Toronto Blue Jays: Josh Donaldson Thriving in 1st Season North of the Border

The Toronto Blue Jays pulled off a blockbuster trade last winter, acquiring Josh Donaldson from Oakland in a shocking five-player deal.

He was expected to come in and immediately make the Jays a contender. Donaldson himself was very confident in his new team.

"You start looking at the capability of this lineup and the potential that it brings," Donaldson said, per ESPN.com, following his trade. "I'm going to venture and say there's probably not going to be another lineup as potent as this in major league baseball."

Well, a quarter into the 2015 season, the offense has indeed been very productive. The Blue Jays lead the league in runs scored, RBI, total bases and doubles; they are second in OPS and fifth in home runs.

But despite the prolific offense, Toronto currently sits in fourth place in the American League East, four games behind the Yankees.

However, the acquisition of Donaldson is looking like a complete steal. The 29-year-old third baseman from Auburn has had a monster season so far in his first year in Canada, and the Jays' early struggles are in no way his fault.

Donaldson is currently hitting .314 with 13 home runs, 35 RBI and a league-leading 41 runs scored. His overall package of offense, defense and baserunning has netted him a 2.8 WAR, according to FanGraphs, which trails only Bryce Harper for the MLB lead.

He has also excelled in the clutch. He put that ability on display in a big way Tuesday night against the White Sox, when he took a David Robertson fastball over the right field wall for a three-run walk-off home run in the ninth inning of a 10-9 victory. It was his second walk-off homer of the season—his first came back on April 18 against the Braves—and he is hitting a robust .375 in high-leverage situations, per FanGraphs.

Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images

He has also showed a bit of leadership with his new club. With the Jays in the middle of a skid, Donaldson said all the right things.

"I can only control what I do, the guys beside me can only control what they do, it's really just about going out there and getting the job done," Donaldson told reporters May 17, according to Jonah Birenbaum of The Score. "This isn't the try league, this is the get it done league. Eventually they're going to find people who are going to get it done."

It's nice to see that Donaldson has already ingratiated himself enough with the team that he is not afraid to speak his mind when things are going bad. While he contributes plenty on the field with his powerful bat and slick glove, if he can continue to be a leader in the clubhouse, his $4.3 million salary will be an even bigger bargain than it already is.

In my opinion the best all-around third baseman in the game, expect Donaldson to continue playing at a high level for years to come. He has not seen regression of any kind in his new home north of the border. Look for him to be an elite player for many years to come.

And if the Jays can find a way to make a jump in the standings in the coming months, Donaldson will certainly be a big reason why.