Top Blue Jays Player #23: Edwin
Encarnacion
Position: Designated
Hitter
Seasons With the
Jays: 8 (2009--Current)
All-Star Game
Selection: 2013, 2014
Stats**: Games Played 884 Batting Average .268
Base Hits 862 Runs
Scored 513
Home Runs 206 RBIs 584
Doubles
178 Triples 4
Stolen Bases 35
Walks 407
**Stats are as of Saturday, May 21, 2016
The career of Edwin Encarnacion
was salvaged when he was picked up at the trading deadline in 2009 from the
Cincinnati Reds in exchanged for Scott Rolen. While a decent player in
Cincinnati, his talents sky-rocketed a few years after joining the Jays.
Encarnacion was drafted by the
Texas Rangers in the ninth round of the draft in 2000. He never played a game
with the Rangers and was traded to Cincinnati in 2001. After a few years in the
minors, he joined the Reds in 2005. Over the next several seasons, he showed
promise with the Reds, batting .289 with 16 homers and 76 RBIs in 2007 and
following that up with a lower average in 2008 (.251) but more home runs (26).
After struggling with the Reds
in the beginning of 2009, he joined the Jays and played in 42 games, batting
.240 with eight home runs and 23 RBIs. He struggled in 2010 with injuries and
played in only 96 games, batting .244 with 21 homers and adding 51 RBIs.
He was placed on waivers
following the season and claimed by the Oakland Athletics. However, Oakland
never offered him a contract and he became a free agent, re-signing with the
Blue Jays.
And in 2011, he had a better
year as he began to blossom into the slugger Jays’ fans know today. Playing in
134 games, Edwin batted .272, hit 17 home runs and added 55 RBIs. It was 2012,
however, when he really took off. His average was .280 and he hit a career high
42 home runs and drove in over a hundred runs (110) for the first time.
Now officially splitting time
between designated hitter and first base, he followed up his breakout season
with a .272 average, 36 home runs, 104 RBIs and an All-Star Game Selection in
2013. A second All-Star Game appearance followed in 2014 as he hit .268,
smashed 34 homers and narrowly missed on a third straight 100-RBI season (98).
In 2015, the Jays’ offensive was
the most potent in baseball as they captured the American League East title.
Encarnacion’s 39 home runs were only good enough for third on the team (behind
Josh Donaldson and Jose Bautista). He bumped his batting average up to .277
after hitting in the low .200s for most of April and May, and finished with the
highest RBI total of his career (111).
In the five-game ALDS against
the Texas Rangers, he hit .333 and homered once while driving in three. He
struggled a bit in the ALCS against Kansas City (.227, no homers and only two
RBIs.)
It’s safe to say that
Encarnacion has been the best designated hitter in club history, although
(unlike some DHs) he has the ability to play a fair amount of games in the
field. He will be a free agent following the 2016 season and if he does sign
elsewhere, he will be greatly missed in the Toronto line-up.
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