It’s Matt Chapman’s turn to get going

This story was excerpted from Keegan Matheson’s Blue Jays Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

It’s Matt Chapman’s turn now.

One at a time, the Blue Jays’ lineup has woken up this season, and now the star third baseman is finally rediscovering the form that made him one of baseball’s best in 2019.

Chapman’s bat is key to extending a Blue Jays lineup that has power in almost every spot. There was a point in mid-July where his average dipped below .220, and even though some poor batted-ball luck followed Chapman in the first half, the veteran reflected on his struggles and made a decision to adjust in-season.

“It isn’t easy, but I wasn’t satisfied with how I’d been doing at the plate,” Chapman said. “I feel like I can really help this team if I’m right, so I’m trying to make a change. It’s nothing too drastic, it’s just about getting that feel back in my legs and being able to drive the ball to all parts of the field. It’s nothing too crazy, but you’re always making little adjustments. I know I’m better than a .220 hitter, so I was willing to make that change because the results weren’t there.”

Now, Chapman is focused on “using the ground,” which is a ballplayer’s way of saying they want to generate power and consistent mechanics with their legs, not just their upper body. The results have been immediate with eight hits over his last four games, bumping Chapman up to a .237 average and .757 OPS.

In struggles and success, though, nothing seems to change in Chapman’s demeanour.

“I’m just seeing him be Matt Chapman,” said manager John Schneider. “He was a little bit unlucky through the first half of the year, but the confidence is there. You’re starting to see some results, so it gets a little easier to go out there and grind. He’s a stud. He’s a great player.”

The coaching staff has also taken notice of Chapman’s role as a clubhouse leader, which was evident from Day 1. From the moment Chapman arrived in Dunedin, Fla., midway through Spring Training, he was working with Toronto’s younger players, even prospects. For a couple of weeks, No. 3 prospect Jordan Groshans was his shadow. 

Schneider recently made it clear to the players that it’s up to the coaches to keep the players accountable — and they will — but these veteran voices are key to the day-to-day workings of a club.

“He’s up there. He’s got a good voice in that clubhouse,” Schneider said. “It’s easy when you’re out there and putting up numbers to be heard. Him saying he hasn’t played up to his standards speaks volumes to how professional he is. For him to say he’s not playing to his full potential but still having a pretty vocal and positive voice in the clubhouse speaks to who he is. He brings it every day.”

When the bottom third is working, the Blue Jays’ lineup takes on an exhausting look for opposing pitchers. Having Chapman around the No. 7 spot is advantageous, often with a high on-base bat like Cavan Biggio or the power-hitting Danny Jansen in the bottom third behind him. As we saw in Toronto’s 40-10 dominance over three games in Boston, this lineup is capable of spectacular things when it’s clicking, that just hasn’t been happening consistently enough. 

If Chapman stays in this groove, though, that’s another step closer to recapturing the magic of the ’21 lineup.