The Toronto Blue Jays rely on several established players like Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Matt Chapman and Santiago Espinal in their infield but have a luxurious injury alternative in Rainer Nunez.
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The 22-year-old had a stellar training camp and particularly impressed last Tuesday when he sent out an offer from New York Yankees star pitcher Gerrit Cole.
“Before the game I told him in the bullpen to trust his swing and power, watch the throw and react,” Espinal told Sportsnet.
“The guy shows up on the plate, and from the first pitch: boom! Right of midfield. He destroyed the ball. He has the kind of power that allows him to do whatever he wants. I would like to have this explosiveness.
Nunez spent his final seasons in various minor leagues and has yet to make his baptism of fire with the Jays beyond the Grapefruit League. However, we could see him enforcing the hand of manager John Schneider and his assistants sooner rather than later.
“He makes us forget he’s 22,” said hitting coach Guillermo Martinez. I remember seeing him play in the Dominican Republic when I was 17 and he was a very different type of player on the record. He has a plan. He has a different approach to each at-bat. His progress is noticeable every year.”
Nunez may not start the campaign in Queen City, but he could be one of the Jays organization’s most dangerous players up front. During Major League Baseball’s long 162-game schedule, power outages are inevitable, and the Dominican could serve as a spark for the Toronto team’s coaching staff.
“I like a challenge,” concluded Nunez, whose words were translated by an interpreter. I just love being here.
“That’s what I think about when I’m on the plate: go out and enjoy it. Don’t worry about the pitcher you’re up against or the performance of the batters in front of you. No worries. Come have fun and you’ll see what you can do.”
The Blue Jays will be back in action Wednesday against the Baltimore Orioles.