Tighter D bringing more W's to Blue Jays

Commitment to defence, especially by infield, has improved in pursuit of a playoff spot

As the grind of playing 162 games morphs into the potential of a playoff race, for many Major League Baseball players, September can be a time for self-preservation.

Batting practice becomes optional — and sometimes not in effect at all. And with players navigating their bodies through the normal wear and tear of the longest season in professional sports, rare is the day that you see infield practice.

Unless you are a member of the 2021 Toronto Blue Jays, that is.

There isn't a day that Jays third base/infield coach Luis Rivera isn't on the field for some sort of work with a group that has been committed to improving from the outset, making the team an outlier compared to most in the majors.

It might just be a dozen balls fielded at each of the four key infield spots, but on some days it could be a longer session. The work was a mainstay in May and a staple in September, whether at the Rogers Centre or on the road.

The motivation comes in part from just watching the supremely professional second baseman Marcus Semien go about his daily business. But primarily, it has been recognition from the group that good teams reduce their margin of error and become contenders by being better defensively.

“We do it because the players want to do it,” Rivera said in a talk down the third-base line during the Jays' most recent homestand. “They want to come out and get ready for the game. They want to prepare. They want to improve. That's something they want

“They don't have to come out, but they all do. They are all looking forward to getting better.”

With 88 errors — tied for the sixth-most in the majors entering Tuesday's play — the Jays' defensive renaissance is still a work in progress. But a young infield that was a liability at times in 2020 and earlier in 2021 has made a noticeable leap forward.

Bo Bichette, for example, leads all shortstops in the majors with 24 errors but has

made just four in his past 45 games. Over at first base, Vlad Guerrero Jr. has had seven miscues in 122 games but is without dispute a defensive asset at a position he has embraced.

The improvements have come incrementally and essentially through hard work. And they fit in with general manager Ross Atkins' post-2020 season mantra that the team had to improve significantly in run prevention.

“It takes time because it's a young team,” Rivera said. “But the most important thing is that you are creating a habit, you're creating a routine. Little by little, you are seeing the

improvement. If they hadn't been doing this, where would they be right now?

“If you work, you're going to get better.”

Pitcher Ross Stripling recalls when he was dealt to Toronto last summer that the book on the Jays was “they were going to make one dumb play on defence or on the bases each game.”

Like anyone who had spent much time watching the Jays' growing pains, Stripling saw it first-hand and he wasn't wrong. But he also witnessed an evolution to the point where the defensive play by the Jays infielders has trended from liability toward strength.

“From when I got traded over here until now, we've gotten exponentially better defensively,” Stripling said. “And that's just the work the guys have put in behind the scenes.

“Vladdy is playing Gold Glove-type defence. He's made countless plays behind me that have saved runs or runners on base at least. Bo is always working hard and we've had a gauntlet of guys at third who have played well over there.

“As a ground ball guy, I love that our guys are out there working. I can turn around and be really, really confident that somebody's going to be

there and he's going to make the play. That's a really freeing feeling for a pitcher.”

Rivera believes the now-renowned work ethic of Semien has had an influence. We've heard the veteran is one of the first at the park — home or on the road — and besides not complaining about sliding from short to second has set an example his younger teammates have noticed.

“There's no doubt of this,” Rivera said. “Early in the season when they were looking out and seeing him taking ground balls and working hard, they said, `This guy is so good and this might be the reason.'

“The reason is he prepares for every game. It gave the guys something to look for and they learned. It has been a plus.”

The offence and starting pitching ultimately will drive the Jays, as those two components have all season. But with every game starting to have a playoff feel — and yes, the post-season is just two weeks away if the Jays make it — the team is banking on the extra work leading to an edge rather than errors.

The daily defensive work may just be a factor should it happen.