Nathan Lukes is beginning to look like he could be a part of the Blue Jays’ future

It's been quite a season for Nathan Lukes.

After starting the season on a bit of a cold streak, Lukes has been one of the Blue Jays' hottest hitters over the past couple weeks, and has become an important hitt

Nathan Lukes is beginning to look like he could be a part of the Blue Jays’ future

Part of the reason why Lukes could be doing better at the plate could be due to a swing change that he made this season. Lukes told Sportsnet's David Singh that he adjusted his elbow in the batter's box at the behest of an old friend, which helped him find his swing.

"It's just crazy how in baseball it can be one simple thing that turns everything around," Lukes told Singh. "I just knew it. I was like, 'I'm back.'"

After hitting .167 across his first 13 games of the year, Lukes has hit .381 over his last eight games with a home run and six RBI.

Lukes is currently splitting time with Myles Straw and Alan Roden as the team's third/fourth outfielder, but he should get a lot more chances in the future if he keeps hitting like how he's been going over the past two weeks.

While Lukes hasn't had enough at-bats to qualify for the Baseball Savant leaderboards, he's be in the top percentile in expected batting average, whiff rate and strikeout rate.

He also showed his clutch gene over the weekend with a big two-run single against the Guardians. The hit likely meant a bit more to Lukes, who was drafted by Cleveland and spent some time in the organization's minor league system prior to joining the Blue Jays.

Lukes has a wRC+ of 131, and has proven that he can be a quality outfielder on a winning team.

That strong play has helped grab the attention of his manager.

"He's a consistent player," Blue Jays manager John Schneider said about Lukes, per Singh. "And I think when playing time isn't really concrete, it can be tough. But he's doing pretty well in that role. Pretty simple swing. And, confidence is a big thing."

His slow start understandably made some fans question if he had a place on the Blue Jays' roster, but his revamped performance has changed everyone's tune.

He's established himself as a solid backup outfielder who adds value, and is now getting his longest shot to prove himself in MLB.

He made his MLB debut in 2023 and hit .192 in 29 games before hitting .303 in a 22 game cameo last year at the end of the season. He's already played in 22 games this year after breaking camp with the Blue Jays, and it doesn't seem like he's going anywhere any time soon.

He's formed a good platoon with Straw, who is hitting .273 in 27 games this year. Both he and Lukes are solid defenders who don't strike out much, which is the perfect kind of profile that you want from a fourth outfielder in the bottom of the lineup.