Toronto Blue Jays 2019 season preview: Guerrero Jr. highlights revamped Infield
By Austin Owens
Justin Smoak, First Base
2019 promises to be a big year for Smoak.
In 2017, the first baseman exploded for 38 home runs and 90 RBIs in a career-high 158 games. That landed him his first career All-Star appearance in Miami. Last season, Smoak didn’t post the same numbers but still managed to put up a .242/.350/.457 slash line with 25 homers and 77 RBIs.
He’s still reliable in the field and will be the starter at first for almost every game this season. When it comes to the impending offseason, it’s hard to say what will happen to Smoak. He could sign a short-term deal with Toronto or he could opt for a big-money deal elsewhere. It all depends on his production this year.
A team will definitely take a shot on a player under 35 who can hit for power and be an everyday player in the field.
He’s a member of the Jays this season. Fans will have at least one more year to watch the fourth-longest tenured Blue Jay play at Rogers Centre.
Devon Travis, Second Base
It was a promising year for Travis in 2018. However, the oft-injured second baseman was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo after recording a .148 batting average with a single home run and three RBIs in his first 18 games last season.
Travis got regular rest days as the team tried to keep him at 100 percent, and it worked. He played in 103 games – the most he’s ever played in a single MLB campaign.
He finished the year with a .232/.275/.381 slash line, three triples, 11 home runs, and 44 RBIs.
Unfortunately for the 28-year-old, he suffered a small tear in his meniscus, forcing him onto the 60-day disabled list to open the year.