Adam Lind has “Woes”, Can he be Cured?
Adam Lind was a raw talent in the minor leagues, and when Toronto drafted him, in the 3rd round of the 2004 Draft, they knew it. However, the Jays also knew that Adam showed signs of a pure swing hittter with the added benefit of a power stroke that could be nurtured and make Lind into a future run producer for their squad.
To make certain success for all involved, Toronto brought Lind along slowly, trying to ensure that their talented young prospect matured at his pace and wasn’t rushed into the big show and the big responsibilities that follow.
The plan had seemingly worked.
During the 2009 campaign, Lind, in his fourth year with the Jays (first with the full-time gig), showed he was ready to be the major contributor that was envisioned by Toronto. Adam mashed the ball to the tune of 93r/35hr/114rbi/.305avg and talks of an even higher ceiling began amongst top baseball minds, the media and the Blue Jays.
Unfortunately for Lind, this season can’t be considered anything other than a catastrophe.
Adam has an average hovering around .207, is on pace for 20hr/80rbi, and the mid-way mark of this campaign is fast approaching. To make matters worse for Lind, there are no signs of him breaking out of this slide, and now, talks are no longer regarding his ceiling, but rather how deep his basement will go down.
Now, I can definitly diagnose Adam Lind with a case of the “Woes” – but can he be cured?
I think so.
It seems that Lind’s problems are two-fold and treatable.
First, Adam’s treatment must start with a re-dedication to patience at the plate. In order to slow his current pace to strikeout approximately 175 times, Adam needs to use the pitches he sees more productively and that may mean holding back a bit – especially on the first pitch.
Once Adam starts using his eyes instead of blindly swinging at everything thrown his way, Lind can begin to work on his second area of need – driving the ball into the gaps.
Adam may have been caught up in his own power stroke, which subsequently led to him free swinging for the homerun instead of simply trying to connect with the ball and drive it into open spaces of the field. Last year, it was Adam’s ability to produce doubles (46 last year) that opened up other opportunities for him, including being given a sweet pitch, every now an then, to knock out of the park.
When Adam Lind improves his plate discipline and ability to drive the ball into the gaps, both he and the Blue Jays will realize that the years of nurturing and developing his talents will not only amount to ONE stellar season, but ONE STELLAR career.
Interview with Blue Jays Draft Pick – Noah Syndergaard
For the many fans who watched last weeks 2010 First-Year Player Draft, the Draft was a time of excitement, new possibilities and an anticipation of what the future may hold for their respective favourite teams. However, for some fans, they watched their team go “off the board” to choose a relatively unknown player, which subsequently altered feelings of excitement into one of confusion or shock.
It was the feeling of shock that I experienced when Toronto announced that the 38th selection overall was Legacy High School pitcher Noah Syndergaard out of Texas.
I mean, Noah Syndergaard – who was this guy?
For a brief moment I just sat and stared at my computer trying to absorb the information I had just received. Did the Blue Jays just select a player that was not considered in the top 100 prospects by ESPN’s Keith Law and was out of the top 200 players by Baseball America?
Why would the Blue Jays make such a selection?
This was a question I needed to answer, so I did what any fan would do, I began to research…and what I found only peaked my interest.
It seemed that the more I looked into this unknown 6’5”, 17 year old pitcher, the more information I wanted. When my online resources had dried up, I was left with one last option to satisfy my growing curiosity – go straight to the source (Noah himself).
To achieve my goal of speaking with Noah Syndergaard I had to first express my interest for an interview to Managing Partner of Xclusive Sports Management Kyle Dison, and after a few conversations my request was granted.
Once given the go-ahead, I prepared questions for myself and collected questions from Blue Jays fans and bluejaysrant.com readers. Here is a portion of that conversation.
BJR – Congrats on being drafted Noah, “How does it feel?”
NS – “Thanks, it feels really good, I’m glad that my hard work is paying off”.
BJR – I was a bit shocked that the Jays took you at the 38th spot, “Were you aware that the Jays were so high on you?”
NS – “Yes I was. I was at a pre-draft work-out when some of the Jays management informed me that they liked what I was doing and that they had interest in me”.
BJR – Yes, they (the Jays) really made that clear with you going at #38, “Is there anything you’d like to say to Keith Law of ESPN who had you ranked out of his top 100 prospects?”
