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Josh Donaldson – unlike any Blue Jay before him

By Nadia Vocaturo

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Vin Scully has single-handedly validated why Josh Donaldson should be a shoo-in participant at the 2015 All-Star Game, but the Blue Jays third baseman may not make the cut.

If you have to ask who Vin Scully is, you go do the learning thing and I’ll wait right here. Go now. Take your time. Now watch this – 

If you’re still not convinced by the man who has seen it all, and can call it all, well, allow the month of May to make Mr. Donaldson’s case instead.

The final week of May’s MLB American League player of the week – with a .440 AVG, 6 HR, and 11 RBI led all third basemen with a 3.2 WAR. If you didn’t pick up what Vin Scully was referring to, Donaldson went 4-for-4 in a 10-9 win over Chicago on May 26 making him the first player in Blue Jays history to record at least four hits, four RBIs and five runs in a single game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Oh, forgot to mention, that was capped by a three-run walk-off homer. Holy productive, Batman.

He is now third in the AL with 15 home runs, just three behind the Seattle Mariners’ Nelson Cruz. He’s leading AL third basemen with 15 HR, 44 runs, and 39 RBI – while the guy the Blue Jays swapped out is leading those same AL third basemen with 18 strikeouts.

Phew.

Let’s have another round of applause people – because truly, Alex Anthopoulos cannot get enough thanks for whatever unholy sacrifice he surely had to make to upgrade this, to (children, avert your eyes) this –

Toronto, you know you love everything about that kind of expression because a little potty mouth is still way classier than what Oakland got.

Speaking of Kansas City – let’s get back to the All-Star Game. Mike Moustakas is beating off the field in voting, but on the field only by a hair when it comes to batting average. When you factor in power with OBP and slugging percentage – it’s Joshy all the way with a .962 OPS.

Convinced he should be a shoo-in for the All-Star game yet? 

If you’re not, it doesn’t really matter. In fact, Donaldson himself probably wouldn’t even mind if he didn’t make the cut. What matters, is he is exactly the kind of everything the Toronto Blue Jays need, and he doesn’t need the ASG to prove he fits in perfectly with the team. He’s already in the history books.

Some argue that the All-Star game is more of a popularity contest than it is a barometer of skill, but it is easily argued one way or the other. Jose Altuve stands to run away with the AL second base starting position, and elsewhere steam propelling the Kansas City Royals fan base has seven of their nine position players (including Moose) making a serious push.

Really, there’s a month away to the All-Star Game and these numbers could be a non-factor very quickly should an entire country decide to mix things up. TAKE THE HINT CANADA!

Get on Latvia’s level because it would be nice gesture to get Josh Donaldson at that All-Star game, because he deserves it. Admittedly, the third baseman’s ridiculous athleticism can’t singlehandedly tally a notch in the win column. But let’s get real because this is Toronto. You don’t even have to win to fit in with most of the city’s company – it may actually make some citizens uncomfortable.

But the best part about Josh Donaldson – he absolutely, undeniably makes the Jays chances of winning significantly better. Coming into last night’s game against Washington, he had a WAR of 3.2 – second in MLB to only Bryce Harper. He’s clutch as can be, and doing a lot to help his team win.

Wherever the remainder of the Blue Jays’ season heads, fans need to revel in the very real, very good baseball that is being played by Josh Donaldson. He’s accomplishing the unprecedented, and once the All-Star game has come and gone, he’ll still be teaching Toronto a thing or two about the way the game should be played.

Next: The rise and fall of 10 former Blue Jays

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