'So Much Left to Offer': Brandon Belt Brings Exactly What the Blue Jays Needed

With his winning ways and lefty bat, Brandon Belt is a natural complement to the Blue Jays' roster.

Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

The Blue Jays entered the offseason looking to make change.

They had holes to fill, like most teams. But Toronto also wanted to diversify, bringing a different look across the roster.

In Daulton Varsho and Kevin Kiermaier, the Jays took a step in that new direction. But, filling one of the final spots on their 26-man roster, Brandon Belt brings even more change to Toronto. In many ways, he has what the Blue Jays lacked.

"The elite offensive skills and veteran presence of Brandon is an addition that will greatly complement this team,” GM Ross Atkins said in a statement. “His consistency and experience on the game’s biggest stages make him a great addition culturally and within our clubhouse”

Belt's most obvious complement to Toronto's roster comes in the batter's box. Even after the additions of Kiermaier and Varsho, Belt becomes just the fourth lefty bat expected to break camp on Toronto's 26-man roster, so far. His career OPS against right-handed pitching (.840) would've been just shy of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for Toronto's best mark against the strong side of the platoon last year.

Adding some lefties was part of Toronto's roster renovation, but so was a divergent approach. The 2022 Jays topped the charts in many offensive statistics—first in hits, fourth in runs, second in OPS—but in walk rate, they came in at 14th, just above the Pirates. Just three playoff teams had a lower BB% than Toronto last year. Even in an injured off-year, Belt posted a 12.4% walk rate in 2022 that would've ranked best among Toronto's regulars.

"That's what's really kept me going when my swing doesn't feel 100% right," Belt told the media on Wednesday. "I can still find ways to get on base because I'm able to have a good eye and give myself a chance to at least take a walk."

Even more granularly, Belt does damage in different ways from Toronto's current sluggers. As a team last year, the Blue Jays hit .285 against all fastballs. Against breaking stuff, that mark dropped to .266, and the Jays just traded three of their best breaking-ball hitters in Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (.301 vs breaking balls), Teoscar Hernández (.265), and Gabriel Moreno (.316). 

As pointed out by FanGraphs' Justin Choi, that pitch type is where Belt does his belting best. While the lefty has a career .258 batting against the pitch type, his selective power is on full display against breaking stuff—.352 OBP, .456 SLG. In 2021, Belt posted a .596 slugging percentage against the moving pitches, the seventh-highest mark in the league that year. 

Belt isn't some silver bullet solving all of Toronto's deepest problems, but he's a natural complement, especially if he's back to full form. In 2022, Belt posted just .3 WAR and a .676 OPS (the lowest of his career). The former Giant suffered from persistent knee issues caused by flaking cartilage and had a late-season surgery that ended his year. At the time of the procedure, Belt couldn't chase his sons around the yard and he wasn't sure he'd ever be back on a professional baseball field.

“It was really tough,” Belt said. “That’s not how I wanted to end my career.”

But following the procedure, the first basemen felt the best he had in two or three years and knew he had more baseball in him. The Jays are hoping to get the 2021 slugger who walks as much as anyone and mashes the hanging breakers. But even if he's not fully back to form, Belt brings more that Toronto lacked.

Belt won two World Series rings with the San Francisco Giants / Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

Of the Blue Jays' projected 26-man roster, Belt joins George Springer as the only players to win a World Series. With two rings and 37 career playoff games, Belt has more playoff plate appearances than most of Toronto's young core combined. Belt knows what it felt like entering Spring Training with high expectations and a target on his team's back. The Jays had those expectations last year but flopped come October.

"It's just a mentality and I think we're gonna have it," Belt said. "We got a lot of young guys on this team and that's where veteran leadership steps in, you know, and they kind of help guide those guys along the way, and I think that's something I'll be able to help at."

He grew up learning from and winning titles alongside Tim Hudson and Buster Posey. And, over the course of his 12 seasons with the Giants, Belt eventually became the leader himself—or captain of the ship. He knows what it takes to get through 162 games and then win 11 more. Belt's leadership style is 'level-headed and levity,' he said, bringing some humor to the daily grind. 

The Jays had leaders and winners already, but Belt brings more of both. With a healed knee, Toronto's betting on his offensive upside, but Belt brings what they needed in many more ways.

"I feel like I have so much left to offer," Belt said.