Most notable Blue Jays in Spring Training according to Statcast

Baseball is a game of failure, failing 7 out of 10 times at the plate puts you in the same class as the elites of the game. A large enough sample size is needed to showcase what you can do, and with spring training, it may not lend enough time to settle in and showcase what a player can do. Although, with statcast and advanced analytics, teams don't have to rely on their "eye" to make decisions anymore.

If you make contact with the ball at a notably high exit velocity, you've showcased an ability to generate the type of hits that frequently result in extra bases and home runs. Similarly, clocking in a high sprint speed indicates superior mobility compared to most players, leading to enhanced baserunning, expanded defensive coverage, stealing bags and increased likelihood of reaching base on soft hits.

While Stat cast is not the end all be all, where metrics don't always directly correlate with a high batting average, long balls or low strikeout rate, they do identify a player's potential. Therefore, let's analyze some of the data collected by Hawk-Eye technology at minor-league ballparks throughout Florida in the Grapefruit league this spring. We'll highlight a selection of players who exhibited exceptional skills at Blue Jays camp according to statcast.

When you think of a Blue Jay throwing absolute gas, you think of Nate Pearson, capable of touching 100mph on the radar gun every time he touches the mound. A player that doesn't receive the same attention but deserves it is Yimi Garcia, the Dominican native averages only 1mph difference to Pearsons 97.4 avg fastball velocity. At 33 years old, some might think his arm could start slowing down, but it's the opposite. Garcia has been working really hard to keep his arm in top shape, and spring training is showing this exactly.

With his increased velocity, Garcia has also added some new pitches to his bag of tricks. If it seems like a substantial arsenal, that's because it is. Yimi Garcia plans to employ seven pitches this season, including a four-seamer, two-seamer, cutter, slider, sweeper, changeup, and curveball. giving him the most effective options from his repertoire based on the day's feel and Toronto's strategic approach against different opponents.

Garcia having is having a very strong Spring supporting a 2.00 era in 8 games and 12 innings pitched, A small sample size, but with the strong statcast numbers and his new arsenal of weapons, he will be key arm out of the bullpen for the Jays. Especially With Jordan Romano and Erik Swanson sidelined for the start of the season, having a seasoned, power-pitching, adaptable asset like Garcia available is a blessing for Toronto's coaching staff.

Statscast has also benefited Ernie Clements reputation in relation to his speed on the basepaths. Although not known for his speed, Clement has the fastest average sprint speed as a batter among all Blue Jays.

Ernie Clement is set to offer distinct advantages to the Blue Jays this season in his role as a utility player off the bench. These include his versatility across positions, exceptional ability to make contact with the ball, and an improving swing trajectory that is resulting in more line drives. We can see this improvement in this year's spring training, the 28-year-old has a .356 batting average, 3 home runs and 2 stolen bases in 16 games.

It's a known fact that speed doesn't always translate to stolen bases, which he has shown with only have 1 in his 3-year career. But speed is effective in other ways, being fast out of the box and putting pressure on team's defense, being smart on the basepaths, and scoring on sacrifice flies are all little things that can help the Jays score more runs and ultimately win more games.

Clement's position within the team isn't centered on shouldering the offensive load; rather, it's about being a flexible asset in specific scenarios that align with his strengths. This involves making contact when it's advantageous, rotating between various infield positions while occasionally filling in the outfield, and injecting a top-tier speed factor that's missing from Toronto's lineup right now, especially with the loss of Whit Merrifield.

Of the power hitting Blue Jays batters who made at least five contact hits this spring, Orelvis Martinez is behind only Brian Serven, and Bo Bichette in average air exit velocity (only .1 difference between him and Bichette).

At only 22 years old, this is how you dominate the minor leagues in home runs, as Martinez has done with an impressive 86 since 2021. It's also the reason why this infielder has consistently ranked among the top prospects lists over this period. Few minor leaguers have even come close to matching Martinez's remarkable power output in the last three seasons, with most of them being significantly older, in their mid-to-late 20s. Statcast shows that at his age and being able to produce this amount of power, his potential for being a long ball threat in the Majors is inevitable.

Although the youngster is struggling in spring this year, it is a small sample size and it will take time for him to develop into a professional hitter. If Martinez can cut down on his strike out and high swing and miss percentage, if he can put the ball in play more and use his raw power he can contribute a lot to the Blue Jays' future.