Toronto Blue Jays: Marco Estrada on Course to Set Modern MLB Record

Marco Estrada is having another special year for the Toronto Blue Jays and is on course to set a modern single-season Major League record for lowest Batting Average on Balls In Play.

If you’re looking for a baseball definition of ‘late bloomer’, you could do worse that pick Toronto Blue Jays‘ pitcher Marco Estrada. The 2005 sixth round draft pick burst onto the national scene last year, with a standout campaign in Toronto.

By the end of the season, Estrada had set career-bests in a whole host of categories, including wins, ERA and WHIP. The fact he did it during a year when he turned 32, only made it even more impressive.

Unsurprisingly, some people wondered if this was a one-off, fluke-type season. Fortunately, for both the individual and the Blue Jays, this is not the case.

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In fact, the Sonora, Mexico native has been even better so far in 2016. As of July 21st, he has a 2.93 ERA and 0.987 WHIP (sixth best among all starters), which helped earn him a place in this year’s All-Star game.

However, if you really want to get a measure of exactly how dominate Estrada has been, consider he is currently on course to set a modern-day Major League record. As reported by MLB.com’s Mike Petriello, he could finish this season with the lowest Batting Average on Balls In Play (BABIP) since the American League started in 1901.

For anyone unsure of what BABIP is about, it’s essentially to do with preventing hitters from turning contact into base hits. Not including home runs and strikeouts, the lower the number is, the better.

The record is presently held by Ed Reulbach, who set the mark of .196 for the Chicago Cubs, all the way back in 1906. As things stand, Estrada currently has a BABIP of .193.

To give you an idea of how impressive this is, Reulbach is the only pitcher on the all-time list, with a BABIP lower than .200. He is followed by Dave McNally (.201 in 1968), Tommy Byrne (.205 in 1949) and Carl Lundgren (.207 in 1907).

For further clarity of how special Estrada’s number is, the second-lowest BABIP this century is held by…..you guessed it, Estrada. And he set the mark of .216 just last season.

Oct 3, 2015; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Marco Estrada (25) delivers a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Griffith-USA TODAY Sports /

Understandably, an argument can be made that a BABIP is greatly influenced by how good or bad the pitcher’s luck of defence is. However, it can still be a skill – especially with 100 percent commitment – something with the Blue Jays’s righty has now sustained for two consecutive seasons.

As Estrada told Petriello: “My mentality has completely changed the way I go about things (since coming to Toronto). I’ve always worked hard.

“I still work hard, but in terms of being out on the mound giving up hits and stuff, it just doesn’t bother me anymore. I just tell myself I will get the next guy, it’s not a big deal, and it’s worked.”

For those who still believe’s there’s too many circumstances outside a pitcher’s control to have a significant influence on BABIP, consider the former Milwaukee Brewer’s fastball. Despite it averaging under 90 mph, there is something distinctly unique about it.

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As Estrada explains: “You know, I have noticed, there are times that I’ll watch a guy throwing 93, 94, and they’ll put it in slow motion, and you can see the ball kind of tumble up there. And I’ll look at mine, and it looks kind of like a cue ball.

“It’s just a perfect white ball. I notice my four-seamers are straight right up and down, however you want to put it… it looks like a cue ball.”

In essence, the former Washington National’s draft pick gets the most out of his four-seamers spin. Add in the fact no one gets more positive vertical movement (a pitch that sinks less, or defies gravity more, than expected) in the Majors.

Against a minimum of 500 pitches, Estrada has the highest four-seam vertical movement in baseball, at 13.1 inches. This is followed by Chris Young (12.4) and Clayton Kershaw (12.0).

Overall, it all backs up Petriello’s claim that Estrada has a near perfect spin direction. And it’s that spin which is helping him stake his claim as one of the best pitchers in MLB.

Next: Ross Atkins focused on winning this year

Regardless of if Estrada gets the record or not, he’s quickly become a fan favorite in Toronto. What’s your personal highlight of his tenure to date, in a Blue Jays jersey? Let us know in the comments section below.

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