The Toronto Blue Jays have had their share of misfortune this year. And by "misfortune", I mean that someone opened the Ark of the Covenant in the bullpen, and a bunch of pitchers melted into a puddle of goo. But there is one thing that's gone really, really right, and that's first baseman Edwin Encarnacion. The Jays took the Jose Bautista approach with him, deciding that his increased production isn't a fluke and extending his contract:
Blue Jays Extend Edwin Encarnación For 3 Years
The Toronto Blue Jays signed Edwin Encarnacion to a three-year, $27 million contract extension.
Blue Jays sign Edwin Encarnacion to 3yr $27 million contract extension with option for 2016 season.
— Blue Jays-Official(@BlueJays) July 12, 2012
Edwin Encarnacion was always a consistent hitter. Ridiculously consistent. In four out of the last six seasons, his OPS+ was between 108 and 110, and the other two seasons weren't exactly freaky outliers -- 91 and 101. But this season, he's become one of the better hitters in the American League. His OPS+ is 150, and he's just three home runs off his career high.
By law, when a Blue Jays hitter experiences a dramatic bump in production in his late 20s, writers are required to mention Jose Bautista. This paragraph satisfies that requirement.
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