NS – “I wasn’t aware of that list, but it doesn’t bother me, I will just continue to be focused on working hard”.
BJR – From everything I’ve learned about you, you definitely have a great work ethic. Let’s shift the questioning.
BJR – Texas is a long way from Toronto, “Were you familiar with Toronto or the Blue Jays before the draft?”
NS – “Yes, a little bit. I knew that they (the Blue Jays) had started a good player development program and I also have heard that Toronto is a beautiful city. After that I had to do some research”.
BJR – Being from Texas, “Were any of your friends or family upset that you’re not a (Texas) Ranger or (Houston) Astro?”
NS – “Not really, I know they’re all a bit upset that I won’t be home more often, but they are also really excited to see me play (in the Major Leagues)”.
BJR – Last Texas question, “You’re a big guy (currently 6’5”) and you’re in a State that is known for producing star athletes from every sport – did you ever consider playing a different sport?”
NS – “No, not since I was 4 years old and loved to play soccer, but that ended the day I got into baseball”.
BJR – Before I go on to fan questions, I feel that Canadians would be upset with me if I didn’t ask you about our national past-time (hockey). “Are you a fan of hockey? If so, have you been to an NHL game, most notably the Dallas Stars?”
NS – “Yes, I like hockey. My best friend is really into it and I’ve been to a few games. I also like playing street hockey”.
(A collective Canadian sigh of relief)
Okay, onto some fan questions sent to us at bluejaysrant.com.
BJR – Thom (from London, ON) wants to know “Do you play 2010 MLB the Show (on the Sony Playstation 3)? If so what team do you choose?”
NS – “No, I don’t get much time to play video games; I’m usually very busy with baseball (activities)”.
BJR – Steve (from Toronto, ON) asks “What is your most dominant pitch right now, and, what will be your most dominant pitch by time you make it to the majors?”.
NS – “My fastball is my plus pitch, it’s now reaching into the 90’s (mph) and I hope to get it in the mid-to-upper 90’s”.
BJR – George (from Toronto, ON) wonders “Who is your favourite player?” – Noah thought about this one for a second before responding
NS – “I would have to say (Josh) Beckett”.
BJR – “Really, why Josh Beckett?”
NS – “I think we have a similar make-up, and I like the way he pitches…but I also think I can be compared a little bit to Roy Halladay”.
BJR – “Halladay! Are you sure about that answer? That’s a big statement for Blue Jays fans to hear!”
NS – “Yes, I’m good with it”.
It was at that point in the conversation when I realized – I was wrong to be shocked that Noah Syndergaard’s name was called out at #38 during the 2010 First-Year Player Draft.
Noah has something that every Blue Jays fan wants in their players – confidence.
A confidence that Noah has from being a winner and a gifted athlete with the physical attributes to continually improve his abilities to back up what he says – but most importantly, and in true Canadian style – Noah’s confidence came with a healthy dose of courteousness, respect and maturity well beyond his age (17) would suggest.
It is the combination of these attributes that influenced the Toronto Blue Jays to select Noah with their 38th overall pick. I finally get it, and now my early concerns have not only washed away, but they have been replaced with pure excitement.
As I said earlier – the First-Year Player Draft is a time of excitement, new possibilities and anticipation of what the future may hold for a team. For Toronto, Noah Syndergaard is that exciting new possibility, and in the near future Noah will demonstrate to the baseball world that with the 38th overall pick, the savvy Toronto Blue Jays acquired the steal of the draft!
Video: Noah Syndergaard Warm-up and In-game Action
Jays Remain Calm in Victory (Despite an Earthquake)
After being swept by the Colorado Rockies in a three-game series, the Toronto Blue Jays (35-30) were able to end their losing ways by defeating the Padres (37-27) last night in San Diego.
Blue Jays Game Notes:
Shawn Marcum (6-3) took to the mound, in an attempt to bounce back from a pair of rough outings against Tampa Bay last week, and pitched a solid seven innings.
The six-run effort on offense was split between John Buck and Aaron Hill.
With Hill’s 3-5, 3rbi night, the struggling second baseman hopes to build on his performance and continue to swing a hot bat in order to save his year (offensively). While John Buck, now hitting .266/11hr/33rbi, continues to earn his free-agent contract that was signed last off-season.
Lyle Overbay had another multi-hit night and raised his average to .233. The average doesn’t express how hot Overbay’s bat has been the last two weeks, as he has managed to accumulate 9/15 games with two or more hits.
