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2021 Blue Jays General Discussion Thread

Arn said:
It's crazy/frustrating that the Jays are such a decent team but stuck in this horrible division where they could be just the 4th best in it, but good enough to win a couple of other divisions. (allowing that their record would be better cos they'd be playing some weaker teams more often).

But in saying that I doubt anyone expected they'd even still be in the running this year with 6 games left.

If they can sneak into the playoffs they're the kind of team who could do some damage too.
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What?s the solution for being in the division? Requesting a re-alignment? Under what bases?
 
I wasn't "blaming" the division or anything, if it came across that way.

Just saying it's frustrating that you're stuck in a division with 3 other teams who have over the last couple of decades, been really good at times, and often it feels like at least 2 of the others are good together ;D

So even when the Jays outperform expectations (which I think they probably are this year) they still might not make a post season.

As for changes that I do think might work, I would expand the post season similar to what they had last season so that more than 4 teams from each League get in. Maybe expand the wild cards from 2 to 4 or something like that. Have a 1 game series 1v4 and 2v3 then a 3 game series between the winners then the usual post season after that.

It feels a shame to me that only 2 of Boston, Toronto, the Yankees, Seattle and even Oakland are going to get into the post season when they could all win 90+ games.

It's a bit more clear cut in the NL, to be fair.
 
I always kinda wondered why baseball has such a long season only to shut out so many teams from the post season.
 
Bender said:
I always kinda wondered why baseball has such a long season only to shut out so many teams from the post season.
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Isn't that the point of the regular season, though? You play a long season to separate the contenders from the rest of the pack, and then let them duke it out in the postseason. With the MLB way, making the playoffs is much more meaningful. It's a legitimate accomplishment rather than the bare minimum acceptable result.
 
That's always been the point of baseball.  It's a season grind to get to the best of the best. Their approach hasn't been about creating a more exciting and bigger playoff tournament they use the 162 to separate good from bad teams.

As crappy as the AL East perpetually is the Jays are currently 4th in the division but they are still the 6th best team in the American league.  They would be 2nd in every division in baseball (caveat that SOS changes based on division matchups).

AL East 38-32 AL Central 19-15 AL West 16-16 National League 14-6

Outside of a really good stretch of interleague play at the start of the year it isn't like the Jays are running roughshod over the other divisions.

I'm a fan of doing away with division winners if you aren't going to expand out the playoffs for seeding but aside from that I think baseball's selective playoffs is a nice alternative to the 2-month long postseasons in hockey/basketball.
 
Yeah I wouldn't want to expand it out any more than a couple of teams and have half more than half the league qualifying like the NHL, which clearly goes too far the other way.

Ranking/seeding post season on overall record rather than division winners might be an interesting option so you do have the 5 best teams from each league.

Interestingly as things stand the 5 teams in each league currently in the post season qualifying spots are the top 5 in each league. Cincinatti (82-75) in 3rd in the NL Central could potentially pip Atlanta (83-72) who are leading the NL East
 
Arn said:
I wasn't "blaming" the division or anything, if it came across that way.

Just saying it's frustrating that you're stuck in a division with 3 other teams who have over the last couple of decades, been really good at times, and often it feels like at least 2 of the others are good together ;D

So even when the Jays outperform expectations (which I think they probably are this year) they still might not make a post season.

As for changes that I do think might work, I would expand the post season similar to what they had last season so that more than 4 teams from each League get in. Maybe expand the wild cards from 2 to 4 or something like that. Have a 1 game series 1v4 and 2v3 then a 3 game series between the winners then the usual post season after that.

It feels a shame to me that only 2 of Boston, Toronto, the Yankees, Seattle and even Oakland are going to get into the post season when they could all win 90+ games.

It's a bit more clear cut in the NL, to be fair.
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Yeah, I hear you.

The division argument is just something heard so often for years now that I don't even know what is to be expected anymore.  We have an ownership group that is flush with cash to compete with the two behemoths in the division.  We see the other rival defying all logic churning over talent year over year and winning divisions on a budget even you and I could afford.  If not us, some other team (ie. Twins or Tigers) would be crying foul. 
 
The Jays need to find a way to pair Tampa's scouting/development/whatever black magic they're using with their spending ability. Easier said than done - obviously, every team in the league is trying to do something along those lines - but it is probably the best path for success. The Yankees and Red Sox, with their history, reputation, etc., will always have something of an advantage in the free agent market. That isn't to say the Jays won't have success in the market - the last two offseasons, they've signed one of the premier free agents available - but they need to make up for the advantages that NYY and Boston have through all the other avenues available to them.
 
Not a great game.  Ryu was ok but was in jams a lot.  The offense looks horrible the last week.  Vlad Jr is ice cold and they are down 6-2

Boston lost so that?s a thing but eesh.
 
We can complain about the bullpen all we want, and it's a valid point, but it sure feels like there's been just a ton of games this year where the Jays needed a win and they managed, like, 5 hits all game.
 
Nik said:
We can complain about the bullpen all we want, and it's a valid point, but it sure feels like there's been just a ton of games this year where the Jays needed a win and they managed, like, 5 hits all game.
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Yeah. This loaded lineup has gone cold at the worst possible time.
 
Nik said:
We can complain about the bullpen all we want, and it's a valid point, but it sure feels like there's been just a ton of games this year where the Jays needed a win and they managed, like, 5 hits all game.
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It kind of feels like the lineup is too samey.

Too many RHB.  Too many aggressive first pitch swings.  It's hard to complain about the offense on a whole because their season averages are great but it does feel like there are too many all or none games.

Seattle passed them last night so they need to pass both Boston and Seattle now to get the 2nd wildcard.  Boston did their charity game losing to Baltimore in Game 1.  I don't expect them to lose much more so really its now a 5 game win streak and hope the Yankees lose a game or two to Tampa.
 
L K said:
Nik said:
We can complain about the bullpen all we want, and it's a valid point, but it sure feels like there's been just a ton of games this year where the Jays needed a win and they managed, like, 5 hits all game.
Click to expand...

It kind of feels like the lineup is too samey.

Too many RHB.  Too many aggressive first pitch swings.  It's hard to complain about the offense on a whole because their season averages are great but it does feel like there are too many all or none games.

Seattle passed them last night so they need to pass both Boston and Seattle now to get the 2nd wildcard.  Boston did their charity game losing to Baltimore in Game 1.  I don't expect them to lose much more so really its now a 5 game win streak and hope the Yankees lose a game or two to Tampa.
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I think a lot of what we are seeing is youth and part of the process
 
OldTimeHockey said:
L K said:
Nik said:
We can complain about the bullpen all we want, and it's a valid point, but it sure feels like there's been just a ton of games this year where the Jays needed a win and they managed, like, 5 hits all game.
Click to expand...

It kind of feels like the lineup is too samey.

Too many RHB.  Too many aggressive first pitch swings.  It's hard to complain about the offense on a whole because their season averages are great but it does feel like there are too many all or none games.

Seattle passed them last night so they need to pass both Boston and Seattle now to get the 2nd wildcard.  Boston did their charity game losing to Baltimore in Game 1.  I don't expect them to lose much more so really its now a 5 game win streak and hope the Yankees lose a game or two to Tampa.
Click to expand...

I think a lot of what we are seeing is youth and part of the process
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I agree with that.
 
The bats are waking up.  4-0 and lots of hard hit balls.  Helping Ray?s Cy Young chances too
 
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