The Season is Underway: Takeaways After Game One

The Blue Jays have officially started their season after opening up the year with a 3-2 win against the Yankees in the Bronx. All wins are good wins, but some aren't as great as others, and this serves as a good example.

Offense

The top of the order (Semien, Biggio, Bichette) was just lost, hitting a combined 0-14 with 7 strikeouts and 4 runners left on base. They failed to even yield a walk, providing no resistance to the Yankees pitching. Surprisingly, Biggio seemed much more aggressive than usual, and the Jays commentators frequently mentioned a new, more aggressive approach that Biggio raved about through spring training. All it yielded him was three strikeouts. He has long been known for his great eye and relaxed approach, and several players on the team last year credited a new approach for their success, explaining that coaches helped them wait on pitches, and to "let the ball travel to them." It's strange to see Biggio taking on an opposite approach. Using the new approach he had a good spring, but it's worth mentioning that he would've been on pace for the worst strikeout-to-walk ratio of his career. Biggio should remain a player for fans to keep their eye on as he takes these new adjustments into the season.

Most of the Jays offense came from the middle of the order, which really showed promise to start the year. Guerrero Jr. and Teoscar Hernandez were arguably the biggest offensive standouts in the game, and are likely the reason the Jays were able to pickup the win. Guerrero went 1-2 with two walks. It is worth noting that his lone hit — a single — was a loud line drive back up the middle, which is a very promising sign for him. It was actually the hardest hit ever recorded off of Gerrit Cole, as the exit velocity hit 114 MPH. Hernandez — who was one ahead of Guerrero Jr. in the batting order — went 3-4 with an RBI while scoring twice, one of which came from a towering no-doubt home run in the sixth off Gerrit Cole. Extremely impressive performance from both of them.

The game concluded in the 10th inning after Grichuk doubled home Jonathan Davis (pinch ran for Tellez). The go-ahead hit was Grichuk's second hit of the day, making him the second multi-hit Jay in the game (Hernandez was the first). In the box score it appeared to be a great day for him, but watching the game was a different story. His approach at the plate didn't look good. He struggled to tell strikes from balls, even striking out at a pitch way outside, and in the dirt. Despite his two hits, he could a slump candidate to start the year.

Defence

In 2020 defence was a major concern for the Jays, who were (statistically) one of the worst fielding teams in the league. The additions of Springer and Semien were supposed to fix these issues, and to an extent, they are. Semien — the Jays new second baseman — looked great in his team debut. He flashed the leather a few times, and fans were impressed by a diving play to the first base side that took away a hit. He looks like the much needed defensive addition that the team was looking for.

Semien might've been a big add defensively, but it meant shifting Biggio over to third, which was a concern for many originally. Unfortunately, it is still a concern after yesterday's game. Per usual, Biggio made some good, smart plays. His glove looks good, and he should easily be able to play on the left side of the field. The issue — as many originally feared — comes in his arm strength. There were a couple of throws during the game where it was obvious he wasn't a natural third baseman. A few bouncers, a few that looked like they were in slow motion, or underwater. Anything to his right side is a concern right now, it doesn't look like he can handle the throw.

The man that everyone had their eye on coming into the season had to be Guerrero Jr. Fortunately for them, he put on a show. After losing approximately 40 pounds in the offseason, Vladdy looks much more mobile. He made a couple of fantastic plays, and even had some good judgement calls, which was a major issue for him at his new position in 2020. Should he continue with this trend, it wouldn't be overly surprising to see him back at third by the end of the season, especially if Biggio's arm continues to be a problem.

The rest of the team didn't do anything that truly stood out, negative or positive. Gurriel Jr. had a good catch on a ball he nearly lost in the sun. Jansen's game calling at times was questionable. Hopefully that won't remain an issue considering that Reese McGuire — arguably the team's best game caller — was designated for assignment prior to the start of the game.

Pitching

Ryu looked pretty good for the team in his second consecutive opening day start. It wasn't one of his best starts, but it certainly wasn't bad, and gave his team a chance to stay in the game. He allowed 2 earned runs over 5.1 innings pitched. Both runs came on a home run to Gary Sanchez, and would end up being the only runs allowed all game. One could argue he had a better start than Gerrit Cole, who gave up the same number of runs in the same number of innings while allowing one additional hit, one additional walk, but three more strikeouts. From the perspective of someone watching the game, it looked obvious Ryu had the better game. His only runs came on a mistake pitch to a big power hitter. As for the four hits given up, Montoyo is partly to blame. After throwing 86 pitches in the first five innings, Montoyo sent his ace back out to the mound, despite Ryu never having had a reputation for good stamina. He got one out, but allowed a pair of baserunners and had to be bailed out by Tyler Chatwood.

