In Flight: Blue Jays piling up series wins

This is the second edition of "In Flight" for the 2024 campaign as the Toronto Blue Jays look to break through and make some noise in the postseason for the first time since 2016. It promises to be an interesting season for the Blue Jays with no shortage of storylines to follow all year.

Moments that defined the stretch 👀

Berríos dominates Rockies, Padres

José Berríos has been the most consistent Blue Jay so far this season. The right-hander's given his team a chance to win when he's taken the ball, utilizing his full repertoire and showcasing a determination befitting a high-end pitcher. The 29-year-old improved to 4-0 on the season after shutting down the Rockies and Padres over 13 scoreless innings with 13 strikeouts over his past two starts. Berríos' 0.85 ERA is the lowest mark through five starts in franchise history. This is the type of pitcher the Blue Jays envisioned when they signed Berríos to a seven-year contract extension. He looks like he could be authoring a special 2024 season.

Coming up short in sweep attempt vs. Yankees

The Blue Jays shut down the high-octane Yankees in the first two games of a three-game set and looked to be heading for a sweep with a 4-1 lead in the eighth inning of the third game. However, the bullpen blinked for the first time this season, leading to the Blue Jays losing their first game when leading after the seventh inning. The decision to allow Tim Mayza to pitch to Yankees star Aaron Judge with two outs in the ninth and the game tied 4-4 raised some eyebrows. Mayza allowed an OPS almost 200 points higher to righties last season, and Judge has made a habit of crushing southpaws. Judge took full advantage of the opportunity, smacking a game-winning two-run single. The Blue Jays were depleted in the bullpen, with Jordan Romano, Chad Green, and Yimi Garcia unavailable. But it's still fair to wonder if turning to Bowden Francis - a right-hander - against Judge would've been a better alternative.

Varsho does it all in San Diego

The Daulton Varsho trade in December 2022 has been a sore spot for many Blue Jays fans. Varsho struggled mightily at the plate in his first season in Toronto, while Gabriel Moreno and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. helped the Arizona Diamondbacks reach the World Series. Many were already chalking up the trade as a loss and one of the worst in recent franchise history. Varsho is doing his part to flip that narrative in the first few weeks of the 2024 campaign. The 27-year-old has quickly emerged as one of baseball's premier defensive outfielders, making tough plays look routine almost every game. Varsho should've won a Gold Glove last year and looks primed to rectify that in 2024.

2024 MLB OUTFIELD OAA LEADERS

(Courtesy: Baseball Savant)

Although it's still early in the season, Varsho already looks like a different player in the batter's box. He's doing a much better job staying on top of fastballs, an area that caused him a lot of trouble last season. Varsho had three hits - including a home run - a stolen base, and a great catch in a close win over the Padres, showcasing his entire skill set. If Varsho can be roughly a league-average offensive player, his defensive play should enable him to put together a strong season as one of the Blue Jays' most valuable all-around players.

Stats that tell the story

23.9%: Left-hander Yusei Kikuchi is off to a brilliant start. Kikuchi's been razor-sharp with all of his pitches, registering an impressive 2.08 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and 12.05 K/9 in his first four outings of the season. Command has often been an issue during Kikuchi's career, but he's been dialed in from that perspective thus far. His strikeout rate is a career-best 33%, while his walk rate is a very solid 9.1%. That 23.9% difference is by far the best mark of his six-year MLB career. Kikuchi is in the final season of a three-year contract and looking like a very important piece of the rotation moving forward.

1: Varsho hit two home runs in a recent game against the Yankees, the second multi-homer game of his career. The second shot was notable, as Varsho took left-handed reliever Caleb Ferguson deep. The home run was Varsho's first against a lefty since joining the Blue Jays. Varsho hit .293 against southpaws in 2023 but drove in only seven runs across 117 plate appearances. There was some concern that Varsho might be more of a platoon bat, but any improvement and increased power production against left-handed pitching will go a long way to keeping him in the lineup on an everyday basis.

97.9: There's been some concern surrounding Kevin Gausman's velocity in the early portion of the season. The right-hander had a late start to his spring buildup due to a shoulder issue. Gausman averaged just under 92 mph in a start against the Yankees on April 8, a nearly 3-mph drop from his average in 2023. The diminished velocity led to his devastating splitter being much more hittable, and his ERA climbed as a result. Gausman's most recent start against the Yankees should help quell concerns. He reached 97.9 mph to strike out Gleyber Torres and averaged 94.8 mph with his fastball in that outing. Blue Jays fans should feel more at ease about the ace's status moving forward.

They said what? 🍿

Davis Schneider after a win in the home opener: "A lot of people were saying the season was over after 10 games, which is funny, because we play 162."

Gausman after getting roughed up by Colorado: "Nothing good happened today. Just a lot of pitches, a lot of hits, a lot of doubles, and a lot of runs. Not many positives."

John Schneider after blowing 4-1 lead to the Yankees: "You have a sweep right there against a really good team and didn't get it done. It was still a really good homestand."

John Schneider on Yariel Rodríguez's impressive start: "He's got the weapons for (starting). It's weird because he can be in the bullpen, too, and be really effective. But he definitely has the arsenal to start and the mentality to start."

Kevin Kiermaier on Varsho's defensive play: "He's incredible. I didn't realize how good he was until I played with him last year. And this year, he's even better."

Water cooler conversation 🗣️

Should the Blue Jays re-sign Kikuchi?

It was quite a journey for Kikuchi in his first two seasons as a Blue Jay. He struggled to the tune of a 5.19 ERA in 2022 and was bumped out of the rotation as a result. Kikuchi bounced back nicely last season, ironing out his command issues and finishing the season with a 3.86 ERA over 32 starts. The Blue Jays signed Kikuchi to a three-year, $36-million contract with the hope that he would emerge as a reliable option in the middle or back of the rotation. He's largely been able to deliver on that. His free-agent case will be an interesting one as left-handed starting pitchers who can touch 97 mph with their fastball are always coveted. The Blue Jays don't have a lot in the pipeline to potentially replace Kikuchi in 2025, so there's a compelling case that pursuing a reunion is a smart move. With Scott Boras as his agent, Kikuchi will be looking to cash in one more time as he hits free agency at age 33.

How will the Blue Jays handle Manoah moving forward?

Alek Manoah rebounded in his most recent rehab outing with Triple-A Buffalo, allowing two earned runs on six hits with five strikeouts and zero walks over 5 2/3 innings. It was a much-needed positive start for Manoah after he permitted 11 runs in his first two starts.

"His stuff is there, and I think him using it appropriately is the next step," manager John Schneider told Sportsnet's "Blair and Barker."

The Blue Jays have been open about being careful with Rodríguez's workload in 2024 after he essentially sat out the 2023 campaign following his performance for Cuba at the World Baseball Classic. The most ideal scenario for Toronto would be Manoah returning to at least league-average form, sliding into the No. 5 spot in the rotation, with Rodríguez moving to a swingman role in the bullpen to help keep his innings in a manageable place.

Manoah's velocity was good in his most recent start, averaging 92.8 mph and topping out at 95.8 mph with his fastball. He only generated four swinging strikes with his slider, an area that's given him trouble since last season. That's one area he must improve to get some easier outs if he wants to have consistent success against MLB hitters.

Down on the farm

Orelvis powers up

It's hard to believe that infield prospect Orelvis Martinez is only 22 years old. It feels like he's been in the organization for a long time. Martinez's offensive profile has some warts, namely his propensity to strike out. However, his power tool is undeniable. Martinez has hit home runs at every stop in the minors and showcased more of the same in the early part of the season with Triple-A Buffalo.

Martinez has been playing second base this season, and while there have been some defensive miscues, it appears to be his position for the time being. The Blue Jays have utilized Cavan Biggio, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and Davis Schneider at second base already this season. Martinez still needs a bit more seasoning but may force the hand of the Blue Jays' front office if he continues to mash and shows some incremental improvement defensively.

Tiedemann goes on IL

Blue Jays top prospect Ricky Tiedemann has had to navigate injuries throughout his short professional career. The left-hander was limited to just 44 innings in 2023 due to a biceps injury. The 21-year-old is now dealing with an elbow issue, news that fills Blue Jays fans with dread. Tiedemann's injury comes on the heels of Brandon Barriera landing on the IL with arm trouble. Tiedemann was looking like a possible option to make his MLB debut at some point in 2024, but that's now a major question mark.

What's next? 🛬