Hey Jimbo
how about a Blue Jays halfway report?
The Jays are doing about as well as expected in a rebuilding year with a team consisting mostly of rookies. 2 of the 3 highly-touted sons-of-superstars prospects have already been brought up (Guerrero and Biggio) and are already excelling. The 3rd, Bo Bichette is waiting in the wings.
Last night Guerrero showed the rest of the world why we consider him the cornerstone on which we'll build our next championship team. His performance in the home run derby was historic, setting all-time records for the most home runs in the opening round, the semifinal round and overall. He may have lost the final round but he still stole the show.
Without making excuses for him, it should be noted that he was exhausted after doing a full extra round and 2 additional swing-offs in the semifinals, while the eventual winner got to rest up by facing weaker opponents in the first 2 rounds and quitting early due to batting second.
The night truly belonged to Vladi.
In the real world of the AL, Guerrero is still making adjustments. After an initial splash that saw him being named player of the week a couple of weeks in, opponents have stopped throwing fastballs to him. Once he masters hitting big-league breaking balls, watch out. The guy can flat-out hit. He has always hit for a high average and has incredible innate power and an amazing eye. He should be a consistent 4-digit OPS guy and a perennial MVP candidate.
The rest of the Jays' young core are progressing nicely as well. After a slow start and a trip to the minors, Lourdes Gurriel Jr has been among the league's offensive leaders and his move to left field has yielded immediate dividends. After a series of outfield assists, other teams are learning not to run on him. Rookie catcher Danny Jansen has been consistently solid behind the plate and has recently started hitting more consistently. Rowdy Tellez, Randall Grichuk and Teoscar Hernandez have also shown better-than-average defense and power at the plate but the latter is still striking out too much.
The reason for the Jays' dismal record is their pitching. The only reliable starter has been Marcus Stroman (with almost no run support) while Giles, Hudson and Biagini have been solid in the bullpen. Everyone else has pretty much sucked.
Pitching is what wins ballgames and the Jays don't have it yet. Hopefully by the time the young core gels and a few young pitching prospects develop, the team will add some solid veteran starters and bullpen arms to make a run for it. Until then they seem content to save money by throwing out other teams' washed-up scrubs and rejects.
As I said, it's a rebuilding year and as such, it can be painful to watch at times.