Jays' bats sputter in sweep vs. Mets: 'need our offence to step up'
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The Toronto Blue Jays were overmatched in a three-game series sweep at the hands of the New York Mets over the weekend in a harsh reminder of the woes of the 2024 campaign.
The offence combined for three runs over the three games, capped off by a 2-1 loss on Sunday.
"Our pitching is doing a really good job. We need our offense to step up,” said outfielder Anthony Santander after Sunday's loss. “We have to stay confident, because it’s still early, and find a way to score runs.”
Toronto was shut out in the series opener on Friday before falling 3-2 on Saturday.
The team had many opportunities to score runs in each of the games, but were unable to find the key hit at the right time - a key hit that they were able to find consistently in their home stand to start the season in which they took five of seven games from the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals.
“I think the at-bats are good. We’re doing a good job against starting pitchers,” manager John Schneider said.
“Until the home runs come, you’ve got to get the big hit. Whether that’s with two outs, one out, whatever it is. Those will come, those will definitely come.”
The home runs have evaded the Blue Jays, which is a continuation of the problems of last season. Toronto finished the 2024 campaign fifth-worst in the majors in home runs hit (151).
After 10 games this season, they rank tied for worst in the majors with five home runs.
Even more surprising than the lack of home runs is where the home runs they have produced have come from. Andres Gimenez has three homers, George Springer has one and backup catcher Tyler Heineman has the final. That means the top three hitters in the lineup, Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Santander have combined for zero home runs this season.
“I think his swings were a little big at home at times,” Schneider said of Guerrero, who hit 30 home runs last season and has a career-high of 48, back in 2021. “He’s getting closer and closer. With him, he’s so damn talented that you’re just waiting for that one game that makes you say, ‘OK.’ He’s still gotten his hits and he’s hitting the ball hard, but it’s about not trying to do too much.”
Guerrero came up with two runners on in the ninth inning on Sunday but grounded into a fielder's choice. He snapped his bat on his leg as he walked off the field.
Bichette has looked every bit the hitter that led the majors in hits in 2022 and '23, as he's ranked among the game's elite in many advanced hitting metrics through the first two weeks of the new campaign. The consistent strong contact has yet to translate into any home runs though.
Santander has struggled in the early going with his new team. The 30-year-old native of Venezuela spent his first eight seasons with the Orioles before joining Toronto on a five-year deal over the off-season. After slugging .506 with 44 home runs a season ago, Santander's slugging has dropped to .235 with no home runs and just one extra-base hit through 43 plate appearances this year.
The top three hitters in the lineup all have seasons over 25 home runs in their career. Power has eluded them in the early going this year, and when they find that power stroke again, the team's offensive woes are likely to disappear just as quickly.