By Scott Barancik, editor
The sports world is taking note of Kevin Pillar, the Blue Jays CF who has impressed not only with his glove (he is considered a strong Gold Glove candidate) but his bat.
Sports-radio god Jim Rome interviewed Pillar earlier this week about his record setting 54-game hitting streak in college, being selected deep in the amateur draft (32nd round), and how he spent his $1,000 draft bonus.
The Toronto chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America voted him Toronto’s Player of the Month for June. Pillar hit .365 (tied for 2nd-best in the A.L.) with four HRs and four doubles, swiped five bases, had an 11-game hit streak, and made a number of stellar plays in the field.
An article in the Toronto-based National Post last week said Pillar was “making his detractors eat their words, one stat at a time.” It credits Pillar for simplifying and shortening his swing as well as tightening up his pitch selection.
The 26-year-old California native appeared earlier this week on MLB Network’s Intentional Talk.
Pillar ranks 9th among all A.L. position players in Uultimate Zone Rating (UZR), a measure of defensive prowess favored by many Sabermetricians.
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