Blue Jays Slugger Emerging With Major Improvement Against Fastballs This Season
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Normally, fastballs are the easiest pitch for a Major Leaguer to handle and hit, but that was not the case for one Toronto Blue Jays player.
Addison Barger had a ho-hum rookie campaign in 2024. He wasn’t overly impactful during his 225 plate appearances, exceeding the rookie limit. An underwhelming .197/.250/.351 slash line was produced, hitting seven home runs and 11 doubles.
Coming into the 2025 campaign, not much was expected from him. But he has turned himself into one of the team’s main cogs. A key contributor to their success on the field, he provides manager John Schneider with some incredible flexibility.
There are games that he will start at third base but end the evening playing in right field, or vice versa. That kind of versatility is important for a manager to be able to keep all of his guys active and ready to go. Knowing he has a player of Barger’s ability to play either spot adequately certainly makes Schneider’s life easier.
What also helps is that he is now producing at the plate. He is someone who needs to be in the lineup every day, one way or another, because of how impactful he has become. Through 102 games and 383 plate appearances, he produced a .262/.312/.493 slash line. Barger has an OPS+ of 118. He has hit 18 home runs and 26 doubles, knocking in 59 runs.
The improvement with the bat has been welcomed with open arms by the Blue Jays. Earlier in the year, he was helping keep the team’s offense afloat while other players had not yet gotten going. One major reason that he has been able to perform at such a higher level is how he is now handling fastballs.
Addison Barger Improving Against Fastballs
It was on full display in the team’s recent series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. When facing off against phenom Paul Skenes, Barger hit a hard line drive, but it was just foul. Normally, he would adjust for another offering, but this time, he knew a challenge was coming. He guessed right, with an eighth consecutive fastball being thrown, and this time he didn’t miss.
“Typically,” Barger said via Mitch Bannon of The Athletic (subscription required). “When I foul a fastball off like that, I’m usually selling out for off-speed the next pitch. But with him, I just can’t.”
Barger roped a 115.8 mph single against the wall off a 98 mph pitch. It was the hardest hit that Skenes has had recorded against him thus far in his MLB career. For the Toronto slugger, it was the second hardest ball he has contacted.
Also, it was a sign of the hard work that he has put in to improve paying off. Barger has seen a steady increase in his production against fastballs this season, culminating in the screaming line drive against Skenes. As Bannon shared, he struggled in the early going against velocity, hitting .167 in April against fastballs.
That number steadily climbed as the season went along. In May, his average was .264 and it has not dipped below .260 since. Crushing fastballs as opponents start throwing more off-speed and breaking balls is key to finding success at the plate. He is taking full advantage when a pitcher makes a mistake now, buoying his production and keeping him in the high-scoring lineup.
