Leadoff Man George Springer Goes Deep to Make Toronto Blue Jays History

After blasting a three-run home run against the Seattle Mariners on Sunday, Toronto Blue Jays leadoff man George Springer tied an impressive record in franchise history.

Jul 7, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Toronto Blue Jays right fielder George Springer (4) celebrates his three-run hone run during the seventh inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. / John Froschauer-USA TODAY Sports

Thanks to his clutch performance on Sunday afternoon, George Springer has made Toronto Blue Jays history.

The veteran outfielder was 0-for-3 entering the top of the seventh against the Seattle Mariners, who had just pulled starting pitcher George Kirby. That gave Springer a chance to start fresh against Ryne Stanek with one out, two men on base and his team down 4-1.

Springer fouled off the first pitch he saw, then crushed a 98 mile-per-hour fastball down the middle. He sent it 400 feet to right-center, clearing the fence for a game-tying, three-run home run.

WE. ARE. TIED. #SpringerDinger pic.twitter.com/6fMPu7rkr6

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) July 7, 2024

From there, Toronto went on to win in extra innings thanks to Daulton Varsho's RBI single in the top of the 10th.

Springer may only be batting .221 with a .672 OPS this season, but he does have 10 home runs, 31 RBI and a 1.0 WAR. On top of that, Springer has proven once again that he can be an effective leadoff man for the Blue Jays.

According to TSN's StatsCentre, Sunday marked Springer's 22nd game with three RBI out of the leadoff spot since joining Toronto in 2021. That tied Shannon Stewart for the most such performances in franchise history.

Stewart did so spread across six seasons from 1998 to 2003, while Springer has achieved the feat in less than four seasons.

Most career 3+ RBI efforts by a @BlueJays player when hitting from the leadoff position:
22- George Springer (Thanks to a 3-run homer in today's 5-4 win against the Mariners)
22- Shannon Stewart
17- Devon White
10- Tony Fernandez
8- Damaso Garcia
7- Junior Felix
7- Jose Cruz Jr. pic.twitter.com/KM8FHq2JZq

— StatsCentre (@StatsCentre) July 7, 2024

Springer's production has been declining ever since he arrived in Toronto, with his OPS and OPS+ dipping in four consecutive seasons. Still, Springer is batting .255 with 78 home runs, 229 RBI, a .776 OPS and a 9.5 WAR in 448 games as a member of the Blue Jays.

In his seven seasons with the Houston Astros, Springer hit .270 with 174 home runs, 458 RBI, a .825 OPS and a 27.8 WAR. He was also a prolific leadoff man in Houston, considering roughly 80% of his career home runs, RBI and total bases have come from the No. 1 spot in the lineup.

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