In May 1997, a wise man named Costanza declared it to be, “the summer of George”. Now, 28 years later, the Toronto Blue Jays are experiencing their own “summer of George” — Springer, that is. It’s not crazy to say that Springer has been the Jays’ MVP this season so far. Other than for a couple weeks in May, he’s been the team’s most consistent and productive hitter all season long.
After an abysmal season last year, George Springer has seemingly found the fountain of youth and is performing the best he ever has in a Blue Jays uniform. Last season, he hit a career-worst .220/.303/.371 with an OPS of .674. Put simply, George looked old at the plate. He was consistently late on fastballs and looked overmatched much of the time. He lost his spot batting leadoff, and coming into this season, Jays fans were left wondering if Springer was even worth a roster spot in 2025. However, with the help of new hitting coach David Popkins and other coaches, he’s found a new approach at the plate, and it is clearly working.
The Jays want George to get his “A swing” off every time he’s at the plate and be able to pull and drive the ball in the air. Last year he hit the ball on the ground 50.7% of the time and in the air only 32.9%. This year, with the changes he’s made, he has a ground ball percentage of 37% and a fly ball percentage of 41.2%. This has led to him driving the ball into the outfield and having more success at the plate. That 13% difference in ground ball percentage from 2024 to 2025 is one of the largest decreases amongst qualified hitters in baseball.
Springer’s great first half was on full display in the incredible series he had against the New York Yankees last week. In what was being called the biggest series of the year going into it, Springer went 8-14 with 4 homeruns, 11 RBI, and 7 runs scored, and led the Jays to sweep the Yankees, overtaking them for first place in the AL East. His offensive outburst against the division rival propelled him to earn the “AL Player of the Week” award.
Springer is now hitting .281/.374/.512 with an .886 OPS which is 3rd in the American League behind Judge and Raleigh, both of whom are having historic seasons. George also leads the team in homeruns and RBI with 16 and 53, respectively. The Jays would not be in the spot they are in without this resurgence from George, and it has been a joy to watch. Springer’s success has been one of the best stories of the season for the Jays, and if he can keep the summer of George going, then the Jays will be well on their way to capturing a spot in the postseason.