Blue Jays’ Springer Inching Towards All-Time Leadoff Status After 2-Homer Game

George Springer has hit some big home runs in his career.

A World Series MVP in 2017 with the Astros, Springer homered five times in that October Classic series, joining Reggie Jackson and Chase Utley as the only players to do so. And Springer has carried that trend into his time with the Blue Jays.

Last season was full of magical moments—Springer cranked memorable bombs against the Red Sox and Orioles—and in 2022 he’s been off to an even hotter start.

With his confidence still sky high from a clutch game-tying, two-out home run against Boston earlier in the week, the 32-year-old kept it rolling in the first inning of Saturday’s 2-1 Blue Jays win. Astros starter Luis Garcia rocked back and forth before delivering a 3-2 cutter that Springer jumped all over.

We've got a Spring in our step this afternoon 👋 #SpringerDinger pic.twitter.com/qTyj8G67Ju
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) April 30, 2022

The towering fly ball—which landed in the bullpen and caromed into the hand of Blue Jays reliever Trent Thornton—gave Springer his 46th career leadoff home run, moving him into a tie with Phillies legend Jimmy Rollins for sixth place on the all-time leadoff homer list.

He’s still got plenty of career left, but Springer has quietly and consistently inched his way up an impressive list of leadoff-hitting greats, and he’s doing it differently. The Blue Jays center fielder doesn’t have the blazing speed of a Rickey Henderson; instead he sets the tone with power and extra-base production.

Springer doubled down on the power when he faced Garcia again in the third inning. The right-hander, who apparently didn’t learn his lesson the first time, fed Springer another healthy diet of cutters and got burnt again. Springer’s second jack of the night traveled 424 feet to left-center field, putting a nice stamp on his 19th career multi-homer game.

HE DID IT AGAIN! #SpringerDinger pic.twitter.com/YfzolLSthg
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) April 30, 2022

“We got away with facing [Lourdes Gurriel Jr.] and getting [Vladimir] Guerrero [Jr.] out today,” Houston manager Dusty Baker said. “I guess it boiled down to too much George.”

Every ounce of Springer’s contributions has deeply impacted this team, especially when Toronto is down a big run-producer in Teoscar Hernández, Bo Bichette is slumping, and Guerrero showed some rare frustration in the batter’s box.

In the fifth inning of Saturday’s game, Guerrero went down looking on a low strike call and slammed his bat to the ground, clearly frustrated with the call. Home plate umpire Nic Lentz pointed to Guerrero’s thrown bat—likely to indicate a finable action—before Montoyo ran out to defend his young superstar.

The Blue Jays skipper was quickly ejected, and after pleading his case to crew chief Ted Barrett, an exasperated Montoyo released a big sigh, removed his hat, and flipped it onto the bench for heading down into the clubhouse.

“I’m deflecting attention away from my MVP,” Montoyo said, explaining his ejection. “I’d rather watch the game from the office than Vlad watching from the office.”

Usually, the Blue Jays offense can pound teams for more than just a handful of runs. In those cases, Springer’s offensive prowess doesn’t stand out as much. But on afternoons like these, where crooked numbers are hard to come by, Toronto is glad to have Springer, and his two home runs were all the club needed.

“Anything that George does,” Montoyo said, “doesn’t surprise me.”