OverDrive - Matheson on the Blue Jays' decreased power, the struggles with the bats and Guerrero Jr. and Bichette needing more

Episode Date: April 25, 2025

MLB.com Blue Jays Reporter Keegan Matheson joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around the Blue Jays, the lack of hitting and power on the team, the stars struggles with the bat, the rotation's positive factors, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette's statistics under the microscope and more.

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this Saturday at 3 p.m. on News Talk 1010. Here's our main man Keegan Matheson, MLB.com live from Yankee Stadium. You've been traveling with the team. It feels like deja vu from up here, Keegan. What's it like up close and personal the last four or five days? You know what, fellas? I've been but undercover to a mom surprised anybody want document was great

i'm happy to have it but uh... they don't know who was right though i can even think back to the last couple of years of where i'm standing in the back in place having the pick that in conversation with you guys about the office about the offense over and over the same conversation with you guys about the offense, about the offense over and over. It's the same conversation.

There's some different nuances to it this year, but when you boil it down to a simple thing, which is what it is, it's the same conversation, guys. They need to hit more. It's not complicated. Keegan, how long do they have left to say, it's coming and when it shows up it's going to be amazing. I think Schneids has told us that, Ross has told us that. When does somebody tap somebody on the

shoulder and say just get the hell out of here, I can't watch you coach this offense any, or whatever. It just seems like it's about to implode. Yeah guys, the definition of soon and when it's going to happen I've lost all hold on that so I'm not sure over the years because we we continue to hear that it is going to come and yeah it's going to get better but how much better how high is that ceiling for this group that's what's important but they're not going to be 29th or 30th in home runs all season, I don't think, but can they be 12th, 13th? Can they get up to that top half? They need to. And patience is one thing

in baseball because yeah they play 162, yadda yadda, but they all matter. The game tonight matters just as much as the game on September 27th. They both count for one win. And especially in a season like this, when you're coming off of a disappointing year, you just gave Vladdy a ton of money, you're a big market team that should have big market expectations, there's no room for patience. And I know that it's necessary and if you're in John Schneider's spot, you have to say that and I get that. But you can't wait around and especially guys when take the baseball out of it it's not the most watchable brand of baseball right now it's not the most entertaining thing to watch when they're hitting a couple singles a game I don't think anyone's firing

that on and getting excited about it and that's what you need you need people to be excited care about your team. Keegan I know it's a rough ride recently. Is there any bright spots? Like if you say, hey, you know what, like, is there something where you could go, guys, check this out, they're on their way or, you know, check this guy out. This guy's flying under the radar, but playing very well. Is there some bright spots we're missing here? That's what makes this so strange, guys, is because there's a lot of those but the lack of power in the hitting is dragging it all down like I believe in

the starting rotation I really do and I think everyone should at least the starting four who are healthy are very strong that's more than you need they're a great rotation I believe enough in the bullpen for now I believe in the defense completely I believe in the base running and frankly guys I believe in in the bullpen for now. I believe in the defense completely. I believe in the base running and frankly guys I believe in a lot of the decisions that are being made in terms of in-game changes and what John Schneider is doing too But none of it matters and none of it looks good if you're not hitting We've seen too many of those starts over the last few years

It seems like it's always massive guys sometimes Kevin Kevin Gosman where you are getting a great pitching performance but it ends up in a loss because they only give him one run at the very most it's that same conversation that we talked about off the top and yeah there's good stories both on a broad spectrum and on the individual level when you look at some players like George Springer for example. I didn't predict that. I didn't see that coming at all. He's been the best story of the season for them. But individual good stories don't excite people.

You need wins, you need big offensive outputs and that's just not there. Who do you think is feeling it the most then are these three people Keegan, Schneider, Vladie or Bo? It's been a long, long, long, long time since Bo hit a home run and that has to be a big factor in all of this it's been going back right into the middle of last year and well the other guys got one yeah he's got 500 million comments with a big lead but I think that both the top of this lineup and that's the guy that doesn't have his contract yet I keep that in mind to

glad he has a contract I don't have a contract yet i keep that in mind too gladi has a contract i don't think you've satisfied and then coasting whatsoever but if you're ball right now i think you look so good in spring started off well you look at the top of the lineup for power gladi only having one homer that's not good enough that not only a period bono having one of the long time that's tough you You need him to

be either hitting 300 and driving the ball or hitting for a bit of power. We're not seeing either of those. Now all three of those guys have to be feeling it tonight especially because he is being forced to answer the same questions from the same people about the same problems. And after I mean my god 500 games of that that's got to get old. Yeah it really does. With Keegan Matheson, Jay games of that, that's got to get old. Yeah, it really does. With Keegan Mathis and Jay's in New York playing the Yankees tonight, they're 12 and 13 on the season. They have a minus 16 run differential.

You just look at the division, they've scored 88 runs. The Yankees have scored 137. And it's April still. Like, they're that far behind the Yankees in run production, and it's April still. Like they're that far behind the Yankees at run production and it's in April. And just the pressure that's on the rotation, like you got Barrios going in tonight and he's going to face Judge and you got to challenge Judge, but you're thinking, okay, if he gets me, who's going to pick me up? And that's where, you know, again, the pressure on the high end guys, because like Lucas hit

a home run the other day, Ernie Clementes supplied some offense at times single here there you mentioned Springer but we knew coming into this year Keegan we all talked about it Bichette into Guerrero into Santander that's that has to be electric that three-pack has got to be great and I don't think any of them have come close to expectations and I'm not sure who has come closest to it. I guess that's a question for you. Of those three, who do you think has been the closest to what you would expect them to produce? Man, tough question, low bar.

Fontaineer has not been there. He needs to get back a little bit. He's looked better lately. Flattie might be the closest, and that's really saying something. It needs to come from those three starting. The guys at the bottom of the lineup, look at a Nathan Lucas, Allen Roden, those types of guys,

their job is not to hit home runs and change the game. Their job is to get on base, make a mess of things, put some pressure on a pitcher, and sometimes they've done that, but this team needs power. It's a really simple problem, guys, and I know a lot goes into it, but I also, and I know a lot goes into it, but I also...

Sometimes I've gotten tired of the conversations around it that have kind of unnecessarily complicated it. About philosophies and approaches and processes and swing decisions. There's a lot of big words being used to dance around a very simple problem, which is that there's just not enough power not enough power period yeah it's great if you can string together five or six singles cool but one home run one swing does the same job as stringing together three or four of those it's tough because you can't chase it if you go up looking at a home run you are going to be made to look like a full in major league baseball but the problem itself all power what is the uh... time on a bill bar show his return

probably to the day at the very early sunday now he is playing with buffalo by the way i think they're in buffalo right now close by uh... tomorrow looks kind of rainy and crappy here will be out of play out I think he's ready at this point he's been swinging forever he looks good defensively I think he's ready it's time to go but at the very latest look like Tuesday and that'll shake up the whole outfield depth a little bit too and then Varsha has some pop guys he's a guy who can hit 25 over full healthy season and he looked good in spring training so it's uh it's

it's reaching for optimism but it's reaching baby and he looked good in spring training so it's uh... it's it's reaching for optimism but it's reaching baby and he's uh... he's coming yep absolutely you'll tell us that they'll take anything they can get at this point after losing five in a row uh... and in new york plan the yankee started tonight uh... ike again enjoy yourself down there thank you for doing this you got a fellow picker there is keegan Matheson of MLB.com. That just happened with me, Vashi Capellos. Canada Decides 2025. Stay informed with my

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