The Toronto Blue Jays are now looking like the team they were meant to be in 2022.
They’re fifth in the American League in runs scored with 227 and are tied with the Texas Rangers for fourth in home runs.
Yeah, about the home runs, one guy in particular is hitting a ton of them and has been a big reason for their power surge.
The man in question is George Springer, who is up to 11 homers on the year after a leadoff home run yesterday against the Minnesota Twins.
Springer now has 50 career leadoff home runs.
MLB tweeted a list of players with the most leadoff home runs, and Springer is in the top four.
George Springer is a special kind of leadoff hitter. pic.twitter.com/yYoNchAOxy
— MLB (@MLB) June 6, 2022
Leadoff Power
More often than not, your leadoff hitter is not going to be the one that hits the most home runs and is usually more of an on-base type guy.
Not Springer.
This man can certainly get on base.
There’s no question about that.
But his power numbers are pretty solid too.
He’s the type of leadoff hitter who can start the game off right for your ballclub by going deep.
It’s hard to find a better type of leadoff hitter.
Sometimes the longball will do just fine to start a game.
This is what the Blue Jays signed Springer for.
He’s a guy who can start a game off with a bang and set a good tone early for the Blue Jays.
And he’s in some elite company too, with Rickey Henderson, Alfonso Soriano, and Craig Biggio.
After the home run, Springer got a chance to don the Blue Jays’ home run business jacket upon his return to the dugout.
And he can wear that jacket with pride.
NEXT: Kevin Gausman Is On A Different Planet This Year