JABO: Attacking the Heart of the Blue Jays Lineup

The mission for the Royals is actually complicated. They need to be able to score, of course, which means they’ll need to score against pitchers like David Price and Marcus Stroman. They’ll need to contain every member of the Blue Jays lineup, because it’s not like you can ever afford to take a hitter off in the playoffs. But let’s be real — as far as the focus is concerned, many eyes are going to be on how Royals pitchers deal with Toronto’s offensive core. While it won’t be everything about the series, the Jays have grown accustomed to watching the same sluggers blast through all their opponents. The Royals are going to want to stop that.

Toronto had the best offense in baseball, in largest part because they had three of the best hitters in baseball. According to the FanGraphs leaderboards, among qualified hitters, Josh Donaldson ranked seventh-best in the majors. Edwin Encarnacion ranked eighth, and Jose Bautista ranked ninth. Bautista was tied with someone named Chris Davis, just ahead of one Andrew McCutchen. It’s an embarrassment of riches, and just to maximize the terror, the Blue Jays bat the three back-to-back-to-back. It’s on the Royals to figure out how to get them out. And I can offer a little bit of advice, although it’s less helpful than it might appear.

Flash back to Toronto’s Game 5. (Who could get sick of flashing back to Game 5?) Just prior to all the insanity, Encarnacion tied the game in the bottom of the sixth. This is the pitch that he hit out of the park:

encarnacion-hamels

OK, great, move ahead. Advance to the plate appearance that resulted in the bat flip that divided a people. The bat flip that set all prisoners free, the bat flip that pushed children over in the playgrounds. This is the pitch that Bautista hit out of the park:

bautista-dyson

Encarnacion blasted a pitch on the inner edge. Bautista blasted a pitch even more on the inner edge. These are representative swings and results. The Jays’ three best hitters thrive on pitches in. Relatively speaking, they’re most vulnerable down and away. Many right-handed hitters are most vulnerable down and away, so this isn’t any sort of exceptional thing, but if you’re looking for some kind of weakness, there you go. As the Royals go through the 2-3-4 section of the Toronto order, they’re going to want their pitches at the knees, and they’re going to want them by the outer third.

Read the rest on Just A Bit Outside.





Jeff made Lookout Landing a thing, but he does not still write there about the Mariners. He does write here, sometimes about the Mariners, but usually not.

44 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Painfully Real
8 years ago

Most pathetic ALCS. The two douchiest teams, who both have accomplished jack squat. Moustakas and Bautista might be the biggest fucking clowns ever to grave a field. They’Re hot heads who’ll eventually be their own worst enemy. The key to attacking them is just aggrievate them. Dumjacks.

The realest
8 years ago
Reply to  Painfully Real

The two best records in the AL definitely accomplished nothing. One with an epic run differential, and the other the defending AL champs who made it back to the ALCS. You sound like a child. An uninformed child.

Painfully Real
8 years ago
Reply to  The realest

“Totally epic run differential, bro” doesn’t mean this isn’t a douchie team. And Kansas acts like they’re 10 time world champions.

Serbian to Vietnamese to French and back
8 years ago
Reply to  Painfully Real

OAKLAND poor. Two teams douchiest reaches ninjas. Moustakas and Batiste maybe a clown ever biggest damn serious areas. They are the ultimate hot head, which would be the worst enemies of ourselves. The important thing is to attack its aggrievate. Dumjacks.

Whitequirrel
8 years ago
Reply to  Painfully Real

And who, pray tell, are your perfect team, that has committed no crime and is above all reproach?

The huddled masses await your proclamation…

BigDeer
8 years ago
Reply to  Painfully Real

ARe you waiting asshole….are you ready…..CUBS bitch.

Painfully Real
8 years ago
Reply to  Painfully Real

Fuck you. I’m a Yankees fan; always have, always will. Be. HIDTORY and TRADITION.

BigDeer
8 years ago
Reply to  Painfully Real

Okay, okay. Settle down.

Billy Beane
8 years ago
Reply to  Painfully Real

Is anyone thirsty? I got water to spare.

radivel
8 years ago
Reply to  Painfully Real

No you don’t Billy, California is in a DROUGHT.

Billy Beane
8 years ago
Reply to  Painfully Real

Look at the recent list of excessive usage of water in the Bay area…I’m #3!

Painfully Real
8 years ago
Reply to  Painfully Real

These teams aren’t historical. These teams have no history. These teams aren’t WINNERS. They have their wins-loses score, sure. They’Re winners in that they won a few games. But collectively, they’Re not WINNERS.

Steven
8 years ago
Reply to  Painfully Real

They actually have a direct history against each other, a 1985 ALCS rematch. The Jays have a history of 2 World Series, and before last year they were the 2 teams with the longest playoff drought. The rest of your stuff I really don’t know what you’re trying to say.

Painfully Real
8 years ago
Reply to  Steven

I like teams that have history going back to before 1900, not 1977.

Serbian to Vietnamese to French and back
8 years ago
Reply to  Steven

The Group is not history. The team has no history. The Group is not the winner. They have their grades to win, of course. They are the winners of this is for some games. However, in general, they are winners.

John Havok
8 years ago
Reply to  Painfully Real

Next time Sam, don’t miss your pitch middle in to Bautista.

Painfully Real
8 years ago
Reply to  John Havok

Dyson sucks.

radivel
8 years ago
Reply to  John Havok

Not only does Sam Dyson suck, but he also blows hot air. He’s basically the entire product line.

Painfully Real
8 years ago
Reply to  John Havok

Regurgitated comments from before.

Steven
8 years ago
Reply to  Painfully Real

Cool here’s some advice then: don’t watch it. Your crappier team will be back on the field in 6 months, I promise.

Painfully Real
8 years ago
Reply to  Steven

Hey, I got a team that has it going on….

JK
8 years ago
Reply to  Painfully Real

“biggest fucking clowns ever to grave a field.”

RIP, Moustakas and Joey Bats. Have fun up in that baseball field in the sky.

Painfully Real
8 years ago
Reply to  JK

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA