The Toronto Blue Jays’ 2023 season was filled with frustrations with runners in scoring position (RISP). Unfortunately, their RISP struggles followed them into the postseason. What should have been more of a battle against the Minnesota Twins turned into a disappointing and short postseason. All season long, we have seen the Blue Jays struggle with capitalizing on cashing in runs and doing it early in games. The continuous number of times when the Jays’ bats needed to wake up occurred one too many times in the regular season.
Toronto was unsuccessful in sustaining productive offense and was only able to score one total run in two games in the Wild Card Series. The Jays’ postseason dreams were cut quite short, with the Twins sweeping the two games. Normally, the playoffs have a whole different feel, but the Jays were just not able to battle against a strong Twins team. The inability to capitalize when the Twins made errors was also hard to watch. The Blue Jays had many opportunities to score runs and remain in the series, but the curse of RISP followed them into the playoffs.
Blue Jays Struggle with RISP in Postseason
No More Excuses
Thank you Blue Jays fans. Excuses will not be made. We simply need to be better. Can’t wait for 2024. God Bless y’all. See y’all soon and thank you from my family to yours. Grateful to be a Blue Jay.
— Chris Bassitt (@C_Bass419) October 5, 2023
During the regular season, time and time again, fans were waiting for the Blue Jays to go on a consistent run. While the regular season showcased some memorable and exciting games, players and fans alike were constantly making excuses. These excuses bled into the postseason, and many anticipated that the Jays’ struggles with RISP would come to light. As Chris Bassitt stated on Twitter following Wednesday’s 2-0 defeat, the Jays need to play better, and there’s no room for excuses. The Jays were just not able to come up big offensively.
In addition, the urgency that was present in flashes towards the end of the regular season was just not present. If you’ve followed post-game interviews with manager John Schneider throughout the season, they’ve shown excuses again and again. For example, saying the offense is going to come through, they will find their groove, they will have better games, etc. Fans have had enough, and while it’s a long season in MLB, you cannot afford to play things safe.
Jays’ Offensive Drought in the Playoffs Is Nothing New
Blue Jays postseason offence since 2020
Runs Scored 13
Strikeouts 57
OPS .618
AVG w/RISP .190
Record 0-6— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) October 4, 2023
The Blue Jays’ struggle with scoring runs in the postseason is nothing new. This issue at least goes back to 2020. Since then, they’ve recorded 13 runs while striking out 57 times, and have a record of 0-6 in postseason play. Their average with RISP is a lowly .190. These are not stats that the team wants to be highlighted, especially since they were expected to hit so well this season.
The rotation did their best to try and keep the team in games, but unfortunately, the offense was too often subpar. The Jays signed many elite players this past offseason hoping to shake up the lineup. Daulton Varsho, Brandon Belt, and Kevin Kiermaier were all brought on board for this reason. But alas, their performances in 2023 were not as good as expected. The underperformance of not only these players but also Vladimir Guerrero Jr. put a damper on this season without question.
On a Positive Note
The Blue Jays’ postseason run was short, and it was definitely not sweet. But it will be exciting to see what they will do in the offseason, not only with the roster but also with management. The Jays have a strong young core and the successful offense that they brought in the second half of the regular season could point to a better 2024 season.
Players like Davis Schneider, Spencer Horwitz, Ernie Clement, and more will get their chances to shine again. Addison Barger never came up in September, but next year it will be electrifying to see him showcase his talent like their other younger hitters. The young core made hitting look effortless, and the struggles with RISP didn’t affect them as much. Here’s to hoping that the 2024 season will showcase a better Toronto offense and fewer frustrations.
Photo Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
