With a few sleepless hours between us and the end of the World Series, I want to give a hat tip to several Blue Jays players. Yesterday’s game hurt, but this was an incredible ride and a fantastic team.
I learned a lot about how a team that pulls for each other can do more than anyone would expect.
Might as well start with the big man.
Vladimir Guerrero
He was top of his game. He hit .397/.494/.795 with 8 home runs and 15 RBI in the playoffs. In the World Series, he hit .333/.474/.600. And he played the best defense of his career. At least two 3-6-3 (or 3-6-1) double plays. Diving catches. The best defense we’ve ever seen from him. The leadoff double in the 11th should have/could have been a big moment. We never even heard from the Vlad Trolls in the playoffs, and you know they were just waiting for a moment to jump in.
Ernie Clement
Ernie Hit .411/.416/.562 with 1 home run, 1 triple, 6 doubles, 9 RBI. He even took a walk. The OBP is higher than his batting average. He hit .387/.375/.484 in the World Series. 30 hits in the playoffs! That is hard to believe. Defensively, he was his steady self. He had a hit in 17 of 18 games (missing a hit in the first game of the Yankees’ series). He set some records. Just an a sensational playoff run.
Bo Bichette
It must of killed him to have to miss the first two rounds, and then he played when he really wasn’t anywhere close to 100%. He hit .348/.444/.478 with that huge home run, 6 RBI, and 4 walks, which might be the biggest surprise. And he made the plays at second base. I was a bit worried about that. It is too bad that he needed to be pinch run for, but you couldn’t ask for more from him.
Trey Yesavage
6 appearances in the playoffs. 3 in the World Series. He had a 3.58 ERA in the playoffs, 2.84 in the World Series. He set many playoff records. That games five start was just excellent. 12 strikeouts, no walks. Just 3 hits allowed—an unfortunate home run yesterday, but 27.2 playoff innings (only 14 regular season innings). And he handled himself so well with the press and the fans. I’m looking forward to watching his career.
George Springer
Springer redefined tough in the playoffs. Not letting multiple injuries slow him. He hit .284/.347/.552 in the playoffs with 4 home runs, 10 RBI. He hit .381/.409/.429 in the World Series. He said that ‘everybody deals with aches and pains at this time of year’ but no one (other than Bo) dealt with near as much, while still being amazing.
Addison Barger
He ended the season in quite a slump. Then he hits .367/.441/.583 with 3 home runs, 9 RBI, and 8 walks. In the World Series, he hit .480/.536/.680. And he made some very nice catches in the outfield. Buck said that he became a star in the playoffs. I’m hoping he carries it over to next season.
Davis Schneider
That first pitch home run was wild. Generally, he takes pitches, runs up the count. But this time he crushed the first pitch he saw. He didn’t have a great time in the playoffs, .200/.333/.400 (not bad), but that one moment we’ll remember forever.
Alejandro Kirk
Caught almost every inning of the playoffs, other than the 18-inning game, when he came out for a pinch runner. He hit .254/.349-.493 with 5 home runs, 13 RBI (second on the team), with 9 walks and 13 strikeouts. He hit .308/.441/.538 with 2 home runs and 5 walks in the World Series.
Kevin Gausman
Pitched in 6 games, starting 5. Had a 2.93 ERA. 17 hits allowed in 30.2 innings. Was outdone by
Louis Varland
Took the ball in 15 games. 15! He did give up 4 home runs, but, for the most part, earned John’s trust. Maybe could have/should have been used a little less but that’s not his fault.
Hoffman, Dominguez, Bassitt
Yeah, they had a tough Game Seven, but, until then, they were terrific. I didn’t expect Bassitt to be that good in a relief role. Hoffman gave up the awful home run last night, but in 10 playoff games, almost all very high leverage, he gave up a single run in two of them, he gave up 6 hits in 12.1 playoff innings and 2 runs. He was asked to go more than an inning in four of his outings. Dominguez pitched in 12 games; he had some trouble with the strike zone, but only allowed 3 earned. He allowed 2 of 6 inherited runners to score.
Max Scherzer
The lasting image of him that I’ll carry out of this was him telling John to go back to the dugout, he wasn’t coming out of the game. Pitched in 3 playoff games, with a 3.77 ERA. And he was a great teammate.
I’m sure I’ve missed people. Shane Bieber won 2 of his playoff starts, and the team won 3 of 4 of his starts. Unfortunately, that home run will be my lasting memory, but he did the job as a starter.
