The Cleveland Guardians made small ball popular during their playoff run this season when they erased a 15.5 game deficit to steal the American League Central division.
Famously coined “Guards Ball,” the Guardians have focused on fundamentals, base running and hitting for average even when it’s not always pretty.
During Game 4 of the World Series, the Toronto Blue Jays proved that style of baseball could actually work.
With two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani on the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers, expectations were that the Blue Jays would have an uphill battle to steal a game in Hollywood. But contributions from Ty France, Bo Bichette, Addison Barger and former Cleveland infielder Andres Gimenez were enough to seal a massive win for Toronto.
Sure, the Blue Jays got a memorable, towering blast from superstar slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr., but it was the scrappy hitting from roleplayers that helped score six runs in a pivotal game.
Gimenez, who played in Cleveland for four seasons, is hitting .500 with runners in scoring position since the MLB postseason started. He struggled at the plate during his last three years with the Guardians, ultimately leading to his trade last offseason.
But Gimenez delivering for the Blue Jays is proof that a small ball approach can work, even on the biggest stage. It just needs stellar pitching and timely hitting.
During the regular season, Gimenez hit just .253 with runners in scoring position. His clutch gene has arrived for the Blue Jays once the calendar flipped to October. He only hit seven home runs all season.