Toronto Blue Jays: 3 takeaways from opening series vs. Tampa Bay Rays

2) Cavan Biggio continues to show off his bat

As much as you can make the argument the Blue Jays should have won their opening series, it could have been even worse. Thankfully for the fans, Cavan Biggio was on hand to make sure the Rays didn’t end up with a sweep.

Biggio had an extremely encouraging rookie year in the Majors, with him increasing in confidence and production as the season progressed. By the time September hit — no pun intended — he had the best month of his rookie campaign, with a slash line of .300/.424/.563.

The 25-year-old managed to carry this momentum over into 2020, as he got his season off with a bang on opening day. He had two hits, including a three-run homer in the fifth, which proved to be the difference in the game as the Blue Jays held on for a 6-4 win over the Rays.

Critics will point towards Biggio striking out in his other three at bats on opening day. However, this is purely a case of a young player still learning the game at the highest level.

In this respect, Biggio continued to produce in Game 2, with two hits and a walk in three at bats. Ironically, his least productive performance came in the highest-scoring contest of the series, with just one hit and two strikeouts in five at bats during Game 3.

However, even in a relatively ineffective performance during the heartbreaking 6-5 loss, Biggio still managed to leave his mark. His solitary hit extended his on-base streak to 32 games, which is the longest active streak in the Majors.

Make no mistake about it – the 2016 fifth round draft pick is here to stay, with a bat which is the ideal combination of speed and power. He’s only going to continue to improve, which is a scary proposition for pitchers around the league.

As an aside, Biggio also made news for his decision to kneel during the national anthem on opening day. He admitted he didn’t originally have any plans to do so.

However, Biggio wanted to help make Anthony Alford feel more comfortable about taking the knee. Apart from his talent, the second baseman proved he’s also a good teammate and someone who is already showing leadership traits which could be invaluable for the roster both in the short and long-term.