Blue Jays Player Profile: Josh Donaldson

(Laurence Kesterson/The Associated Press)

With a new month comes new opportunities. The Blue Jays have started May with a 5-3 record after a tough series against the Dodgers. Unfortunately for the reigning AL MVP, a new month has brought nothing but struggles for Josh Donaldson. He has gone 4/24 over his last seven games with seven strikeouts. Don’t expect this slump to last long though, before this stretch he was off to a fantastic start.

Drafted 48th overall in 2007, Donaldson began his career as a catcher but quickly moved to the 3B position and has found great success. He never progressed through the Cubs system and in 2009 was a non-roster invitee to the Oakland A’s spring training. He spent the first five years of his career with the A’s and became their everyday third basemen in the 2013 season. That season saw him breakout into one of the leagues’ most prolific players at the plate. He posted a .301 average to go along with 37 doubles, 24 home runs, and 93 RBI that season. The following season, in 2014, his average dipped to .255 but his power numbers rose hitting 29 home runs and driving in 98.

Then came the offseason blockbuster trade. The Blue Jays traded a group of four talented players to acquire Donaldson, but in doing so solidified the 3B position. LHP Sean Nolin is now with the Brewers organisation and 3B Brett Lawrie has become the White Sox everyday 2B batting .288 this season with 4 homers and 11 RBI. The only remaining players from that trade still with the A’s are RHP Kendall Graveman who has a 1-3 record, with a 4.40ERA, and 25 K’s over five starts this season, and SS Franklin Barreto, who remains the clubs number one prospect.

It has already been shown that although the Blue Jays did give up good talent, they certainly won in this deal. Donaldson won the 2015 MVP, and if he can get out of the brief slump he is in, could certainly make himself a case for back-to-back honours. Breaking down the state line from his 2015 season easily highlights how impressive a year it was for the Jays third baseman.

41 doubles (4th) 41 home runs (3rd) 184 hits (5th) and his 123 RBI’s along with 122 runs scored both lead the American league. Most power batters will also give up some average points, but not JD. He posted these numbers all while maintaining a .297 average.

We all know what he can do at the plate, but his glove should also be brought to light. He may have had one of the best catches in all of 2015 with his dive into the stands, but he makes the plays on the field too. Donaldson has committed a mere seventy errors over his 596 game career. That’s less than one every nine games and good for a .957 fielding percentage. Not too shabby for a man playing the position called the ‘hot corner’.

That could be another statistic that people may find curious to see. Josh will play in only his 600th career game this Friday in Texas against the Rangers. This is only his fourth full season in the majors and he will only be turning 31 this upcoming August. Unlike the other Jays power bats, Donaldson will not become a free agent until after the 2018 season, but if he continues to perform at an MVP calibre level the Jays would be unwise to not lock in him to a long-term deal. Imagine the left side of the infield in Toronto with Donaldson and Tulowitzki through the 2021 season!?!

Josh is a career .276 batter and has belted 113 long balls to go with 372 runs batted in. He has quickly become a fan favourite in Toronto, rightfully so, and will give the Blue Jays a franchise player for the next three seasons, and hopefully beyond.

You can follow Josh on Twitter @BringerOfRain20 along with myself @GHam614

Thank you again for checking out my weekly Blue Jay player profile. Like Josh’s twitter handle says, I would like to give a shout out of support to the people of Fort McMurray and hope that rain will shortly be brought your way.