TORONTO -- The Blue Jays don¡¯t need George Springer to win an MVP Award, they just need him to do something each night to help this team win. Sunday, he did two.
Springer¡¯s two-run single was all the offense the Blue Jays needed in Sunday¡¯s 3-1 win over the Orioles, a perfect snapshot of a hitter adjusting to the moment, but his finest moment might have come on a less obvious play two innings later. He just plain hustled.
When Ryan O¡¯Hearn rolled a double into the right-field corner in the third inning, Springer had a choice to make as Colton Cowser bolted from first with a chance to score. He could have played this more conservatively and angled himself for the hop off the wall, but instead, he gambled. Springer kicked it into fifth gear, cut the ball off just shy of the warning track with a well-timed slide and threw a strike to the cutoff man, Andr¨¦s Gim¨¦nez, all in one motion.
Orioles third-base coach Tony Mansolino was forced to throw up the stop sign on Cowser, which allowed Chris Bassitt to escape the inning with a strikeout and fly ball. Defensive value can be subtle at times -- not nearly as loud and obvious as a home run or stolen base -- but there was nothing complicated about this one. Springer saved a run.
¡°Bassitt got [Tyler] O¡¯Neill and [Cedric] Mullins after and I don¡¯t have anything to do with that. That¡¯s all him,¡± Springer said. ¡°It¡¯s small things like that, though, over the course of a year that can add up to a win. It could be the smallest difference¡ or it could be everything.¡±
Manager John Schneider wasn¡¯t as eager to deflect the praise to someone else. The bench boss loved it.
¡°If that ball gets to the wall, it¡¯s a run, easy,¡± Schneider said. ¡°That play probably gets overlooked at times. You look at the strikeout to Mullins or at what Yariel [Rodr¨ªguez] and [Tyler] Heineman did, but that play changed the momentum a little bit for us. That¡¯s Georgie. No matter what he¡¯s doing offensively, he¡¯s always on when it comes to defense. That¡¯s such a credit to him. That¡¯s him busting his ass and getting over there.¡±
These are the types of plays coaches love, especially when they come from the 35-year-old veteran who owns the biggest contract on the team. These are the little edges the Blue Jays need to find this season, too. Yes, they¡¯re talented, but no one is expecting them to coast into the postseason. Any trip to October will come down to late September, potentially in a very crowded AL Wild Card race, and every inch along the way will matter.
An inch in March is just as big as an inch in September.
The long ball doesn¡¯t hurt, either, and this one came from the unlikeliest of sources. Later in the game, Tyler Heineman launched just his second career home run and his first since Sept. 25, 2019 in the seventh inning. Heineman even did it against Orioles lefty Cionel P¨¦rez, the first home run he¡¯s allowed since May 31, 2023. There won¡¯t be many wins that look like this one, but they all count.
Springer¡¯s role on this team still feels so important, even after a poor 2024 season and an uninspiring spring. In his final at-bat of the game, Springer even launched a double off the top of the wall that would have been a home run in 13 of 30 ballparks. No longer expected to be the leadoff man who co-stars with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, Springer is now being tasked with providing some secondary offense behind cleanup hitter Andrés Giménez, who has fit in surprisingly well despite looking completely different from the typical No. 4 guy.
¡°I love it,¡± Springer said. ¡°The way Bo¡¯s been swinging it is great, then Vladdy is Vladdy,¡± Springer said. ¡°Then, between Santander, Gim¨¦nez and Kirky hitting fifth, I think it¡¯s just a great balance. For me, it¡¯s about doing what I know how to do and what they expect me to do in whatever spot they want me to hit.¡±
This is what the Blue Jays are talking about this year, even if they hide it behind mixed sports metaphors about which ¡°club¡± they¡¯re pulling out or when to ¡°throw the deep pass¡±. From Schneider to new hitting coach David Popkins and down the ladder, the coaching staff wants these players to find the right moment¡ and then match that moment.
Sunday afternoon, Springer nailed it.