9 Blue Jays
IN LIMBO
SCOUT'S TAKE
KEY QUESTION
It's all about Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and how soon he'll be ready. He reminds you of a young Miguel Cabrera, Manny Ramírez and Vlad Sr.—you watch in amazement. Hitting's not supposed to be this easy. But there are red flags: His defense needs a lot of work, and unless he takes better care of his body, he might become Pablo Sandoval.
OVERRATED
He popped off about not being extended when Luis Severino and Aaron Nola were, but Marcus Stroman is nowhere near their class. He's not big [5'8" and 180 pounds], and there's always been a lot of torque in how he throws. Once you hurt your leg, you put more strain on your arm.
BUYER BEWARE
Ken Giles can be nasty. But he's also nuts. I think you're going to have an explosion where he ends up punching himself in the face.
LAST LICKS
Clayton Richard in the AL East? Have fun.... I'm a really big fan of Bo Bichette. He has a great feel for the game.... The most important thing for them is to develop their prospects. It's going to be at least a three-year rebuild, but there could be something special at the end of it.
THE PAYOFF PITCH
THE FOCUS in Toronto is on rookie third baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who will start this season in the minors. Operating in Vladito's shadow, however, is a rookie catcher who deserves some attention. Danny Jansen was a 16th-round pick who spent four years in the low minors without ever hitting a lick. In 2017, however, he broke out with a .323/.400/.484 line across three levels, then followed with a strong season at Triple A (.275/.390/.473). At a time when catchers are valued for their pitch-framing skills first and everything else second, Jansen, 23, projects as a real offensive contributor, with a batting eye akin to that of his predecessor, Russell Martin. The catch? Jansen allowed 67.2% of base stealers to succeed against him in the minors, and 82.1% in 29 MLB games last season. Improved throwing will make Jansen a huge asset in a league that has many holes behind the plate.
OVER UNDER
86.5
With the Vlad Jr. era set to begin, the future's bright, but for now things will get worse as the Jays wait for their top prospects to mature.
LINEUP
LF Billy McKinney
.252/6 HR/.470 SLG
2B Lourdes Gurriel Jr.
.281/11 HR/.446 SLG
1B Justin Smoak
.242/25 HR/77 RBI
DH Kendrys Morales
.249/21 HR/57 RBI
RF Randal Grichuk
.245/25 HR/.502 SLG
CF Kevin Pillar
.252/15 HR/14 SB
SS Freddy Galvis
.248/13 HR/8 SB
3B Brandon Drury
.169/1 HR/.260 SLG
C Danny Jansen
.247/3 HR/.432 SLG
BENCH
IF/OF Devon Travis
.232/11 HR/.381 SLG
OF Teoscar Hernández
.239/22 HR/57 RBI
FANTASY BREAKOUT
Injuries cost him at bats, but Lourdes Gurriel Jr. showed big power in 65 games. He should be a force over a full season.
ROTATION
RH Marcus Stroman
4 W/5.54 ERA/1.48 WHP
RH Aaron Sanchez
4 W/4.89 ERA/7.4 K9
LH Ryan Borucki
4 W/3.87 ERA/1.32 WHP
RH Matt Shoemaker
2 W/4.94 ERA/1.26 WHP
BULLPEN
CL Ken Giles
26 SV/4.65 ERA/9.5 K9
RH Joe Biagini
6.00 ERA/1.67 WHP/6.6 K9
RH Bud Norris
3.59 ERA/1.25 WHP/10.5 K9
MANAGER
Charlie Montoyo