Addison Barger's development provides a ton of optimism for the future

When the Blue Jays called up Addison Barger in late April from Triple-A Buffalo, there was some optimism that he could provide a bit of a spark. Unfortunately, Barger went 1-for-18 before being sent back down. He didn't fare much better in his second stint, positing a .501 OPS in 48 plate appearances from mid-June to early July. His third and current stint appears to be different. In 29 games since getting called back up on July 20, Barger has posted an .800 OPS, good for a 121 wRC+ over that stretch. This recent development has given some optimism that the 24-year-old hitter could be a key piece of the organization's future.

As a prospect, three things stood out about Barger's game: his power, his bat speed, and his arm strength. Early on it may have been easy to miss these traits, as he slugged just .206 and was unable to get into any sort of rhythm on either side of the ball. It wasn't until being recalled in late July that these traits really started to show themselves.

While he may not be the best raw defender, his arm strength, which ranks in the 99th percentile in MLB raises his floor and has made him a solid fielder at both third base and in right field. His power has finally shown up as well, having slugged .516 since being recalled. His average bat speed of 74.3 MPH, which ranks ahead of established bats like Bryce Harper, Marcell Ozuna, and Matt Olson undoubtedly is a major reason for this surge. He's far from a five-tool player, but the tools he does have he has in spades, and they've helped him turn his season around.

Barger's last 15 games in particular have been an excellent showcase of the type of player he can be. Since Aug. 17, he's posted a .839 OPS and a 131 wRC+. Prior to this stretch, he had just two home runs in 107 appearances, during this run he's already hit four, including his walkoff 439-foot shot against the Angels on August 23rd.

It's also worth noting that over this stretch, Barger has an OBP under .300, which is something that would need to improve should this hot streak last more than just a few weeks. While that might sound like a knock on him, it may be a reason for optimism. In 153 games in Triple-A, Barger's OBP was all the way up at .372, and while that's hardly equivalent to doing it in the Majors, it shows that he has the ability to reach base at a much higher clip than he has to this point. All of this is to say that while it might be unreasonable to expect his power numbers to remain this high, there's reason to believe he can reach base far more often as he gains experience.

With the Blue Jays well out of contention, this final month of the season has become a sort of early tryout for some of the younger players on the roster, and Addison Barger has taken full advantage as of late. It may be too early to see how real this stretch of strong play is, but for now, it's certainly a reason for some much-needed optimism.