Kevin Gregg shook off a few recent shaky outings (as well as some shaky ground) by striking out two and earning his 16th save of the season, despite the game being temporarily suspended in the eighth inning due to tremors from a magnitude-5.7 quake (centered about 85 miles east of San Diego).
Toronto looks to continue its winning ways (without an earthquake) with Brett Cecil (7-2) set to face-off against Padres young pitching phenom Mat Latos (6-4).
Werth to Choose Toronto?
Jayson Werth was a member of the Blue Jays once (2002 & 2003), but economics and a change in philosophy led to Werth getting his ticket out of Toronto.
Now, 7 years later, with his contract about to run out in Philadelphia, is it possible that the Blue Jays and Werth could see eye-to-eye and unite again?
As an upcoming free agent, Jayson Werth is expected to be one of the top outfielders available this offseason, and as of today, it is no lock that he remains with the Philidelphia Phillies.
Why?
Amidst a slump, Werth ound himself stuck to the bench while other slumping Phillies were in the action trying to break slides of their own. Although, it wasn’t the benching that perturbed the rightfielder, but rather the comments that his manager (Charlie Manuel) made during a pre-game interview regarding Werth’s contract situation and lack of focus as a being connected. This obviously upset the talented hitter, who made it clear in his own interview that his manager should not be expressing an opinion on Werth’s thoughts.
Further to this fact, Werth may see the writing on the wall for the aging Phillies team. The Phillies were built for a short window of success and stars such as Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins and even Brandan Phillips are aging more rapidly than their actual age would dictate. Not to mention a bullpen that isn’t getting any better with age and a closer that either can’t stay healthy or can’t get hitters out consistently. Let’s also not forget money.
A combination of any of the above may lead a player of Jayson’s ‘worth’ to sign with a young team that is overachieving, but also looks to be a free agent or two away from competing. Maybe a team like Toronto? They are overachieving and look to be two good players away from competing – AND – the Jays are a team that recently pulled off an impressive haul at this year’s First-Year Player Draft with young arms such as the 11th overall pick Deck McGuire, Aaron Sanchez and diamond in the rough Noah Syndergaard.
If Toronto peaks Werth’s interest, he may choose to ask former Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay, who understands the Blue Jays organization better than anyone, to share his thoughts on Toronto’s young rotation, offensive leader Vernon Wells and the rest of Toronto’s intangibles.
So, should Jayson Werth consider Toronto as a destination to sign with the off-season? Here are 10 key points to why he should:
- A surging young rotation (Shawn Marcum, Ricky Romero, Brett Cecil etc.)
- Potential ace Kyle Drabek will be ready to jump to the majors next season (adding more strength to an already youthful and strong rotation).
- The most prolific home run offense in the Major Leagues (as of today), would only improve with Werth in the mix.
- Money to spend, especially with Overbay’s and other contracts coming off the books.
- Ownership has given their commitment to look at every opportunity available to help the Blue Jays compete in the tough AL East.
- Young phenom, Brett Wallace is ready to be called up.
- An energetic and inventive General Manager in Alex Anthopoulos who also has the drive and determination to make the Blue Jays successful.
- Jayson has already played here early in his career, and has always hit well in the Rogers Center
- The certain glory that is attached to being known as “the guy” who helped push a team over the hump and into the play-offs…especially when that glory isn’t from only one city, but fans across an entire country.
- …and finally, a possible endorsement from Doc Halladay (following the “please don’t go” speech)?
The only question remains, is this enough?
With so many other teams in need of a player of Jayson Werth’s caliber, it will be difficult for the Toronto to stand out as the lone option – but – the Blue Jays may have just enough to be added to Jayson’s short-list and that’s where they want to be.
Fantasy Tip: What To Do With Your Struggling Studs? PART TWO
PART TWO: Adam Lind
The kid was touted as a masher coming out of the minor leagues, and last year Lind delivered on that promise. So why is he barely above the Mendoza line more than a third of the way through this season?
A big part of it has to do with patience.
Last year Lind struck out roughly twice as many times as he walked, but through 58 games this year, Adam is holding a 22:60 BB/K split. Simply put, Lind is not being as patient as last season, and it’s resulted in an early season drop of nearly 100 BA points.
