Blue Jays Roster: When the Goins gets tough

We all got very scared when our Jays Journal hero Devon Travis went down with the aggravated shoulder.  Without Devo 2.0 we would have someone else manning the second base position.  That someone else so far has been the sure glove of Ryan Goins.  We are all well aware of that Mr. Goins owns some very fine leather and has dazzled in the field since dawning a Jays uniform but he has never really got it going at the plate.  Now that he has been playing everyday for the injured Travis he has been showing all he has got.  The playoff like atmosphere appears to be bringing out the best in our super utility player.

Since July 28th he has played in every game and has collected 6 hits in 22 at bats.  That is good for a .273 batting average in 7 games.  Yes I understand that is not much to get excited about but he has been a productive batter in general.  He has walked 4 times and has also collected a sac fly in 7 games while only striking out 5 times.  This is a much improved strike out to walk rate when compared to his season totals.  For the season he has only walked in 16 plate appearances and struck out 43 times.

This improved approach at the plate has translated to some solid numbers over the past 7 games.  Goins has scored 7 times, collected 10 total bases, hit a home run, and produced 3 RBI.  With Goins getting on base at the bottom of the order it gives the top of the order a chance to drive in some runs.  Goins has been doing a great job turning the lineup over that now has Troy Tulowitzki in the lead off spot.  The fear of having to face the Jays sluggers has had pitchers really attacking the bottom of our lineup.  This has resulted with more pitchers throwing fastballs to players like Goins who has been handling the smoke thus far.

This new found ability for Goins to be a thorn in the side of opposing pitching has been paying off.  If he can get on base for Tulo and company at the top of the order the Jays will score more runs which will lead to more wins.  Scoring 7 times over 7 games is no small feat and that is a direct contribution toward the Jays recent success.  Goins has also continued to be impressive in the field as he is currently sporting a 1.1 defensive war for the season.  When Devon Travis gets healthy he will be a valuable asset to have in the Jays arsenal if he can keep this recent kind of production going.

If you did not see it.  Ryan Goins absolutely destroyed this ball for a home run off of Ervin Santana Monday afternoon.  CLICK HERE

All information and stats provided from Baseball-Reference.com

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