Toronto’s rookie has found early MLB success without relying on the long ball
By Wesley Dixon, Columnist | SPORTS ILLUSTRATED | August 23, 2026
Brett Bateman finished a homer shy of the cycle during Friday’s 3-1 loss to the New York Yankees, collecting a single, double and triple while much of the rest of Toronto’s lineup struggled to remember what proper offense looked like.
Bateman followed that performance with two more hits and a walk in Saturday’s 4-3 victory. Entering Sunday’s series finale, the 24-year-old was batting .321 with a .367 on-base percentage through his first 15 major league games. Through 58 Major League at-bats, Bateman has yet to send a ball over the fence. That might lead a scout or two to take a victory lap, but Bateman has done a pretty good job making sure the lack of power is not the only thing worth talking about.
Toronto acquired Bateman from the Chicago Cubs alongside Ty Southisene in the Kevin Gausman trade earlier this month. At the time, MLB Pipeline described… READ MORE HERE