If he can slow down at the dish he’ll halt the slide in a big way – and that’s something you should bank on.
At only 26 years old, Lind is an elite talent that has the pop needed to post an annual 90-30-110-.300 line. While his poor start means he may come up short of that this season, it also means that right now is the best time to try and get him on your squad.
Recommendation: If you’re holding Lind in a re-draft league, try to shop him and see what you can get, but don’t sell him too short – Adam should be good for at least 45-17-60 through the rest of the year.
If you’re in a keeper/dynasty league and you don’t own Lind, try to make a solid run to acquire Adam as previous elite talents such as Carlos Lee, Adam Dunn and Manny Ramirez could net him in a 1:1 swap.
Slow starters that are turning it around like Chris Coughlin and Jason Kubel may also net Lind in package deals.
If you only listen to me once this season, listen to this – don’t let the first 222 at bats of 2010 fool you – Lind is worth the price of admission.
Fantasy Tip: What To Do With Your Struggling Studs?
Did you grab either Aaron Hill or Adam Lind at the start of the 2009 season?
If you did, you were probably able to snag one or both for pennies on the dollar in drafts (or even better – as waiver wire pick-ups in April), and odds are that you went deep into your fantasy league’s playoffs.
Heading into the 2010 season the secret was out and the price attached to both Lind and Hill was sky high. Unfortunately for anyone willing to pay the new inflated price, the Toronto sluggers have left you to fall flat on your face.
So what gives?
PART ONE: Aaron Hill
[picappgallerysingle id="8974298"]If you fantasy managers bought into Aaron Hill for this season expecting him to match his 2009 numbers, you deserve to be toiling in the basement of your fantasy pool.
Simply put, Aaron is not the offensive monster that he appeared to be last year, and he will never give you an annual 100-35-110-.285 line out of the 2 hole – that air is reserved for people with cool names like Chase. For those of you who have held on to Hill, don’t despair, the pop is real, but keep in mind that last year’s career year was just that – a career year.
That said, if you buy into Aaron expecting 80-20-80-.270 (and as importantly, pay for such) then you shouldn’t have anything to worry about. He’s a much better hitter than his current .183 AVG would suggest (especially considering his 24:31 BB/K ratio) and he’s still clearing the fences at a reasonable rate (on pace for 23 HRs). With a little better luck with balls in play, Hill should right the ship by the All-Star Break and finish the season strong.
Recommendation: If you’ve got Hill, be patient. If you don’t, try and get Aaron on the cheap from whoever has him. It’s likely that a skittish manager might let him go for an early season standout like Casey McGahee or Kelly Johnson, or maybe even Ty Wiggington.
It’s more than likely that Aaron Hill will never post last year’s numbers again, but for the remainder of the season, you can expect a 40-12-45-.270 baseline – which is not too shabby from the second base position!
Looking ahead to next year’s draft, when considering your picks, don’t make the mistake of overpaying for Hill like many fantasy managers did this year – Aaron has value, but that value resides close to the 75th spot, not the 40th.
Part two, discussing Adam Lind, will launch tomorrow (June 12th).
Can Brett Cecil pull-off a Halladay-esq Performance to Save the Jays?
After being on the wrong end of another trouncing by the mighty Tampa Bat Rays, (a 10-1 loss last night and a combined score of 35-13 in the last 5 meetings), the Toronto Blue Jays have one more match-up against their AL East rivals to try and turn things around.
Before Wednesday evening’s loss, it was hoped that the new staff Ace, Shawn Marcum, would be able to right the ship and stop the Jays current losing streak. Unfortunately for Toronto, Marcum couldn’t re-create the same magic that – dare I say it – Roy Halladay would conjure up on a regular basis, in order to propel the club back into the win column.
Now, the duty now falls on the pitching arm of Brett Cecil.
Cecil (6-2) has shown great poise and maturity so far this season, and his pitch location has been far more accurate this season over last, which should lead some Jays fans to believe that he will give the bluebirds a valiant effort against the far superior Tampa Bay squad tonight.
It won’t be the same type of dominant performance that Jay’s fans grew accustomed to when Roy Halladay was on the mound, but the losing streak will end tonight…just, in Brett Cecil’s way.
Tampa Bay’s Jeff Niemann Dominates Blue Jays
What a difference a week can make.
In last week’s match-up against this same Tampa Bay squad, Brian Tallet felt great and pitched 5 2/3 shut-out innings, while striking out four.
