When Troy Tulowitzki noticed his Blue Jays teammate Russell Martin and the Rays’ Steven Souza jawing back and forth at the end of Monday’s win, he sprung into action, getting in the face of Souza. Martin called Tulo “a ball of fire”.
It ended up being a misunderstanding, but the real takeaway is the evolution of Troy Tulowitzki into Jays’ clubhouse leader.
As the Jays continue to dogfight for the postseason, Tulowitzki has dramatically improved his numbers since his slow start.
On May 12, his batting average sat at .172. Fangraphs wrote a piece that day with the headline: “The Worrisome Trend for Troy Tulowitzki”. Since then, Tulo is hitting .298 with 17 home runs and an .863 OPS (coming into yesterday's game).
And Tulowitzki is making an even greater impact in a leadership role. After absorbing last season’s shocking trade from the Colorado Rockies, the only other franchise he has played for, Tulowitzki took his time fitting into the existing Jays clubhouse.
But in 2016, Tulo has inserted himself into a leadership role several times. He makes constant mound visits to impart advice for the pitcher and his fellow infielders. He was one of the teammates who jumped in when Josh Donaldson and John Gibbons had their admittedly-overblown dugout disagreement on August 17.
And Tulowitzki was the one who called the players-only meeting on September 10, in an attempt to air grievances and refocus the team on its goal of reaching the playoffs for a second straight season.
Off the field, Tulowitzki has mentored his double play mate Devon Travis, and has also provided defensive stability for Josh Donaldson at third. And despite not being active on social media, he makes constant appearances with teammates in photos while on the road.
Tulowitzki is under contract until 2020 with a 2021 team option. He, along with Martin and Donaldson, figures to be the foundation of the franchise going forward, particularly with the uncertainty surrounding impending free agents Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion and Michael Saunders.
Already a Hall of Fame caliber shortstop from his 9 ½ years in Colorado, it took Tulowitzki a little while to get acclimated in Toronto. But if his surge in production and louder voice in the dugout are any indication, Tulo is putting his stamp on the Blue Jays.
And no matter how this season plays out, that will no doubt be a good thing for the future of the franchise.
Chris Suppa is a freelance writer and photographer based in Toronto. Follow him at @Suppa55 for somewhat-coherent ramblings about the Blue Jays and on Instagram at @chrissuppaphotography.
