Photo credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images
The Toronto Blue Jays had a pleasant surprise from Brendon Little last season, his first half of the same was very impressive, but his second half not so much, and everyone remembers the two homers he gave up in game 5 of the ALCS, with new additions like Tyler Rogers and Chase Lee, will Little still get a fair shake?
The short answer is probably, as he is still an important piece of the bullpen, but if his performance continues to dip, that answer might start changing.
Brendon Little needs to be sharp once the season starts for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Graeme Wallace of Blue Jays Nation reports that Little needs the same start he had last year for the Blue Jays. If not management might start to lose faith in him, and he'll start seeing a lot less action. His first half of the year last year was crucial for the Blue Jays success.
"The 29-year-old built on that success and was immediately thrust into a high-leverage role this past season. The lefty responded well and was striking out batters at a rate we hadn't seen before. Through April, Little had appeared in 16 games and racked up 21 strikeouts through 13 innings. That month, he also started a streak of 15 games without allowing an earned run. "-Wallace
The second half was the opposite, his strikeout rate lowered, walk rate went up, and allowed a higher percentage of runs. And after game 5 of the ALCS many questioned his ability to handle pressure. With the Blue Jays bolstering their bullpen this winter, Little can either be part of that strength, or get left behind.
"By the time the World Series was being played, it was obvious that Little had fallen out of favour with the Jays' coaching staff. However, in Game 3, the team was playing into the 17th inning and running out of pitching options. He got out of that inning unscathed, but was on the hook for Freddie Freeman's walk-off homer. "-Wallace
Little has clearly shown he is capable of being a dependable reliever in the MLB, but it needs to stay consistent, especially when the pressure is on. He failed to do that last season, and he will get on more shot to prove it this year.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 24|643 ANSWERS Brendon Little's time in Toronto might be coming to an end Will Brendon Little still be with the Toronto Blue Jays by the All-Star Break? | ||
| Yes | 144 | 22.4 % |
| No | 499 | 77.6 % |
| List of polls | ||