Blue Jays are One of League's Most Improved Defenses
Vlad Guerrero Jr. returned to the Blue Jay dugout to a barrage of high fives. Alek Manoah met him at the top step and every Toronto player, coach, and staff member had their hand outstretched as the first basemen made his way to the end of the bench.
Guerrero Jr. has faced the high-five gauntlet often this year — he leads the MLB in homers — but this celebration was for something different, something we rarely saw from the Blue Jays a year ago or even this spring — a smooth defensive play.
The 22-year-old snatched a bouncing grounder from Cleveland’s Cesar Hernandez and scrambled to first base to record an out before throwing to second. Guerrero’s throw pulled Bo Bichette just off the bag, but Toronto’s shortstop recovered and placed the tag on Yu Chang to end the inning.
The Blue Jays were Baseball Savant’s worst defensive team through April by Outs Above Average, but in May Toronto rose to 16th. An improvement to below-average defense doesn’t seem significant, but for a team embedded in a deep and strong American League playoff race, every out matters. Toronto’s defensive improvements have been subtle, but the state of the Blue Jays fielding is no longer a daily talking point, and it may soon become a strength.
Last weekend's double header reminded the Blue Jays how poor defensive play can cost wins. In the third inning of game one, Cleveland’s Amed Rosario charged out from shortstop to play a lazy fly ball off the bat of Joe Panik. Rosario tracked the ball the entire way but bailed at the last second, crumbling to the grass and covering his head as the ball fell fair.
Panik came around to score Toronto’s opening run, and in a remarkably similar play four innings later, Teoscar Hernandez called off a falling Bo Bichette to defeat the sun and secure the final out of the early ballgame. Bichette has been one of Toronto’s most improved defensive players, lifting from the 30th ranked shortstop in baseball in March/April to ninth in May.
In Sunday’s second game Steven Matz was cruising, allowing just one hit through the first five frames. To open the sixth, Santiago Espinal bobbled a grounder to allow a leadoff runner on. The botched play started a four-run sixth that preceded a disastrous seventh to hand Cleveland a win.
Misplays still occur, and the Blue Jays have paid for them, but lauded defenders like Espinal and Jonathan Davis regularly getting into the lineup helped spur the May defensive development. If marked improvement is to sustain, however, it will fall on the regulars. Marcus Semien has been the best defensive second basemen in the American League, per DRS, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. leads MLB left fielders in Zone Rating.
Though Gurriel has struggled with ball tracking, wind, and the TD Ballpark sun at times this season, he was a finalist for American League Gold Glove last season and features one of the best arms in baseball.
Toronto's biggest defensive question mark remains at third base. Though Espinal has been the team's best defender despite starting only 16 games, once Cavan Biggio returns, improvement on a team-worst -2.4 UZR is a must. Short-term defensive improvement is attainable, and Biggio has seen it in his teammates. Bichette has quickly righted his season in the field, and Randal Grichuk — thrust into everyday CF with the George Springer injury — has been a near average defender after posting the team's worst DRS in 2020.
In Sunday’s second game, Rosario sent a sharp bouncer to Semien at second who played it off a hop and side armed a ball to Bichette at second. Bichette balked on the throw, keeping the ball in his hand instead of forcing an unnecessary attempt. Bichette and Toronto's defensive improvements show up as much in the plays not made as from the highlight-reel catches or smooth double plays.
The Blue Jays are still not a great fielding team, and even on their best days rarely play perfect defense, but Toronto has improved enough to eliminate daily questions of defensive competence. In the last month there have been fewer rushed throws, bounced tosses, and pulling first basemen dangerously down the line — and more wins because of it.
Further Reading
Blue Jays 9th inning magic bails out Alek Manoah
Mitch Bannon is a baseball reporter for Sports Illustrated covering the Toronto Blue Jays and their minor league affiliates.Twitter: @MitchBannon