Oakland A’s outfielder JJ Bleday showing progress in Ruiz’s absence
OAKLAND – It had been a while since JJ Bleday added to his home run tally, so he made no secret about how good it felt to belt a two-run blast over the wall in Tuesday’s 3-0 victory over Boston.
“It felt great squaring it up,” Bleday said the morning after hitting his first homer since June 23. “Those are the best, when you put a swing on it and you don’t feel it, and you spin it well and it goes over.”
It was a key play in a victory that snapped Oakland’s eight-game losing streak. The streak-buster involved some early strife when manager Mark Kotsay was tossed in the first inning after arguing that outfielder Tony Kemp was safe on a close play at the plate.
“It’s always hanging over us like a raincloud,” Bleday said. “All you can do is just prepare and keep working hard. … We overcame that hiccup in the first inning when Kotsay got ejected and the play with Tony, because that took a run off the board.”
“Without a doubt, it got us going and kind of fired us up.”
While a younger version of Bleday may have gotten down on himself for not hitting many homers and sporting a .212 batting average, the 25-year-old center fielder pointed toward another statistic to measure his growth as a hitter.
Before Tuesday’s display of power, Bleday had drawn six walks in the previous four games, helping boost his on-base percentage to a respectable .325.
“If you can salvage a day by drawing a walk, that’s huge for confidence,” Bleday said. “It just goes to show that you’re doing something right. You may not get the results, but just to be able to get on base and see the ball and get on, that creates some momentum.”
Speedy center fielder Esteury Ruiz has been an electrifying, base-stealing presence for the A’s, but has been out of the lineup since July 6 with a right shoulder injury.
Bleday had been playing mostly left field for the A’s since arriving in a spring trade, but he has recently stepped into that spot vacated by Ruiz. The one-time 2019 fourth-overall draft pick by the Marlins has flashed the form that once made him a coveted prospect when he came out of Vanderbilt.
“It’s huge, and it’s definitely a blessing to get this opportunity,” Bleday said. “Earlier in the year when I got called up, I wasn’t able to face lefties as much. But now, to just to be able to get that playing time, it helps find that rhythm and what works.”
The A’s traded pitcher A.J Puk for Bleday during spring training, taking a chance on the former top prospect who struggled in 65 games as a rookie last year, slashing .167/.277/.586.
In his second trip around the majors, Bleday has improved his slugging percentage by 62 points, his OPS by 100, and his OPS+ now measures Bleday as an average major league player.
Though rookies Zack Gelof and Tyler Soderstrom are seen as the top prospects in the A’s clubhouse, players like Bleday, Shea Langeliers and Ruiz are all still in their mid-20s and have untapped potential.
“I’m still learning as we go and tinkering with things as we go,” Bleday said before referencing the two rookies. “They’re both talented young men and they’re going to learn as they go too, because it’s a very tough league. There’s not many guys who have success and then come back the next year and still have success.”
NOTES
- The A’s (26-71) since-snapped eight-game losing streak was tied for the second-longest of the season. The longest skid was 11 in May, and the other eight-game run took place in mid-June. Oakland also lost seven in a row in April.
- A pair of A’s regulars began their rehab stints with the AAA Las Vegas on Tuesday. Outfielder Ramón Laureano (groin) was 2 for 2 with two doubles and three walks. Relief pitcher Dany Jiménez will pitch for the Aviators on Wednesday.