The Toronto Blue Jays: Midseason By the Numbers

The season is almost half way done, and the Blue Jays are five games better than this point a year ago.  Sure they had a cool spell after that scorching start.  And sure, they're still only in third place, with Tampa Bay nipping at their heels. 

But for a team that was supposed to challenge Baltimore for fourth they're still doing pretty well.  And staying in the hunt.

For the story of the Blue Jays' season so far let's take a look at some key numbers.

Marco Scutaro's fielding percentage through 74 games, with only one error in 327 chances.

Watch a Blue Jays game, pretty much any night.  Nobody expected this kind of defense from Scutaro.  He goes left, right, back, wherever.  His throws are always on line, and he stands in against a double play break-up slide as good as anyone.

Last year's Jays had a fielding percentage of .967 at shortstop, often requiring the sure handed John McDonald to get called in as a late stopper.  This year the team's lead off hitter is also it's top defender.

Team ERA.

This is a telling number in that it indicates the Blue Jays' biggest weakness this year: pitching.  Last year's club had the best ERA in the AL, at 3.49.  Last year they also had one of the most highly regarded bullpens in the majors, and featured the best pitcher in the game (Roy Halladay), a dominant strikeout pitcher playing in a free agency year (A.J. Burnett) and an up and coming middle rotation guy who managed 15 wins (Jesse Litsch).

This year Burnett is in New York, Litsch is prepping for Tommy John surgery and even the cast iron Hallady has found his way to a brief stint on the DL. 

The ace of the rotation is now (temporarily) Brian Tallet, a guy who had six career starts before this year.  If you live outside of Canada and have heard of the rest of the rotation before this year I applaud you for being a die hard fan.

Even the bullpen has been hit, with B.J. Ryan going back to the DL for a while, and reliable Scott Downs sitting out a couple weeks with a sprained toe.

With all this it's no wonder the team ERA has taken a bit of a jump.  In fact, the real surprise is that it hasn't climbed even higher.  What this really shows, though, is how good the team offense has been, in order to put the Jays five games better than they were at this point in 2008.

Runs per game.

Team batting average

Up from 4.41 and .264 last year this shows how much better the Jays hitting is this year.  Credit the re-establishment of the Cito Gaston regime, and particularly the teaching of hitting coach Gene Tenace.

The players are looking for their pitches this year, but aren't afraid to go after the first one if they like it anymore.  Case in point, Aaron Hill and Vernon Wells hitting back to back first pitch home runs off of Bronson Arroyo, in the first inning, a couple nights ago.  That's getting to them early!

Average/Home Runs/OPS for Adam Lind through 74 games

Lind is playing primarily a DH role this year, though he has seen some time in left field since Travis Snider was sent down to AAA.  Last year the team's primary DH (Matt Stairs) had .250/11/.736 in 105 games.

Last year Lind was .282/9/.755 in 88 games.  Again, credit is due to Cito Gaston and his staff.  The story is widely known how Gaston, noticing that Lind seemed tentative last season, took the kid aside and told him he had faith in him, and wouldn't be benching him just because of a slump.

Not having to look over his shoulder anymore Lind responded, and now in his first full season as a regular he's showing solid numbers in the one position that unquestionably requires them.

Scott Rolen's batting average

Rolen's fielding percentage at third base

Scott Rolen has seen his average climb 67 points, from .262 last season.  He looks healthy, and has proven himself to be a top defender.  Last season he got a late start due to injury, but compared to his predecessor (Troy Glaus, .256 average, .965 fielding percentage in 268 games in Toronto) he looks to be an upgrade.

Glaus hit more home runs, but if Rolen can keep getting on base for Lind that won't matter.

Home runs by Aaron Hill through 74 games.

Hill has tied the team record for home runs by a second baseman, held by the great Roberto Alomar.  Of course, Alomar's record was over an entire season, and right now Hill projects to hit in the mid 30's.

This has been a great comeback year for Hill, after being out most of 2008 with the concussion he suffered in Oakland.

I remember debating the Jays chances with my brother before this season, the ultimate agreement being that if they were relying on Alex Rios and the return of Aaron Hill it was going to be a long summer.

Right now Hill is looking like an MVP-caliber second baseman.  And even Rios is starting to catch on.