Brett Bateman hasn’t needed much time to look comfortable in Toronto.
The Blue Jays rookie outfielder has stepped into a major role almost immediately after his major league debut last week, and the early returns have been hard to miss. Since arriving in a high-profile trade-deadline deal with the Chicago Cubs that also brought minor-league infielder Ty Southisene to Toronto in exchange for former ace Kevin Gausman, Bateman has quickly become a familiar face in the lineup.
The 24-year-old has been used as Toronto’s primary center fielder after another fan favorite, Daulton Varsho, was also traded last week. A few days after that wave of moves, the former eighth-round draft pick was called up and slotted into the ninth spot in the order while patrolling center field.
He didn’t look rattled at all.
Bateman doubled to left field off Zach Wheeler in his first big league plate appearance, then scored on a sacrifice fly two batters later. He also drew walks in his next two trips to the plate.
That debut pushed him up quickly. For the next game, Bateman was moved all the way to second in the batting order, and outside of one game hitting leadoff, that’s where he has stayed ever since. He went hitless in six at-bats with two strikeouts in his second game, but he has picked up at least one hit in every other game he’s played.
The Blue Jays have clearly trusted him early, and Bateman has rewarded that confidence. Hitting coach David Popkins described Bateman as having a “slow heart rate,” as Sportsnet’s Hazel Mae reported during a recent broadcast.
The way he’s carried himself on the field backs that up. He looks calm, steady and unfazed by the moment.
Through six games, Bateman is hitting .259 (7/27) with two doubles, two runs scored and three RBI. He has looked comfortable in both center and left field, and he’s shown plus speed once he gets on base.
He’s also felt a quick connection with Toronto’s fan base, which has kept showing up in big numbers even with the team’s playoff odds low.
“It feels like I've been here for a few years, honestly. The fans, the team, the org, they just have a bunch of trust in me like I've been here for a long time."
Bateman said that after being featured in Mae’s postgame interview following Tuesday’s 5-3 win over the Boston Red Sox, when he also got introduced to Vladimir Guerrero’s famous Gatorade bath celebration. He spoke again after Wednesday’s win over Boston, continuing to sound like a player who already knows exactly where he fits.
Before arriving in Toronto, Bateman had a strong season with Triple-A Iowa, where he hit .312 with 18 doubles and 20 stolen bases. Over the last two games, he has been batting in front of Charles McAdoo, and the pair of rookies have brought some life to a Blue Jays team that has won five straight series and suddenly finds itself back in the wild-card race.
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The Blue Jays have climbed in the wild card picture, but the margin for error is still thin with other contenders hanging around. Straws value has shown up in ways that matter most over the course of a long stretch, both with his glove and in the lineup, and Toronto has clearly benefited from the energy he has brought since the deadline. Whether that holds over the final weeks is the bigger question, but for now he has helped give this team some life at exactly the right moment. [Read more 🡒]
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Toronto has worked its way back into the mix in the American League wild-card chase, and the gap now feels small enough to matter every day. The bigger question is what has fueled the turnaround inside the clubhouse, because the results suggest this is more than a short burst of good fortune, and the next stretch will show whether the Blue Jays have truly turned a corner or simply bought themselves a little more time. [Read more 🡒]
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