Canadian Muscle

The Toronto Blue Jays have been a Major League Baseball franchise for 40 years and they have had their fare share of feared sluggers that have suited up for them. The Blue Jays rose to prominence in the 1980’s with the power bats of Jesse Barfield and George Bell being a big part of it. The Blue Jays would win consecutive World Series Championships in 1992 and 1993 with Joe Carter providing the pop in the middle of their lineup. Since then the Blue Jays have had sluggers such as Vernon Wells and Carlos Delgado who is the franchise’s all-time leader in home runs with 336, but none of these solid power hitters were able to do what is currently going on north of the border.

The Jays have one of the most feared lineups in Major League Baseball as it is the modern day murderers row for power hitters. For years the Blue Jays lineup was paced by outfielder Jose Baustista and designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion as they have been regular participants at MLB’s All-Star Game. But to duo of Encarnacion and Bautista wasn’t enough to get the Jays to the postseason.

Prior to the start of the 2015 Major League Baseball season, former Blue Jays general Alex Anthopoulos executed a trade that saw Toronto acquire All-Star third baseman Josh Donaldson from the Oakland Athletics. And in the Donaldson’s first year in Toronto, he became a household name along with becoming one of the most popular athletes in Canada as he became the first Blue Jays player since Bell in 1987 to be named as the American League MVP by hitting 41 homers while driving in 123 runs.

With Donaldson in the middle of the Blue Jays lineup with Bautista and Encarnacion, they were more potent as they began to get into contention. And the cherry on top for the Blue Jays was just prior to the Major League Baseball trade deadline last year when they acquired shortstop Troy Tulowitzki from the Colorado Rockies. With the Rockies, Tulowitzki was a five-time All-Star, along with hitting at least 20 home runs in a season six times and he fit right into the Toronto lineup.

The Blue Jays would hit 232 home runs which was tops in the American League in 2015 with Encarnacion, Bautista, and Donaldson all hitting at least 39 home runs which was a big part of Toronto winning the A.L. East for the first time since 1993. And after falling short of the World Series last October by two games, the Blue Jays have picked up right where they left off in the power department here in 2016.

Bautista and Donaldson are each on the verge of reaching the 20-homer plateau and the calendar has yet to hit July. And as Bautista and Tulowitzki have yet to get it going like they have in year’s past, there’s is a new power bat that is emerging for Toronto.

As outfielder Michael Saunders is set to become an unrestricted free agent after this season, he is enjoying the finest year of his Major League Baseball career. So far this year Saunders has hit 15 home runs to go along with 32 runs batted in which has been highlighted by hitting 3 homers while driving in 8 runs last Thursday against the Baltimore Orioles. And Saunders has joined the law firm of Donaldson, Encarnacion, Bautista, and Tulowitzki which has kept the Blue Jays afloat in playoff contention in the American League.

After a 5-3 loss to the Boston Red Sox on May 29, the Blue Jays found themselves with a record of 26-26. But since then Toronto is 14-8 with series wins over the Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles, and New York Yankees who happen to be their primary competition in the American League East. The bats have led the way here in June for the Blue Jays as they have seven games in which they’ve scored at least 7 runs, while they are third in the A.L. in home runs (107), and fifth in slugging percentage (.435)

The Blue Jays record of 40-34 currently has them in third place in the American League East behind the Orioles and Red Sox, but they are just 2.5 games out of first place while also possessing the second wild card spot in the A.L. And with a potent offense like Toronto has, it gives Blue Jays president of baseball operations Mark Shapiro more flexibility in seeking to make a trade to boost the team’s postseason chances as they are not lacking in the power category.

It’s nearly two hours that separates Toronto from Niagara Falls. But you wouldn’t know that when you see the Blue Jays offense clicking on all cylinders as they could be the Ontario Power Generation since they provide the electricity that can light up the city’s skyline.

Source: Baseball-reference.com