The Rotation Review Vol. 1: Starting pitching looks strong the first time through

We are five games into the 2018 campaign, the Blue Jays have rattled off three in a row to rise above .500 for the first time since two goddamn seasons ago, and life is great!

The five-game mark also means that we’ve made our first full trip through the rotation. This ain’t the 2015 Toronto Blue Jays offence, so if they’re gonna be playing meaningful games deep into September, they’ll need good starting pitching. Nobody is going to debate that Happ/Sanchez/Stroman is a top-three that is up there with any rotation in the game. If you have the version of Marco Estrada that we saw in 2015/2016, coupled with an average fifth starter, the whole rotation matches up with any other in the League.

Estrada is probably the pitcher I’m most intruiged by. He had a pretty bad 2017 campaign, posting a 4.98 ERA, and home run levels that were a throwback to his Brewer days. It was widely known he had been dealing with a bad back, however I was a bit worried that some of it might have been a coincidental age-related performance decline.

With all the injuries in 2017, the Jays had an array of other players starting games, which collectively yielded some real shitty results, so Jaime Garcia is a welcome addition to the rotation. As entertaining as Biagini’s quirkiness is, having a guy in Garcia who is, at worst, league average holding down the fifth spot is a nice luxury.

4.2 IP, 4H, 3R (2ER), 1BB, 5K, 1HR, 96 pitches, 58 strikes

It was overall a pretty good first outing for Happ. His only bad pitch was leaving a two-seamer over the middle of the plate, which Stanton gulfed for an opposite-field two-run bomb. He still pitched fairly well overall. His velocity was where it was last year, he struck out five and only walked one batter in a lineup with a bevy of dangerous hitters.

5.2 IP, 8H, 4ER, 4BB, 2K, 0HR, 89 pitches, 48 strikes

Sanchez is probably my favourite pitcher to watch on the Jays, so to say I was excited to see him make his first start since June 2017 is an understatement. He had five pretty good innings, allowing two runs on six hits and two walks. He admitted he hit a bit of a wall in the sixth, walking a pair and giving up a two-run double to Tyler Wade before getting the hook, a scab (I’m so sorry) on an otherwise solid outing. It was a step in the right direction and I’m looking forward to watching him get the ball every fifth day again.

7.0IP, 4H, 3ER, 3BB, 2K, 2HR, 91 pitches, 57 strikes

Luckily, Estrada appeared back to his old self in his first start. His fastball/changeup combo was in fine form, inducing ground balls and weak contact. The only hitter he had issues with was Tyler Austin, who homered twice off of him. Considering that homers were his Achilles’ Heel in his time in Milwaukee, I wasn’t too crazy seeing him give up a pair of dingers.

In a rare piece of good Sportsnet analysis, Pat mentioned that he had asked Maile if he would be calling the game based on Estrada’s strengths or the weaknesses of the Yankee hitters, to which Maile said he’d work with Estrada’s strengths. I think the fact that his strengths neutralized a potent offense is a great sign. Another good sign is when he makes elite offensive players look like this.

5.0IP, 3H, 4ER, 3BB, 8K, 1HR, 85 pitches, 53 strikes

Marcus Stroman got the rubber in the finale, and brought his usual swagger. He ran into a rough patch with two outs in the third, in which a walk and three hits yielded the only four runs the Yankees would get. He was missing lots of bats, which is encouraging, and his walks went to Judge and Stanton, guys who should be pitched around. Despite the blemish, if he keeps pitching this way, he’ll be having a lot of quality outings in 2018.

After falling behind 1-0 on an inside slider, Stroman throws another one. Although it’s not in a good spot, throwing back-to-back sliders still crosses Judge up. He then fools him with a devastating changeup, and finishes the AB by going to the cutter, freezing Judge and painting the outside edge. Also, that is an elite shimmy at the end.

6.0 IP, 4H, 1ER, 2BB, 7K, 1HR, 92 pitches, 56 strikes

Jaime was great in his first outing, using his curveball to get some strikeouts, exhibited good command and also induced a couple double plays. He only surrendered two fly balls, one of which was the only run he allowed, a homer to Wellington Castillo.

Like I mentioned earlier, in order for this team to compete they need to the pitching to keep them in games. While the offence was quite putrid the first two games, they’ve come alive in the three games since. All three of the (most important stat in baseball) pitcher wins have gone to the bullpen, but it wouldn’t have been possible without the quality outings turned in by the starters.