After posting some of the worst offenses in baseball this season and dealing with an unfathomable amount of injuries, specifically to the starting rotation, the Toronto Blue Jays find themselves deadlocked for the bottom wild card spot in the American League, thanks to a couple of things.
Granted, the AL as a whole has been a dumpster fire, so a losing record has a few ballclubs in the hunt, but some rookies are coming up big for the ballclub when they have needed them the most, which has been highlighted as of late.
Now, this takes nothing away from the incredible season that Louis Varland and Dylan Cease have both had, nor the success of first-time All-Star Ernie Clement . However, one thing is for certain: if a few young guns hadn't come through, especially as of late, the team's name would be nowhere near the hunt for the postseason.
It isn't just one or two that has been excellent, but multiple, and all deserve the recognition.
Charles McAdoo
Brandon Valenzuela
The two names that almost immediately jump off the page are McAdoo and Bateman, as both have had recent heroics, with the pair seeing some real major league time finally and immediately making an impact, but Valenzuela, Miles, and Yesavage have been vital all season.
Blue Jays center fielder Brett Bateman (21) hits a single against the New York Yankees Credit: Nick Turchiaro | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Yesavage went into this year as a frontrunner for the Rookie of the Year race, but injuries have derailed that feat. However, his 3.65 ERA while holding opponents to a sub .200 batting average has been enough to get the Jays some wins.
Then, there is Valenzuela, who has regressed a little bit at the plate as he hasn't been seeing everyday at-bats with Alejandro Kirk back in the lineup. His defensive ability to throw runners out is impossible to comprehend, which is why his name sits atop the leaderboard for runs saved behind the dish.
It is hard to predict what a player is going to do once they finally see a major league field, which makes it even more baffling how clutch their Rule 5 Draft pick, Miles, has been with the pitching staff continually bleeding all season.
Miles stepped into a major hole in the starting rotation early on and has now moved into a high-leverage role out of the bullpen. Among relievers, he trails only Varland and Tyler Rogers in ERA. His stuff is nasty, and his confidence is continually growing.
Toronto has now taken six consecutive series after Saturday's win over the New York Yankees and if they can survive the next brutal week of AL foes, the playoffs will be theirs to lose, thanks to their inexperienced side of the roster really stepping up.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/bluejays/onsi as Slew of Rookies Continually Keeping Blue Jays Postseason Hopes Alive .
