Chapman finds the right fit with Jays
Third baseman thinking about a diamond ring
It didn’t take Matt Chapman long to become a welcome member of the unofficial Blue Jays Breakfast Club, an early morning tradition already established in the team’s spiffy new clubhouse here.
After showing up for his first day of work — at 5:55 a.m. no less — the allstar third baseman made a strong first impression with his new teammates.
“I knew I was going to have a busy day so I wanted to make sure I could meet all my new teammates,” Chapman said before a group of his new teammates boarded buses for a trip to Sarasota and a game against the Baltimore Orioles (the Jays won 9-5). “I’m now part of the Breakfast Club. I’ll get adjusted here quickly.
“I just couldn’t sleep. I felt like it was my first day of school.”
It’s certainly the first day since sometime in the 2017 season — back when Josh Donaldson was healthy — that the Jays have had a star-calibre, everyday third baseman.
Wired to win, it seems clear that Chapman appreciates the opportunity that awaits in Toronto, with an upwardly mobile team loaded with potential as opposed to the payroll paupers that the Oakland Athletics had become.
“At the end, a lot of guys in Oakland were starting to question what kind of direction it was going,” Chapman said. “Here, the direction is clear. They want to win a World Series and do whatever they can to make that happen.
“It’s just great to come to an organization where they’re excited to win and help the players get whatever they need to be successful.”
Of course, Chapman is considered by many to be just what the Jays need to break through to become not just a playoff contender but a post-season threat.
Not since Donaldson arrived in 2015 have the Jays had such a reliable glove and arm at the hot corner and in Chapman they have one who has good a range — or better — as anyone in the game. Chapman’s arrival already has the Jays staff working on ways to reconfigure the infield approach to play to the new guy’s strengths.
“Obviously, infield wise with (third base coach Luis Rivera) and our front office guys we’ll work on changing things around,” said firstbase coach Mark Budzinski. “There’s plenty of information these days. You try to utilize it as best you can to find an edge.”
First for Chapman was getting used to the eastern time zone after flying here from Arizona. He took some ground balls at the Jays player development complex while familiarizing himself with the glitzy new surroundings.
He’s also working to quickly get up to speed with his new teammates — both names to faces and their respective defensive approaches.
“I’ve just been learning the little things about the other guys to give me an edge and help me become the best defender for this team,” Chapman said. “I did see how many ground balls this team gets to third base so it definitely excites me. That’s something I take pride in — saving runs for the team and helping pitchers.”
Another way Chapman hopes to aid the lads on the mound is by providing some run support, which could be the sleeper angle to the trade. In 2021, the 28-yearold was inconsistent at the plate, a regular swing and miss guy whose power numbers also suffered.
Chapman believes that was the fallout from hip surgery the previous September that he wasn’t able to completely recover from in time for the 2021 season, which saw him dip to 27 homers in 151 games.
“Coming off that hip surgery in 2020, for me I just wasn’t quite as strong as I wanted to be,” Chapman said. “And there’s never enough time to get ready for a season.
“So for me, I learned a lot from last season and what will make me successful and what adjustments I need to make. I’m strong now. I don’t need to try to create power to get the baseball. I can let it come to me.”
Getting more specific, Chapman said a key was getting more use of his back hip and staying behind the ball to utilize his power. It certainly has produced in the past, including a 36-homer season in 2019. Factor in being stuck in Oakland for half of those games, he could easily project to a 40-plus homer guy.
Add in an escape from the vast ballparks of the AL West in general and the marine layer that can keep balls hanging in Oakland particularly, and there is even more reason for optimism.
“Oakland is a pitcher’s park,” Jays manager Charlie Montoyo said. “I think he’s going to like our ballpark a lot more.”
And finally, it won’t hurt with the Breakfast Club company Chapman keeps. Put his bat in such a powerpacked batting order and watch him go.
“We have such a deep lineup that I can just jump in and do my part and just take good at-bats,” Chapman said.