George Springer Hit Milestone, and the Blue Jays Are Better For It
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If there is a player that the Toronto Blue Jays are really hoping to come alive, it is their designated hitter, George Springer. Springer dealt with a month-long stint on the IL, but when he has played, he hasn't found his power.
Don't look now, Springer might have found his spark again.
Going into the series opener with the Boston Red Sox, Springer was one long shot shy of 300 career homers, and it came in clutch fashion as the Jays had a 4-1 lead going into the top of the ninth inning. They wanted insurance to secure this game and snap a two-game skid; he delivered.
George Springer crushes career home run No. 300! pic.twitter.com/e9NAhtvvnp
— MLB (@MLB) June 17, 2026
Myles Straw drew a two-out walk to bring the top of the order back around, and on the second pitch, Springer let it fly on a cutter at the top of the zone. He sent that ball nearly 440 feet over the Green Monster.
Situational hitting has been a real problem for the Jays this season, as clutch hitting has not been a part of their DNA in '26, and part of that is the veterans not playing as such, but if Springer has found his swing again, then the Jays will quickly cross the .500 threshold.
Springer Turning Things Around Means Everything to Toronto
Things don't just turn a corner overnight, and as Springer was starting to draw walks again, it was only a matter of time before it came. That means a lot, as the chasing on this team has been astronomical this year.
However, when Springer started reading pitches better and getting on base, he was able to finally wait for the right pitch to make contact. His discipline is leading to positive things all the way around.
That is now Springer's second homer in four games as he finally crossed that milestone in his impressive career. The success of the Blue Jays coincides with Springer, and as he finally starts to look like himself, they will be tough to beat.
In his last five games, Springer looks like the 3x Silver Slugger that he is:
- .353 Batting Average
- 7 Drawn Walks
- 2 Home Runs
- 5 RBI
- 5 Runs Scored
For a while, it looked like it was time to move him out of the leadoff spot altogether. But with a five-game on-base streak, he should stay there, because if he has proven anything throughout his career, it's that when he gets out of a slump, he turns it on.
After Tuesday night's victory, Toronto now sits a measly game and a half back from the bottom wild card spot. It was crucial that they kicked this road trip off right, and they did just that. Now, it is time to secure the series.
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Maddy Dickens resides in Loveland, Colorado. She grew up with two older brothers, where their lives revolved around sports. She earned a master's degree in business management from Tarleton State University while simultaneously playing basketball and competing in rodeo at the collegiate level. She successfully parlayed a reserve national championship into a professional rodeo career and now stays involved in upper-level athletics by writing for On SI on several different MLB teams' pages, along with some NCAA sites.