The Blue Jays’ Santiago Espinal is already pushing for more playing time

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This article was published 09/04/2022 (1591 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Long before Santiago Espinal ever stepped onto a Major League Baseball field, he was already being typecast in the role of utility infielder.

It didn’t seem to matter what type of numbers the Dominican native put up on his road to the majors. Most experts and insiders seemed to agree the glove would play at any level but the bat would always be a liability.

Slowly, but surely, that perception is starting to change, and the reward might be a lot of playing time at second base for the Blue Jays this season. Locked into a platoon with Cavan Biggio, Espinal hasn’t wasted any time making the case that he should become a regular fixture in the lineup.

Espinal hit a key double off the bench in the Jays’ 10-8 victory over the Texas Rangers on Friday night and the following day he was back at it again, with a pinch-hit double in the bottom of the sixth that propelled the Jays to a 4-3 win over those same Rangers at Rogers Centre.

“It’s the hard work I put into the off-season, in season, spring training,” said Espinal, whose team has won back-to-back games to open the year for the first time since 2016. “Just working hard every day, making sure I’m staying ready for any situation, just like today. Hard work pays off and I’m just going to keep working hard for whatever opportunity I get with this team so we can get a (win).”

The most surprising aspect of Espinal’s play so far this year, which includes spring training, has been an uptick in power. The 27-year-old reported to camp having gained 15 pounds of muscle during the off-season. The additional strength has been noticeable, not only in his physical appearance but in his approach at the plate.

Espinal was one of the Jays’ top performers this spring with a .313 average (10-for-32), two homers, three doubles and a .983 on-base plus slugging percentage. In two regular-season games, he has already hit three balls harder than he did at any point during his first two seasons in the big leagues.

He hit a liner at 106.2 miles per hour and a double at 106.9 on Friday and another at 106 Saturday, a shot into the gap that scored Raimel Tapia from first base to secure the Jays’ second win. The guy who used to be known as a slap hitter is suddenly driving balls all over the field.

“He had a great off-season,” Jays manager Charlie Montoyo said. “His goal was to get bigger and stronger, and you can see the difference right now. Credit to him for doing that in the off-season … At the plate, his approach has been good for two years now. He hit .300 last year, he has been really good. He has been an unsung hero for us.”

Espinal didn’t get a lot of respect for his offensive abilities on his way to the majors, but he still hit at every level. In 2018, the year he joined the Jays organization in a trade with the Red Sox for Steve Pearce, he posted a respectable .800 OPS across three levels. The following year, he hit .317 in 28 games for Triple-A Buffalo.

And the numbers have been a lot better than some might think in the majors. While he had a slash line of .267/.308/.641 across 26 games in 2020, the former 10th-round pick hit .311 last season and only Vladimir Guerrero Jr. posted a higher on-base percentage than Espinal’s .376 in 92 games.

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The only thing missing was power — 16 extra-base hits in 222 at-bats. That’s why one of his top priorities this winter was gaining strength. It will be another month or two before much can be read into his numbers, but it’s a move that appears to be paying off.

“Any chance he gets, he produces,” said Jays shortstop Bo Bichette, who spent the off-season working alongside Espinal. “It’s a special quality to stay locked in at all times and he’s obviously helped us out a lot. I’m excited to see him do well. He can play defence in his sleep, it doesn’t really matter what position. He’s very gifted.”

The Jays aren’t going to abandon their plans for a platoon at second base two games into the season. That wouldn’t be fair to Biggio, who hasn’t had time to make his own case for the job. But, at some point, the numbers are going to dictate who gets the bulk of the reps. In the meantime, Espinal will have to continue earning whatever playing time he receives, and it won’t always be at second. When Bichette or Matt Chapman need a day off, he’ll be the one to move across the diamond to take over their positions as well.

Two games don’t make a week, let alone a season, so Espinal still has a long way to go before his dreams of a breakout year start to become a bit more realistic. But he’s off to a great start and so are the Jays. If that trend continues, expectations that are already high might start going through the roof.

Gregor Chisholm is a Toronto-based baseball columnist for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @GregorChisholm or reach him via email: gchisholm@thestar.ca