matheson’s Blue Jays Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
These windows don’t stay open forever.
They could, of course, if clubs continue to draft well, develop well and, most importantly, spend money. Look across MLB, the NFL, NBA or NHL, though, and teams who sustain winning for a decade are the outlier, not the norm. The Blue Jays are in the sweet spot now, where their young core is ready to win and the stars they’ve added in free agency -- George Springer, Kevin Gausman and Chris Bassitt to name a few -- are still in the early years of their contracts, when the peak production is supposed to come. This is where the Blue Jays have wanted to be for years.
General manager Ross Atkins has been the architect of this, along with a crowded front office of executives. Atkins spoke prior to the Blue Jays’ wild, 10-9 win on Opening Day in St. Louis. Here are three things to know from Atkins’ comments.
Maturity matters
I’ve been careful with the word “maturity,” but using it suggests that it was lacking in 2022. That’s not necessarily the case but, regardless, this is a more mature team now. Part of that is by design, roster moves included, but part of it is a natural process.
“The starting point for professional athletes is so high from an expectations standpoint,” Atkins said. “What’s asked of them, and expected of sometimes 21- and 22-year-olds, is not so common. Their standards have always been high, then they go through ups and downs and have disappointment and success together. Fortunately, the outcome for each of them, and collectively, has been that they want more. They’ve raised their standards for one another.”
You see the young core leading this, in different ways. Bo Bichette is out in front. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is trying to keep teammates more involved and together. The veterans are noticing, and it’s their wisdom that completes this picture. In 2022, Matt Chapman saw a club with confidence, but now that energy is pointed in a better direction.
“That confidence can be misleading sometimes,” Chapman said. “This year, I feel like we understand we have a good roster and a good team, but it takes that day-in, day-out grind every single day to get you where you want to be. You can’t just out-talent teams.”
Pitching-depth questions
“I’m excited about our Triple-A staff, from guys who can help in shorter bulk stints, like Thomas Hatch and Bowden Francis,” Atkins said. “There are guys who have been reliable as starters, like Zach Thompson, Drew Hutchison and Casey Lawrence.”
We’ll see how Mitch White factors in as he recovers from elbow inflammation, too. Hyun Jin Ryu could be another option by July, as he recovers from Tommy John surgery, while No. 1 prospect Ricky Tiedemann could force the issue by midseason. Few teams have MLB-ready talent seventh or eighth in line for their rotation, but Atkins likes what the Blue Jays have.
“We’re going to have guys going to Double-A who deserve to be in Triple-A,” Atkins added.
The final bench spot
For much of camp, No. 14 prospect Otto Lopez appeared to have the inside track for the final spot on the Blue Jays’ bench. He brought natural contact, above-average speed and impressive versatility.
Full credit goes to Nathan Lukes, though, the 28-year-old who beat out Lopez for the spot and earned his MLB debut. Lukes is more of a traditional outfielder and will play sparingly, which allows Lopez to go down to Triple-A Buffalo and play every day.
“There will be a lot of pinch-running opportunities, and we obviously feel good about [Lukes] in all three of the outfield spots,” Atkins said. “He’ll be a good option off the bench when needed late in games to pinch-hit. I’m sure Schneids [manager John Schneider] will work to get him the occasional start, as well.”
Lopez has still positioned himself well for 2023 and should get a legitimate shot at some point, not just a quick cup of coffee. He had a few of those in ’22. With Lopez’s versatility, he could be the next man up at multiple spots in the outfield and infield.