Injuries and slow starts by some of their youngsters have led to the Toronto Blue Jays shuttling players back and forth from Buffalo so often it’s been hard to keep track.
Jays fans could be forgiven for missing the promotion of first baseman/outfielder Chris Colabello, but they’re taking notice now. The 31-year-old has been on fire since joining the team on May 5th, punctuated by a 4-for-4 night on Wednesday.
Colabello further endeared himself to the Blue Jays faithful with an opposite-field home run off Wade Miley on Friday night.
Here’s the skinny on the journeyman wielding the hot bat:
Age: 31
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 6-4
Weight:220
Acquired: Claimed off waivers from the Minnesota Twins on Dec. 8 2014.
How did he get here?
Colabello is a feel-good story who toiled at his craft for a long time before getting his big-league opportunity. He was undrafted out of NCAA Division II Assumption College and spent seven years in the Can-Am independent league before being signed by the Twins.
Although he was born in Massachusetts, Colabello was raised in Italy and he has represented the country in international competition.
What kind of player is he?
Colabello is undoubtedly a bat-first player. First base is his best position, but he can fill in as an outfielder as he has shown with the Jays. He isn’t a fantastic fielder at either so he needs to be productive at the plate to be valuable.
So far in his career Colabello has demonstrated solid pop, but has struggled with strikeouts leading to a 30.6 percent career K rate entering Friday’s action.
Colabello has shown the ability to catch fire for long stretches. In 2014, he broke the Twins’ record for RBI in the month of April with 27 and this April he won the International League Player of the Month hitting .337 with 5 home runs and 18 RBI.
What has he produced in the major leagues?
| At-Bats | R | HR | RBI | AVG | OBP | SLG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 373 | 34 | 13 | 58 | .225 | .293 | .378 |
While Colabello may not be a long-term answer for the Blue Jays, he can go on impressive streaks. Given the way he’s debuted with them team, there’s a chance one could be on the horizon.
