These Four Blue Jays Fueled Streaky but Successful Month of May
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The Toronto Blue Jays were one of the more disappointing teams in baseball after an up-and-down April, heading into May with a 14-16 record.
They remained streaky in the second month of the season, but there were more positives than negatives, going 16-12 and entering June with a 30-28 record.
A three-game winning streak was started in April and carried into May, and then they reeled off three or more wins in a row on three more occasions during the month.
That kind of streaky play can be frustrating, but when the Blue Jays are going right, they can really start stringing together some victories.
Who made the biggest impact on those wins in May? Here are some Toronto players who were worthy of May superlatives.
MVP - Bo Bichette
One of the biggest takeaways from the first month of the season was the lack of power in the Blue Jays lineup. One of the culprits was Bichette, who had seven doubles in April but didn’t hit his first home run until May 3.
Some of the concerns were overblown, with the star shortstop’s underlying metrics hinting that a power surge was coming. Numbers never lie, as Bichette rediscovered his power stroke.
He hit seven home runs in May to go along with another eight doubles, giving him 17 total as he hit two in March. Bichette had a .261/.325/.513 slash line in the month and was tied or the team lead with 30 hits; half of which were for extra bases.
With a team-high 19 RBI, Bichette has earned the monthly MVP award.
Cy Young - Kevin Gausman
Toronto has not received the kind of production on the mound that they had hoped for coming into the season. Injuries and ineffectiveness have plagued a few players, but Gausman has been stepping up.
He was excellent across five starts, throwing 32 innings with a 2.81 ERA to go along with 33 strikeouts. The most impressive takeaway from his performance was that he joined a short list of pitchers who have recorded 33+ strikeouts in a month with no more than one walk.
Relief pitcher Yariel Rodriguez deserves an honorable mention as the May Cy Young winner as well.
Across 17 innings, he had a 0.53 ERA and 0.53 WHIP with 18 strikeouts. He has been an incredible and is moving up the pecking order for manager John Schneider in high-leverage situations.
Most Improved - Addison Barger/Ernie Clement
The Blue Jays' lineup has had a few underwhelming performers to this point, but third base may have been the worst in April.
That was no longer the case in May, with Barger and Clement both improving their production, turning a weakness into a strength.
Barger has the highest OPS on the team in May with a .887. He hit four home runs and eight doubles in only 89 at-bats.
Clement had a .306/.349/.469 slash line with three home runs, seven doubles and 12 RBI in 98 at-bats.
