The following article was published in the Topeka Capital-Journal on May 19, 2018 – you can read it here.

Not many things have gone right for the Royals in 2018. If fans haven’t given up already, with just over a quarter of the season in the books, they are forced to search pretty hard to find any positives.

One thing the Royals did try that has turned out as planned was the addition of a true leadoff hitter in veteran Jon Jay.

During the Royals’ renaissance of 2013 to 2017, their lineup was effective in spite of the lack of a traditional table setter at the top of the order. The Royals tried just about everything. They acquired Nori Aoki, a traditional leadoff type. They tried to capitalize on Alex Gordon’s knack for getting on base. They tried Lorenzo Cain for his dynamic combination of speed and power. And more frequently than could be believed by analytics specialists, manager Ned Yost plugged Alcides Escobar into the top spot. While Escobar stinks at just about everything at the plate, Yost believed he brought some sort of good luck – which was dubbed “Esky Magic” – to the role.

As the Royals search for a direction in 2018 (are they rebuilding or not?), they brought in a veteran in Jay who knows the leadoff role and plays it the traditional way. With almost no power potential, Jay hits singles and coaxes walks at a rate much higher than anyone the Royals have used in the role recently.

“I try to set the table for the guys behind me,” said Jay, owner of a .355 career on-base percentage. “When I hit at the top of the lineup, I’m just trying to get on base, and to see a lot of pitches.”

The Royals’ disappointing finish in 2017 could be blamed in part on the team’s lack of a table setter. Kansas City’s leadoff hitters combined for a .279 on-base percentage, lowest in the majors. Their 89 runs scored ranked second to last.

Though not used in the top spot every game, Jay is demonstrating he fits that role. He entered the weekend series with the New York Yankees second on the team in batting average at .299 and second in on-base percentage at .363.

Jay is happy to play the leadoff role when called upon, but doesn’t criticize the Royals for the way they filled that spot in the past.

“Every team is built a little bit differently, and the past couple of years, you could say that they didn’t have a true leadoff hitter, but I don’t see it that way,” said Jay. “Everything was constructed differently and it worked, obviously.”

The Royals acquisition of Jay appears to make sense on several levels. Aside from being the leadoff hitter they’ve lacked, Jay fills a void that appeared in the offseason. When the Royals lost Cain to free agency and Jorge Bonifacio for half the season due to suspension, they needed a stopgap while they wait for minor league outfield prospects to develop.

Furthermore, Jay joined the Royals on a one-year contract, allowing them to showcase him to be traded mid-season. It’s a safe bet that some contending team will need an outfielder as the July trade deadline nears, and the Royals can then flip Jay for prospects. His $3 million contract isn’t a big investment, and won’t be a deterrent to any potential trade partner.

Jay’s future with the Royals is beyond his control, and he’s choosing to focus on the here and now.

“I am just taking it one day at a time here,” said the nine-year veteran. “I just always try to play hard, lead by example and just help the team in any way I can.”

Jay understands being traded is just part of the game, but said that he likes being a Kansas City Royal.

“It’s an adjustment for me and my family. I love coming to the field here in Kansas City, and I just love playing baseball. So I just plan to show up here every day and do all I can to help the team.”