Impact Analysis: Adam Lind, Toronto Blue Jays

August 20, 2008 @ 13:36:56

By Owen Kinsky
Edited by Herija C. Green

Even though the Toronto Blue Jays are toiling in fourth place in the American League East, they still have many fantasy-worthy players that can help fantasy owners down the stretch. These players include outfielders Alex Rios, Vernon Wells and ... Adam Lind? While Rios and Wells have been quality fantasy options for years, Lind was a relative unknown with upside entering this season.

Lind opened the year at Triple-A Syracuse and then squandered an early season opportunity with the Blue Jays before enduring a lengthy demotion back to Syracuse. However, since being recalled June 21, he has excelled in the majors, bringing his season totals up to a .302 average with nine homers, 35 RBIs and 30 runs scored as the Blue Jays' everyday left fielder. However, his success has gone relatively unnoticed this season even though Lind's numbers show that he deserves consideration in fantasy circles.

A different player this season

The 25-year-old Lind played for the Jays for parts of the past two seasons. In 2006, he was a September call-up and showed his talent, putting up some encouraging numbers (.367-2-8) in 60 at-bats. That performance at the end of 2006 gave the Blue Jays some confidence that Lind could help the club in 2007.

After former Blue Jays outfielder Reed Johnson (Chicago Cubs) went down with a back injury in 2007, Lind got an extended look with the club, playing in 73 games early in the season. However, Lind struggled badly, registering a .230 average with eight homers and 30 RBIs. He again earned a September call-up and had a strong month, posting three homers and 16 RBIs while hitting .273.

When Lind wasn't in the majors with the Jays, he was putting together a strong minor league career. Including his 2008 numbers with Syracuse, Lind has hit .318 in the minors with 55 home runs and 301 RBIs. With such a strong track record of success in the minors, it was only a matter of time until it clicked for Lind in the majors.

Lind's newfound success

Since being recalled, Lind has excelled at the plate for the Blue Jays. He had an amazing July in which he absolutely clobbered the ball, hitting .379 with three homers and 17 RBIs. He began July batting near the bottom of the order, but he has been primarily hitting fifth or sixth in recent weeks as a result of his success at the plate.

Lind has credited manager Cito Gaston and hitting coach Gene Tenace for his newfound success in the majors. Lind was called up shortly after Gaston was rehired as the team's manager, and the results have been nothing but positive. Lind claims Gaston altered how he approaches each at-bat, and he says a tip current St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Troy Glaus gave him last year has just begun to set in and start to work for him. Glaus taught him ways to read how pitches come in to certain parts of the plate - and how to take advantage of his favorite zones.

Gaston also gave Lind another big piece of advice - relax and have fun. It certainly appears that Lind is having more fun out there and his numbers reflect it.

Over his last seven games, Lind is hitting .333 with four homers and nine RBIs while going deep in three straight contests. With his newfound success over the second half and blistering pace the last week, it's becoming tougher to ignore Lind. In fact, it's time to realize that he could be a nice surprise for fantasy owners looking for a boost during the last month of the season.

Fantasy baseball outlook

With the way Lind has been hitting the ball of late, he deserves a look in all mixed leagues - he should already be owned in AL-only leagues. For those that are struggling to find outfield help, Lind is a strong option that is surprisingly available in a large number of leagues. He could certainly help mixed league owners over the final month of the season, as he has been posting good numbers the past two months and especially the past week. If owners are in need of an outfielder, Lind could be your guy.

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Owen Kinsky
Owen Kinsky is a KFFL contributor that has been an avid sports fan his entire life. He began playing fantasy sports, both football and baseball, back in 2000. His love of writing and the game of baseball brought him to KFFL in 2008.

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