Has Jim Johnson fully regained your confidence?

[Frobby]

Regardless of whether you supported leaving JJ in the closer role or not after he'd blown 4 saves out of five, you had to be nervous when he took the mound. Now he's saved 5 in a row, allowing only 2 hits and one walk while striking out five. Today a runner reached on an error and then JJ plunked the next guy to put the tying run on base, but induced a DP to close the game.

So, is your trust level back to where it was before the meltdown? Or is JJ still making you nervous?

I'm somewhere in between. I didn't see the game today, but in the others, I saw: good movement on the fastball, good command of the curve, but command of the fastball not quite at JJ's normal levels, and no real use of the changeup. He's gotten good results lately but my confidence is not all the way back to normal.

Your thoughts?

[waroriole]

No. I'm gonna need at least another month of shutting the door to fully regain my trust.

[allquixotic]

He looks to be having a more turbulent season. I don't think it's indicative of him continuing to be as epically bad as he was, but he's now much more likely to let them tie the game if we're only ahead by 1 or 2 runs. So yes, I'm nervous.

Unless he's hurt, though, I don't think this trend will last for more than the rest of this season at worst. I'd keep him, and fully expect him to return to 2012 form in 2014. Meanwhile, in 2013, I think what he's shown us through his first dozen or so saves and then through the past 5 appearances has been "Good Enough", as long as we keep up our offensive tear and give Jim off a few days a week by breaking out the bats for a 4+ run advantage (so that the save rule no longer applies). Wouldn't think that Jim could rack up a whole week's worth of saves in a row, especially not if they're tight 1-run leads against an opponent with much offensive power.

[brianod]

No. Starting last year, he has appeared very hittable. I want someone closing who throws nasty stuff. Someone who makes the batters shake their heads. What I see from JJ is guys all over it that miss occasionally.

[clapdiddy]

Something just still doesn't seem "right" about him. The movement is back, but the location still needs some work. Plunking Carter on the 0-2 pitch was bad, but it didn't come back to bite him.

He seems to have problems throwing the ball inside.

[BohKnowsBmore]

Not yet. I think game before this one, he got a lineout to second, a hit, and 3 flyballs.

I seem to remember it being sharply hit, but a grounder not a line out. Then two strikeouts.

Edit- may have been two appearances ago against tigers.

[El Gordo]

He looked pretty good to me today. 4 GB and a HBP. A few more solid outings and I will relax as much as I ever do with 3 R or less of a lead. I need 8 R or more to do that.

[crissfan172]

Not yet. He's still not commanding the ball down in the zone like we're used to.

[Kerry]

I'm not there yet, but it's progressing. In his last four appearances, Johnson has allowed four fair ball to be hit in the air and managed to induce seven grounders, while striking out three. The 1.75 GB/FB ratio is the part of this that has me encouraged. During the 13-apperance stretch from Apr. 26 through May 26, that same ratio was 0.65 (go here for the full breakdown). The recent 1.75 mark is what he sported during the 2011-12 seasons.

Still, four games is a small sample size. If he's still at 1.75 after another 8-12 games, I'll be feeling pretty good about things.

[Il BuonO]

No, he still isn't commanding in the zone let alone out of it like when he hit the guy today. I sighed when he got the DP, but he's making me nervous.

The time before this two of the three outs he got were hard hit with one spectacular play by Flaherty.

I'll feel better in a month. I guess.

[JLee2027]

JJ is fine. Even the best blow saves now and then.

[LAOSfan]

Almost. One thing I noticed in Tuesday's outing is that his fastball had some tail to it again. Hadn't seen that the last few weeks. A prime example is the K on C. Pena. That ball started at the middle of the plate and ran right away until it was about six inches outside when Pena swung. When his fastball is moving like that, he is extremely tough to hit.

[Guest rochester]

"Closing" is the most thankless job in baseball and the most magnified for the fans. I always wondered what it would feel like to have Mariano Rivera - would I still get nervous?

[NickM21]

Not yet. He's still not commanding the ball down in the zone like we're used to.

Bingo. He's getting better but he's not mid 2012 again yet.

[LAOSfan]

"Closing" is the most thankless job in baseball and the most magnified for the fans. I always wondered what it would feel like to have Mariano Rivera - would I still get nervous?

Couldn't agree more. Johnson was pretty much automatic the first month and a half of the season, and just about all of last year (3 blown saves total). Two bad weeks and people are ready to trade him.