The Toronto Blue Jays are hoping for a better outcome in Game 2 of their series with the Oakland Athletics. During this series, some Blue Jays news emerged regarding Shane Bieber, along with an announcement regarding Brett Bateman.
Game 2 will start earlier than Game 1, at 7:40 PM Mountain Time (9:40 PM Eastern Time).
Toronto Blue Jays News: Brett Bateman Announcement
To say that Bateman has announced himself in a big way with the Blue Jays is an understatement.
For example, the Blue Jays made an announcement of sorts about him before their September 7th game.
“👍👍 @BBateman05 😁🦇,” the team shared on social media.
In this post, they quote-tweeted a Bateman post from MLB Stats. That post reads:
“Brett Bateman has hits in 20 of his first 25 MLB games, batting .347 (35-for-101) with 16 runs scored for the @BlueJays!”
Bateman has been a mainstay of the top order for the Blue Jays since acquiring him from the Chicago Cubs in the Kevin Gausman trade. Outside of his first game with the team, he’s practically been stapled to the lead-off position in the batting order.
Bateman is a 24-year-old outfielder who has made a seamless transition to the MLB.
Looking at Brett Bateman’s Impact on the Toronto Blue Jays
The young rookie only has 26 MLB games under his belt. In those games, Bateman has recorded 35 hits, four doubles, one triple, seven RBIs, and three stolen bases.
Despite not having a home run yet, Bateman has a jaw-dropping .333 batting average along with a .403 on-base percentage.
Among Blue Jays players who have played at least 25 games this year, Bateman ranks first in batting average, first in on-base percentage, 13th in walks (11), and third in triples.
According to FanGraphs, Bateman ranks sixth on the Blue Jays in WAR (1.2). The only Blue Jays players with a higher WAR are Andres Gimenez, Kazuma Okamoto, Alejandro Kirk, Brandon Valenzuela, and Nathan Lukes.
That’s pretty impressive for a 24-year-old rookie.
John Schneider on Brett Bateman
Shortly after his arrival, John Schneider chimed in on what his thoughts of the youngster were.
“I like the zone control,” Schneider said via Keegan Matheson. “I like the contact ability, and I like what’s going on between his ears. You never know when you’ll find a dude. It’s whatever handful of games, but he has the potential.”
“I like the zone control, I like the contact ability and I like what’s going on between his ears.”
“You never know when you’ll find a dude. It’s whatever handful of games, but he has the potential…” #BlueJays
If the Blue Jays are going to trade players like Gausman, it’s a comfort knowing they have received someone like Bateman in return.
In the short term, it takes the sting out of the transaction. In the longterm, he’s sure to be a home run swing.
Toronto Blue Jays Make Brett Bateman Announcement During Athletics Series