Donaldson more than just a free swinger

Blue Jays slugger attributes home runs to disciplined approach at the plate

SEATTLE Josh Donaldson loves to hit home runs as much as Toronto Blue Jays fans love to see the Bringer of Rain rock them out of the park.

But it would appear that Donaldson is committed to getting on base the easy way as much as he is rounding the bases. And the fact that he’s willing to take a walk helps him in his pursuit of a big hit.

Take his dramatic 10th inning homer earlier this week in Oakland, a two-run shot that allowed the Jays to escape Donaldson’s former home without being swept. Yes, the third baseman went up to the plate hoping for the opportunity to hit one out of the Coliseum and decide the game, but it was his approach earlier that helped set up the chance at it.

Before his seventh homer of the season — almost incredibly, in just 70 at bats — Donaldson had walked three times. His eye at the plate may be his most underrated attribute, and certainly the less flamboyant part of his game.

To be able to wait for the pitch he wants and then to do something with it, however, is yet another sign of his ability as a hitter.

“That’s what they do with (teammate Jose Bautista),” Donaldson said of the crafty pitching any proven power hitter faces. “But it’s what you do when you’re up there. That’s why we have over 100 walks a year. You don’t get over 100 walks a year because you go out there and swing at anything.

“We have good plate discipline. We have that type of feel in the game.”

In 2016, Donaldson had a career high 109 bases on balls in 155 games, and so far this season, he has 13 free passes in 20 games. A self-admitted power hitter (“If you see me hit a ground ball, it’s likely a mistake,” he said recently) Donaldson is a studious hitter and acutely aware of what’s coming his way.

“They pitch me carefully and that’s just part of the game,” said Donaldson, who had the sixth three-walk game of his career against the Athletics. “I take pride in having a good approach at the plate. I was able to go up there and take advantage of my pitch (on the game winner.) Part of my game is hitting home runs. Whenever (an opposing pitcher) makes mistakes, I have that ability. That’s why guys pitch carefully to me.”

Make no mistake, Donaldson loves getting to the plate with an opportunity to do what he did against the A’s.

He had done the same just three games earlier against the Yankees, albeit without the drama of extra innings.

He’ll take the walk if he has to, but Donaldson is well aware of his potential impact on a game, which his manager John Gibbons said is what makes Donaldson MVP material.

“Whether it’s in basketball with the 3-2-1 countdown and making the game-winning shot or playing whiffle ball in the backyard and being up there in the bottom of the ninth with a chance to win a

Part of my game is hitting home runs. Whenever (an opposing pitcher) makes mistakes, I have that ability. That’s why guys pitch carefully to me.

game, that’s something I’ve always enjoyed,” Donaldson said. “It gets me excited about playing.”

With five home runs in his past eight games heading into a threegame weekend series in Seattle, he’s certainly rounded into that all-star form following his 38-game residence on the disabled list.