This time around, the Rays hitters got their revenge, first, by knocking the ailing Brian Tallet out of the game, and second, by knocking out a grand slam (thanks to Tony Pena) against Tallet’s replacement – Rommie Lewis (pictured above).
Despite their respective rough outings, Tallet and Lewis weren’t the only Blue Jays to have an off night. The Toronto batter’s seemed overmatched all night long, as they were unable to locate any of Jeff Niemann’s pitches.
For Tampa Bay, Niemann ended his night with a complete game, two hit shut-out, raising his season win total to 6.
Overall, the 9-0 final score didnt’ truly express the closeness of the game, which was only a 1 run difference until a disastrous 5th inning, where the dominance of the Tampa Bay Rays shone its brightest.
Hopefully, for the Blue Jays and their fans, it will be Toronto who will shine in Wednesday’s match-up as Shawn Marcum (5-2) will look to out duel Tampa Bay’s David Price (8-2).
Blue Jays Game Notes:
- Vernon Wells hitting streak was snapped at 14 games
- Mike McCoy ended an 11 game hitless streak (in limited play) with a single in the 6th inning
- Adam Lind stopped his hitless streak at 4 games with a single in the 7th inning
- Alex Gonzalez missed the game for personal reasons – he is scheduled to play Wednesday
Blue Jays Fill First Round Basket with Four Pitching Prospects
The Toronto Blue Jays General Manager, Alex Anthopoulos, had a very busy night in his first draft with the team, as the Jays had four picks in the first round (including 3 compensation picks).
Blue Jays fans should be ecstatic with what the Blue Jays were able to pull-off throughout a busy first round as the team showed a definitive plan for the organization.
In case you missed it, that plan was to acquire pitching, pitching and more pitching!
With their first pick, 11th overall, Toronto selected college stand-out Deck McGuire. McGuire is big and strong, and is a winner at every level he’s pitched. He has command of each of his three pitches (fastball, changeup and power slider) and should become a solid contributor on the mound as a #2 or #3 man in the Jays rotation.
In the compensation round, the Blue Jays newly enhanced scouting staff put on a brilliant display of astute selecting, by nabbing Barstow High School starting pitcher Aaron Sanchez at #34, starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard out of Legacy High School at #38 and The Citadel’s pitcher Asher Wojciechowski at #41.
Of the three compensation selections, it may be Wojciechowski who has the most upside. Wojciechowski has a very strong arm and is viewed as a potential Closer for the organization (but only if he fails to develop a third pitch). To some that may sound like a negative plan for the young collegiate player, but in reality when a team selects a player and has two paths outlined before he’s even signed, that suggests a real determination and belief by the club that Asher has the make-up to succeed at the major league level.
Blue Jays First Round selections (recap):
- 11th – RHP Deck McGuire - Georgia Tech
- 34th – RHP – Aaron Sanchez – Barstow HS
- 38th – RHP Noah Syndergaard - Legacy HS
- 41st – RHP Asher Wojciechowski - The Citadel
Georgia Tech’s Deck McGuire selected 11th overall by Toronto
Selected 11th overall in last night’s 2010 Draft, Deck McGuire brings a lot of raw talent, and pitch command, to the Blue Jays pitching arsenal.
McGuire, a 6’6” right handed college pitcher out of Georgia Tech, has great command over the three pitches in his repertoire. That repertoire includes a 91-93 mph fastball, a nasty power slider and an above average change-up.
For most analysts, the immediate thinking is that McGuire will be a #3 starting pitcher who will eat a lot of innings for the Jays big league club by 2013. However, here at bluejaysrant.com, we have Deck projected one slot higher.
There are a few key indicators that suggest Deck McGuire is actually built for the #2 slot in any MLB rotation. These indicators are readily apparent with McGuire as he boasts a strong body frame, durability throughout his career, an early development of pitch command, and an ability to win at every level he’s pitched – all of which I’m sure the Blue Jays brass took notice of before they made this selection.
Overall, this was a very good first pick for Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos and his scouting staff. A team can never have too many strong arms in their system, especially one that has the potential to be a major contributor by the 2013 season.
Top-end Projection:
- Comparable to the best version of Boston Red Sox starting pitcher John Lackey.
- 17 wins, 185 strikeouts, 1.21 whip, 3.00era
