Toronto Blue Jays: Players who have impressed in spring training
Curtis Granderson
There was some eyebrow-raising when Granderson signed a one-year $5 million deal in the offseason. He was left off the World Series roster with the Los Angeles Dodgers mainly because of his struggles after being acquired in August.
Now he has a chance to redeem himself with the Blue Jays and so far it has been a good match. The 37-year-old brings a lot of experience and in his first plate appearance, he hit a home run, what better way to set the tone.
Most expect Granderson to be the leadoff hitter against right-handed pitching and platoon with Steve Pearce in left field. It will also be important for when the time comes to call-up prospects from Buffalo because he can provide some wisdom and guidance.
It will certainly be a welcome sight to the team given how Granderson has performed so far. In 15 games he has eight hits, half of which have been home runs, three doubles and two triples plus nine RBI hitting a slash line of .306/.395/.833.
If he can put up somewhere close to the 26 home runs he had in 2017 and hit above .250, which he hasn’t done since 2015, this would be top-notch addition be Ross Atkins. It would be tough to expect Granderson to hit more than 40 home runs like he did with the New York Yankees in 2010 and 2011.
While he might not be the offensive juggernaut like a J.D. Martinez, the team is not expecting that from Granderson, all they can hope for is somebody that can step up when needed.