5: 07 AM UTC
MINNEAPOLIS — What Marcus Semien has performed in 2021 is beginning to head past personal bests. Toronto’s megastar second baseman is now chasing baseball history.
With his 43rd dwelling hump in Saturday’s 6-1 take over the Twins, Semien tied Davey Johnson (1973, Braves) for basically the most homers by a second baseman in a single season in AL/NL history. His timing couldn’t be any better, given the Blue Jays are two games abet of the Yankees and Crimson Sox within the AL Wild Card hump.
“It’s gargantuan. I aloof search for myself as a shortstop since I’ve been taking part within the build for see you later, but I moved over there to second and I’m hitting extra dwelling runs, so it’s all appropriate,” Semien mentioned. “I’ve never had my name in any file books or anything be pleased that, so it’s the truth is chilly.”
When Semien joined the Blue Jays on a one-twelve months, $18 million deal, he made the transfer from shortstop to second, allowing Bo Bichette to cease set at quick. The two straight formed chemistry, with Semien’s defense being very genuine despite the transfer — but his bat is the megastar of the deliver their personal praises.
Semien now has 99 RBIs, so he’s appropriate in line to hit one other most critical benchmark over the closing seven games of the season. Shohei Ohtani and teammate Vladimir Guerrero Jr. are expected to total 1-2 in AL MVP voting, but Semien must aloof create a yell within the tip five of voting with the campaign he’s set together.
“That’s comely chilly. To interrupt a file of any form, for a second baseman in his first twelve months taking part in second unhappy, he’s a candidate for MVP,” mentioned manager Charlie Montoyo. “I judge he wants to be mentioned in phrases of the MVP, too. What a gargantuan season he’s had.”
Talk over with any Blue Jays coach or player, and the very very first thing they’ll mention is Semien’s work ethic. He shows up early, stays leisurely and does the same thing each day. It’s a model for young Blue Jays gamers trying to produce routines of their very personal, and Semien’s upward push from an moderate player to a sound megastar is a blueprint for gamers who don’t attain up as a high prospect.
His pitchers personal taken see, too, including Robbie Ray, who gave the Blue Jays six innings of one-hump ball in Saturday’s take, making one in every of his closing instances for the AL Cy Young Award.
“Forty-three homers for a second baseman is nearly unprecedented in today’s game, and it’s factual a credit to the work that he puts in day by day,” Ray mentioned. “The man doesn’t deem any damage day and it’s the truth is impressive to inquire of. He’s earned it. He’s earned the credit. He’s earned every bit of the acknowledgement that he’s getting.”
Now fourth within the dwelling hump hump, Semien has seven games closing to deem this file for his personal. There are bigger personnel targets at hand, too, because the Blue Jays search for to produce one closing surge in opposition to the postseason.
