"For the Toronto Blue Jays, that one small quality may be their ability to avoid strikeouts. The Blue Jays were one of the best in the league when it comes to avoiding strikeouts this year and it was a skill that carried them through the ALCS as they made Seattle's pitchers work incredibly hard to earn every single out. The Seattle Mariners didn't go five straight games this regular season without striking out at least eight batters once."
"If the Blue Jays maintain this approach against the Dodgers pitching, particularly against their starters, it's an inside edge that could really make or break the series. Putting balls in play early and avoiding strikeouts could put a ton of pressure on two areas where the Dodgers struggle; their bullpen and their fielding. As a team, the Dodgers accumulated just a 1.6 defensive fWAR in 2025 - which ranked 17th in the league according to FanGraphs."
Toronto emphasized contact and low strikeout totals across the regular season and into the postseason, forcing opposing pitchers to work deep into counts. That contact approach helped the Blue Jays dominate the ALCS by limiting Seattle's strikeout opportunities and producing outs through balls in play. The Dodgers present a favorable matchup because of defensive limitations: a 1.6 defensive fWAR (17th), eight postseason errors, and a Fielding Run Value of zero. Toronto led the league in hits and posted 115 postseason hits in 11 games while recording just 64 strikeouts, the fewest among teams with seven or more playoff games.
Read at Jays Journal
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