The last time that a player who suited up for the Toronto Blue Jays was named as the American League MVP was in 1987 when George Bell did it, but that could change this year. Current Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson has been a tremendous hitter in an outstanding lineup in Toronto. This year Donaldson is leading the AL in runs batted in with 115, while he is third in home runs (37), and 10th in batting average (.307) as he has taken Major League Baseball and Canada by storm.
This past off-season the Blue Jays acquired Donaldson from the Oakland Athletics and I’m sure that they didn’t expect what they are currently getting from him as he is in the process of putting up big numbers,Donaldson got rolling in mid-April and he hasn’t looked back since then as he would finish that month batting .319 with 5 homers and 16 runs batted in. Donaldson’s production increased in the month of May as he hit 10 home runs while driving in 23 runs. This past July, Donaldson received over 14 million votes to be the American League’s starting third baseman at the Major League Baseball All-Star Game which was his second selection to the Midsummer Classic as he is pacing a Blue Jays team that is looking to end the longest current playoff drought in Major League Baseball. Donaldson is coming off of his best month of the season as he batted .324 with 11 home runs and 35 runs batted in for the month of August as he is a prime candidate to be the American League’s Player of the Month. Donaldson’s play in August coincided with the Blue Jays record for the month as they went 21-6.
Donaldson was the 48th overall pick of the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft by the Chicago Cubs. But after several years in the Cubs minor league system, Donaldson was traded to the Oakland Athletics in 2009. Donaldson would make his Major League Baseball debut in 2010 with the A’s, and in 2013, he was a big part of Oakland’s lineup as he finished fourth in the American League MVP voting while helping the team win the AL West.
It was somewhat surprising when the Athletics traded Donaldson this past off-season to the Jays being that he isn’t set to become an unrestricted free agent until 2019, but Toronto won’t complain or fret over that as they’ve found a star for their team. During Donaldson’s time with the Athletics, he played in one of the smallest media markets in Major League Baseball. And although the City of Toronto is not located in the United States, it is still a viable media market and the Blue Jays get plenty of exposure there and on the East Coast; especially since the play in the same division as the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees which means that more writers and fans know who Donaldson is now.
The Jays are in the hunt for their first American League East Title since 1993 which was also the last time that they won the World Series and even if they are unable to win the division, Toronto still has a strong possibility to make the postseason as a wild card. Donaldson has previous playoff experience as a member of the A’s which will be valuable for the Blue Jays coming down the stretch of the regular season and potentially in the playoffs. And for Donaldson’s own personal edification, he’ll have a chance to solidify his chances of being the AL MVP as folks around baseball will always remember what you were able to do in October when the chips are pushed to the middle of the table.
Leave A Comment