The Toronto Blue Jays announced today that rookies Dalton Pompey and Devon Travis will both be part of the team’s Opening Day roster, per Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com.
Pompey is set to open the 2015 season as Toronto’s starting centre fielder, while Travis will start at second base.
It’s not a surprise to see the Blue Jays give Pompey a shot in the major leagues so soon. After all, the 22-year-old is coming off a strong 2014 season in the minor leagues where he held a slash line of .317/.392/.469 with nine home runs, 51 RBI, 84 runs scored and 43 stolen bases in 50 attempts.
Those stats are even more impressive considering that Pompey moved up three different levels in the minor leagues last season.
Despite being a switch-hitter and having plus speed, Pompey will likely be slotted near the bottom of Toronto’s batting order to start off the season so there is less offensive pressure on him.
Considering that the Blue Jays are short on outfield depth after an injury to left fielder Michael Saunders, Pompey should have a significant amount of leash going into the season.
While it seemed likely that Pompey would be named to the Blue Jays’ starting lineup, the same definitely can’t be said for Travis.
Acquired in an offseason trade in exchange for outfielder Anthony Gose, Travis seemed ticketed for Triple-A Buffalo heading into spring training. After all, the 24-year-old had never played above the Double-A level in the minor leagues during his professional baseball career.
But, a strong performance during spring training where he hit .351/.393/.456 in 57 at-bats got the club’s attention. Travis also looked sound defensively, not making an error in 121.1 innings of work.
When Maicer Izturis went down with a groin injury, Travis became a serious contender for the second base role and ended up beating out the likes of Ryan Goins and Steve Tolleson for the job.
It’s worth noting that Goins also had an impressive performance during spring training, hitting .286/.364/.490 in 49 at-bats. So if Travis struggles early on in the season, it’s likely that the Blue Jays make a change and give the second base job to Goins.
Like Pompey, the Blue Jays will likely slot the right-handed hitting Travis near the bottom of the batting order. With Toronto’s lineup already being top-heavy, the Blue Jays will need a decent contribution from both Pompey and Travis in order to have a balanced offense.
All stats are from MLB.com.
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