Top 40 All-Time Blue Jays: #40: Adam Lind

Top Blue Jays Player #40: Adam Lind

Position: First baseman/Designated Hitter

Seasons With the Jays: 9 (2006-2014)

MLB Awards: Silver Slugger (2009)

   Stats: Games Played 953               Batting Average .273

                                                Base Hits 931                        Runs Scored 429

                                                Home Runs 146                    RBIs  519

                                                Doubles  196                         Triples  12

                                                Stolen Bases  6                     Walks  273

                There was a time when it looked like Adam Lind would be an All-Star for years to come for the Toronto Blue Jays. Unfortunately, injuries and slumps plagued him throughout his time with the club. In 2009, Lind had his best year in his first full season as a regular. He had shown promise in 2007 and 2008 as a part-time player hitting 20 home runs and driving in 86 in 177 games over the two seasons.

                Lind was originally drafted in 2002 by the Minnesota Twins, who took him in the eighth round. He did not sign with the club and was eligible to be drafted again once the 2004 draft came around. This time, the Jays selected him in the third round and he signed with them with three weeks.

                As I mentioned before, his breakout season was 2009 when he batted .305 (his only full season that he hit over .300), smashed 35 home runs while adding 114 RBIs. It looked like the Jays had finally found their replacement for Carlos Delgado who had left after the 2004 season for the Florida Marlins. Lind won a Silver Slugger Award for his efforts in 2009 and great expectations awaited him the following year.

                But the numbers declined in 2010. The home runs dropped to 23 and the RBIs to 72. More alarmingly, the strike outs rose from 110 to 144. But things got a little better in 2011 with a .251 average, 26 HRs and 87 RBI, but he missed significant playing time in 2012 and his numbers dropped again. After a bit of a rejuvenation in 2013 (.288, 23 HR, 67 RBI) he was plagued by another injury-marred season in 2014. In his 96 games played, he only managed six home runs and looked nothing like the promisingly slugging first baseman he had been only five years earlier.

                After the 2014 season, Lind was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers for pitcher Marco Estrada.

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