Travis will hit his way to the top
It was back on the day shortstop Troy Tulowitzki tweaked his quadriceps at Yankee Stadium that Blue Jays manager John Gibbons spoke about his timeline on the return of second baseman Devon Travis to the active roster.
Back then, Gibbons spoke of his desire to see Travis at the top of his batting order following a few games down in the lineup, allowing Jose Bautista to return to the third spot.
But because of the Tulowitzki disablement, Travis was promoted the next day after just nine minor-league rehab games.
On Wednesday, heading into the Yankees series finale, Travis had just 25 plate appearances and, in his own words, was still “grinding” in trying to find his timing. He missed all of spring training.
In the meantime, the Jays were 8-3 with Bautista as the leadoff hitter, so if it’s not broken . . .
“Travis hasn’t taken off yet and I don’t feel he’s completely comfortable at the plate yet, but he’s chipping in something when you need it,” Gibbons said of his patience with the 25-year-old.
“He’s getting on base, maybe just a little dink, infield hit. But he’s getting on at the right time. We always felt he’s a big part of this team, or he’s going to be. I don’t know if there’s anything to it, but I feel good knowing he’s out there. It’s just a matter of time before he heats up with the bat and he takes off.”
Sure, Travis is not anyone’s ideal majorleague leadoff hitter, but ever since the Jays traded left fielder Ben Revere to the Nationals for Drew Storen, they have struggled to identify anyone to fill that role.
At spring training it was considered a battle between Michael Saunders, who doesn’t run well enough, and Kevin Pillar, who doesn’t walk well enough, but neither was ever going to be a long-term solution.
The Jays are 9-11 with Pillar in leadoff and 8-10 with Saunders at the top of the order. The Jays with the free-swinging Pillar batting ninth, are 6-0.
When Travis emerges from his grind mode and ends his personal spring training, Gibbons will move him to the top. Until then, Joey Bats.
Why has it been so difficult for the Jays to find a legitimate leadoff hitter with traditional leadoff skills? The last time they had a true leadoff man was Shannon Stewart from 1998 to 2002. Over those five seasons, the speedy left fielder batted .305, with 505 runs scored, 149 steals, 271extra-base hits, 66 homers and an OPS of .822.
Over those five seasons, the speedy left fielder batted .305, with 505 runs scored, 149 steals, 271extrabase hits, 66 homers and an OPS of .822. After one season under GM J.P. Ricciardi, Stewart was dealt to the Twins in the middle of 2003 for outfielder Bobby Kielty.
Since 2002, here is a list, in chronological order, of the players that have filled that primary leadoff role for the Jays. Reed Johnson, three times, 2003-04, 2006; Russ Adams, 2005; Alex Rios, 2007; Joe Inglett, 2008; Marco Scutaro, 2009; Fred Lewis, 2010; Yunel Escobar, 2011; Brett Lawrie, 2012; Jose Reyes, 2013-15 and Pillar, 2016.
One could argue that Reyes was as close to being a legitimate leadoff man as anyone in that group, but by then he was past his base-running prime with diminishing offensive skills. It was also difficult for him to stay healthy. He led off just 303 times, total, with 188 runs scored.
In the meantime, the lineup as suggested to Gibbons by the Jays
“Travis hasn’t taken off yet and I don’t feel he’s completely comfortable at the plate yet, but he’s chipping in something when you need it.” JOHN GIBBONS JAYS MANAGER
players prior to the series in Minnesota, with Bautista batting first, Josh Donaldson second and Edwin Encarnacion third, has responded well, scoring 64 runs in 13 games including the Yankee finale, an average of 4.9 runs per game.
That’s still not up to last year’s form, but good enough for nine wins and three losses.
In 124 career games batting leadoff before Wednesday night, Bautista has hit .263, with an OPS that is .124 points lower than when he bats third. Besides, he is headed to free agency and will not be paid as a leadoff man.
Canadian sports journalism will miss the patriotic brilliance and major-league insight of Sun baseball columnist Bob Elliott, who retired from the paper, penning his final column Wednesday at the Rogers Centre. Counting Elliott as a personal friend since his days with the Ottawa Citizen and mine with the Montreal Expos in the 1980s, I will miss working next to him at major events, at World Series, marvelling at his concern for young Canadian baseball players seeking his wisdom and advice.