Once Ryu was pulled, Tyler Chatwood, David Phelps, Rafael Dolis, Jordan Romano, and Julian Merryweather pitched the remaining 4.2 innings. Chatwood did a fantastic job getting out of the difficult situation he was called into. Phelps had a troublesome inning, allowing two hits and a walk before finding his way out of the inning. Dolis had a quick, clean inning with two strikeouts, having only allowed one baserunner (on a walk). Romano followed up in the eighth, and looked concerning. His rookie campaign in 2019 scared off a lot of people after he put up a disasterous 7.63 ERA in 15.1 innings. He had good velocity, but it seemed like he had no idea where he was throwing. In 2020 the team put trust in him yet again, but this time he looked like a whole new pitcher. Prior to a season ending finger injury he put up a 1.23 ERA in 14.2 innings, even collecting two saves. Many expected him to take over the closer role after Kirby Yates went down with his season ending injury, and were surprised to see him enter the game in a non-save situation. He got through the inning unscaved, but had trouble locating the zone, issuing two walks. His velocity saved him after a few high fastballs yielded a pair of strikeouts to get out of trouble, but the team should be concerned about his lack of control. The last thing they need is the 2019 version of Romano in their already weak bullpen.

Julian Merryweather gets a paragraph to himself, that's how impressive he was. After the Jays put the go-ahead run on the board in the tenth, many fans were surprised to see the 29 year old rookie coming in for the save. The Yankees failed to even bring home the pre-set runner on second as Merryweather fanned all three hitters he faced. He averaged 98.4 MPH on his fastball, and 88.1 MPH on his slider. For reference, his fastball averaged 96.7 MPH in 2020, while his slider sat at 85.9 MPH. To accompany his incredible velocity uptick, his average changeup speed is actually slower then it was in 2020. This guy has a chance to be a fantastic reliever for the Jays, and could very well secure himself the closer role if he keeps this up. It's also worth mentioning that Merryweather still has a sinker and curve that he didn't use in his outing. They were statistically his second and third most effective pitches in 2020 based on run value.

Management

The game plan from the get go was a little strange, and the managment was questionable. Pitching wise, the Jays almost lost the game when they decided to send an exhausted Ryu back out in the fifth, especially against the Yankees, a team with mass power that feasts on mistakes. After Ryu, the bullpen decisions weren't bad. It was somewhat surprising not to see a lefty make an appearance, especially against the bottom of the Yankees order, who struggle to hit lefties. Jay Bruce nearly hit one out against Phelps, just barely getting under it for a deep flyout to Hernandez. A lefty might've been the better way to go that inning, especially in a tie game where every run matters.

The lineup was strange as well. Obviously the gameplan at the top of the order did not work. Semien has great speed, but he struggled to get on base in 2020, and wasn't any better in spring training 2021. As well, reflecting on his last full season in 2019, where he was an MVP candidate, he found his way on base significantly less against right handed pitching. Not to mention his numbers were better when he wasn't in the leadoff spot. It was questionable from the beginning to have him leadoff for the team.

There were a couple other strange decisions with the batting order as well, but Semien leading off was arguably the biggest concern. There was a few games in 2020 where fans just scratched their head at the team decisions. Fortunately, this wasn't one of those game, but it is still far from a well managed game. Should they make a few more lineup changes going into the next few games, they'll look a little better. As well, they likely won't make the same mistake of leaving other starters out there too long like they did Ryu. They know their rotation isn't very strong, and Ryu may be the only starter they trust going deep into games. The only concern might be whether or not they call for the bullpen too early, which was an issue for the team in 2020.

What to Watch For - A Pro and a Con For Each Category

Offense

Pro: Look for Hernandez to continue pushing his limits. After a great 2020, he looks like he is on track for another great year. He could be the difference between the team making the playoffs, or missing out.

Con: Biggio's approach contradicts his previous mindsets at the plate. Although this new more aggressive playstyle is supposed to help him, it might just mess him up.

Defense

Pro: Semien is the obvious choice, so instead Guerrero is the pick. After a good spring, and great first impressions in game one, he could become a real difference maker in the field. He will never be a gold glover, but with with a decent glove and a good arm, he could make his way back to third by the season's end.

Con: Although barely mentioned, Danny Jansen is a guy to be weary of here. He is a moderate pitch framer, and a good blocker, but his game calling is questionable, and his arm is — simply put — bad. In 2020 he struggled to throw out base runners, and allowed two stolen bases in his first game this season.

Pitching

Pro: Julian Merryweather. The rookie showed extreme potential in the first game of the year, and generated lots of hype. Being the sole return in the Donaldson trade, Merryweather had a lot to prove with Jays fans, and should he find his way into the closer role, fans will feel much better about the trade.

Con: Jordan Romano looked worrysome in his debut. His lack of control brings back too many nightmares about the 7.63 ERA the Jays saw in 2019, and unless they can quickly right the ship, he might fall out of the bullpen completely.

Management

Pro: The bullpen was well managed. Nobody pitched too long, there were always guys ready in the bullpen as a precaution, and they trusted their guys to get out of tough situtions, which gave them the confidence they needed to get through it.

Con: The lineup needs work. They might need a few weeks to find the right combinations, but obviously this wasn't it.