Toronto Blue Jays: Picking the Optimal Batting Order
By Vinnie
9. Melvin Upton Jr. or Darwin Barney
I list both Upton and Barney, but really you could even throw Ezequiel Carrera in there. The key to note is that I would avoid sliding them into the order higher than the nine slot when speaking about the optimal line up, i.e. The playoff line up.
Upton and Barney kind of offer different things when they come to the plate.
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Upton has for a low batting average and OBP but when he does hit the ball, he can blast it out of the park or get on with his speed and steal bases. He has 20 homers and there aren’t very many 20-home run hitters hitting ninth in the Majors, if any.
Barney, on the other hand, hits for a pretty good batting average, which is currently at .267 and has a .321 OBP. He also has a higher SLG than Upton, .017 higher, at .376 but only has four home runs. He really battles at the plate and is such a tough out for pitchers, because he works the count.
He doesn’t have the same speed as Upton, but could potentially be pinch ran for in certain situations where they just need him to get on base. Dalton Pompey is on the expanded roster now to pinch run for a guy like Darwin late in a game.
Both players are not ideal for the top or even the middle of the order if you are trying to build a championship team. However, down at the bottom they are legitimate threats when you compare them to the ninth best hitters on any other Major League team.
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What do you think is the optimal batting order for the Toronto Blue Jays? Do you agree or disagree with our choices? Let us know your comments in the section below.