Toronto Blue Jays: Is Josh Donaldson the MVP Once Again?
By Vinnie
Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson has a phenomenal stat line this season, and has even improved from last season. Is he the front runner for the 2016 MVP Award?
“Now batting, third basemen, Josh Donaldson!” says Tim Langton, the PA Announcer at the Rogers Centre, as Donaldson walks to the plate from the on deck circle to the song ‘Ball Like This’.
Under the clear blue skies you hear the chants of “MVP! MVP! MVP!” and anticipation builds as the ‘Bringer of Rain’ is about to make it pour.
All 50,000 fans in the stadium hope JD smacks one out of the park each and every at bat, but at the very least it’s expected he’s going to do something big.
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What an incredible feeling as a Toronto fan — and not just of the Blue Jays — to have the MVP playing for our city, and in the Jays case for our country! This calls for a hashtag, #OurMoment.
The last MVP in one of the major Toronto sports (NHL, NBA, MLB) prior to Donaldson was nearly 30 years ago, as a man by the name of George Bell won the prestigious award. So we’ve waited an incredibly long time for the chance to be able to say we have the best in the world playing for us Torontonians!
Donaldson has not only proven again this season why he is the MVP, but he’s even better than he was last year and is the front runner to win it again after 99 games.
His stats are as follows for 2016: .305 batting average (9th), 24 home runs (5th), 70 RBI (5th), 85 runs (1st), 67 walks (4th), .419 on-base percentage (5th), and .593 slugging percentage (2nd).
Now compare this to his stats in 2015: .297 batting average, 41 home runs, 123 RBI, 122 runs, 73 walks, .371 on-base percentage, and .568 slugging percentage.
Donaldson’s stat line this season is phenomenal and is actually an improvement from last year. However that’s not all that what makes him the front runner for MVP in 2016 – it’s also his Gold Glove caliber defense at third base.
Baseball is one of the hardest sports to be consistent in. It’s a league where four percent is the difference from being average or great.
A batting average of 30 percent is excellent and a batting average of 26 percent is just average. To hit those additional four balls into play and reach base safely every 100 at bats is often what brings home the extra few wins needed, to clinch a playoff spot.
Donaldson has not only been great this year – he’s done it consistently over two seasons! He is continuing to prove why he’s the best in the league.
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Now, Donaldson will be looking to close off the season strong, as he leads the Blue Jays into the home stretch. He is a Hall of Famer in the making and as the postseason approaches, the crowd will continue chanting, “MVP! MVP! MVP!”