Taking stock of the Jays

With the shades almost pulled down on the 2011 Blue Jays it’s time to look back on who impressed, who surprised and who disappointed.

As a whole, the season saw a young team grow under a new manager with the arrival of several new faces who were not on the Major League radar when the team first assembled at the Bobby Mattick Complex in Dunedin in early February.

Those of you who follow the farm system closely knew their names, but none of us knew what they would bring to the table.

That is no longer the case.

THE IMPRESSIVE

Let’s start with Ricky Romero.

In 2011 the left-hander turned into the ace of the staff and was the guy that the rest of the young rotation rallied around. The moment of his ascension took place in a start against the Cardinals in St. Louis when he pitched a four-hit shutout and drove in two runs with his first career MLB hit.

That came one start after Atlanta Braves pitcher Tim Hudson took Ricky deep in a 2-0 loss in which he let his emotions get the best of him both on the mound and in the dugout. A chat with John Farrell in the manager’s office the next day left a lasting impression on young Romero.

He went 9-4 over his final 17 starts with a tight 2.87 ERA and a .203 opponents’ average.

It’s almost becoming old hat describing the accomplishments of Jose Bautista. In a lineup that afforded him very little protection, he continued to be baseball’s most prolific home run hitter. But he also hit above .300 for the season despite getting little to hit and led the league in most important offensive categories.

But most impressive was how he turned into the leader of the ballclub.

Others worth noting were rookie J.P. Arencibia, who set the team record for home runs by a catcher, shortstop Yunel Escobar, who stepped into the lead-off role and hit above .290 for the season, and reliever Casey Janssen, who posted a club-best 2.35 ERA.

THE SURPRISES

Where to start?

Eric Thames opened some eyes during the pre-season and played his way into a full-time role as left-fielder through the second half.

Few players have arrived with as much fan fare as Brett Lawrie, and he hasn’t disappointed. The Canadian third-baseman’s debut was delayed by a broken hand while in triple-A and season ended a week early with a broken finger, but in between he displayed great skills.

He hustled, picked up clutch hits and displayed athleticism both in the field and on the bases. Expect him to be a Blue Jay for many years.

Carlos Villaneuva was an under-the-radar trade in the off-season but when starters had to be sent down due to poor performances, he stepped into the rotation and provided stability.

Meanwhile a couple of young pitchers vaulted all the way from double-A to become prime-time pitchers moving forward.

Just 21-years-old, Henderson Alvarez pitched well beyond his years and finished the regular season as the team’s second most consistent starter behind Romero.

Joel Carreno was a starter in the minors but turned into an effective

reliever with the big club and could be the main set-up man in 2012.

The most pleasant surprise, however, was the return of Dustin McGowan to the majors after three years due to injury.

While his appearances have been uneven, he has thrown pain free and is back into the rotation picture for 2012.

THE DISAPPOINTMENTS

Both Brett Cecil and Kyle Drabek began the year in the starting rotation, but found themselves back in the minors after substandard performances.

Cecil lost several miles per hour off his fastball and if he didn’t pitch down in the zone, was very hittable.

Drabek had control problems – both with his pitches and his emotions – and while he’s still a big part of the future, he may soon be passed on the depth chart by the wave of young arms coursing their way through the minors towards Toronto from the various levels of the farm system.

This, by all accounts, was supposed to be the season when Travis Snider became a major producer in the everyday lineup. Instead, old habits died hard, he still couldn’t hit off-speed pitches down and in, and his season ended in triple-A on the disabled list.

Like Drabek, Snider is still in the plans going forward, but other prospects are gaining on him.

The team paid a high price in terms of bodies for centre fielder Rasmus. Outside of three majestic home runs, we are still waiting to see what all the fuss was about. Physically gifted, he was slowed by a wrist injury and, statistically, has done very little, striking out once every 3.5 at-bats while hitting well below .300.

Also troubling has been a reluctance to take charge in the field, leading to several balls falling in.

TEN REASONS THE BLUE JAYS WILL BE BETTER IN 2012

The following list was furnished from Sportsnet baseball producer Doug Walton in his morning missive to set up the broadcast for the Blue Jays 161st game of the season.

It’s hard to argue any of these points, mostly from the standpoint that the following things can't be worse next year.

10. With two games to go, the Blue Jays have received 494 combined at-bats from Mike McCoy, Jayson Nix and John McDonald. That's almost an everyday player.

9. Colby Rasmus can't possibly be a .181 hitter. For the season, the Jays centre-fielders have hit .215 with a .602 OPS.

8. The starting rotation – minus Ricky Romero – has gone a combined 36-49, with a 5.09 ERA. Guaranteed that will improve.

7. Brett Lawrie hit .293, while all other third-basemen hit .213.

6. The Jays got 104 games out of Aaron Hill and his .270 on-base percentage. Kelly Johnson is already at .363.

5. The Jays got 124 games out of Adam Lind and his .297 on-base pct. Hoping that will improve.

4. The Jays blew 25 saves. No way that can be worse.

3. The Blue Jays hit .238 with runners in scoring position and .218 with RISP and two out. That has to improve.

2. Two words: (Nestor) Molina and (Drew) Hutchison.

1. Off-season moves. You know Alex Anthopoulos has multiple moves up his sleeve.

Stats man Scott Carson is now in his 19th season as "third man in the booth" during Blue Jays telecasts.