Toronto Blue Jays: Edwin Encarnacion Having a Stretch to Remember
Edwin Encarnacion is once again heating up with the weather and looks like the force we continue to expect him to be for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Edwin Encarnacion has been on one hell of a streak these last five weeks for the Toronto Blue Jays and attention should be directed his way because of it. He is in one of his grooves where he is attacking anything in the strike zone and rarely missing anything he decides to put a full swing on.
As a Blue Jays fan and baseball fan in general it is fun to watch. When Encarnacion gets locked in he really embraces the moment, much like Josh Donaldson can do at times when taking his at-bats at the end of the game.
The 33-year old is known for helping his team jump out to early leads. much like his three-run home run in the bottom of the first, during Saturday’s 9-6 win over the Cleveland Indians. His hitting a three-run shot on a 94 mph sinking fastball on the outside black of the plate was something to behold.
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What makes Encarnacion hitting this pitch so impressive is that this two-seam fastball actually started off the plate away, then came back on the black of the plate for what should theoretically be a perfect pitch. But not so much for this streaking slugger, who deposited his shot just over the wall in centrefield.
You can always tell when the two-time All-Star is getting in one of his grooves, because of the confidence he exudes. When he is riding his back leg well and driving off it without leaking forward, good things tend to happen – at times like this he is a threat to hit a home run from foul pole to foul pole.
In Encarnacion’s last 30 games he has 32 hits, 35 RBIs, 31 runs scored, 23 walks to go with 21 K (over 1:1 ratio is always an amazing stat in the Big Leagues), along with 12 home runs and two stolen bags. Talk about production – that’s straight up dominating the game like a little leaguer who has developed two years before the rest of the 12-year old’s in his league.
I could really go on and on about how good of a hitter the 2000 ninth round draft pick is when he gets on like this, but at this point I’d like to just keep sitting back and watching. There aren’t many players in the history of baseball that consistently go on one of these streaks every year and I don’t want to miss a second of it.
When one starts debating the whole Bautista/Encarnacion issue to me, I’ve always loved Edwin. He’s a class act who respects his teammates, umpires (most of the time) and most especially, his opponents.
The 2000 ninth round draft pick just goes about his business. A lot of players could learn from him.
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Encarnacion doesn’t need to pimp his home runs – as soon as that ball hits his bat, his mind has already begun focusing on the next at-bat. When a player can get locked in and not give any at-bats away, that deserves admiration and it commands a lot of respect.