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Josh Donaldson proves he can do it all with excellent barehanded play

Chris Cwik
·Staff writer

Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson can hit. His .311/.370/.597 slash line has the 29-year-old in the early conversation for the MVP award.

Though he's the reigning American League player of the week due to his offensive production, Donaldson is much more than just a dominant force at the plate. Since he converted to third base, Donaldson has been one of the best defensive players at the position.

Donaldson has compiled a 32.6 UZR since 2012. That rates him second at the position, behind Manny Machado. While there's plenty of reason to be skeptical about advanced defensive metrics, Donaldson showed his defense is the real deal Tuesday against the Washington Nationals.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Danny Espinosa hit a high chopper to third base. The ball hit the grass close to home plate, and bounced about 20 feet in the air. Based on the height of the bounce, it looked like Espinosa had a chance at an infield single.

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Not so fast. Recognizing he had to hurry, Donaldson barehanded the ball on its way down. Without adjusting his stride, he fired a strike to first, narrowing nabbing Espinosa on the 5-3 putout.

That wasn't Donaldson's only web gem from the contest. In the third inning, he also made a diving defensive play to rob Ryan Zimmerman of a hit.

The game marked one of the few times this season that Donaldson's defense overshadowed his offense. At the plate, Donaldson went just 1 for 4 with a single.

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Considering how dominant Donaldson has been at the plate this season, that's not a knock on his ability in the field. Once again, Donaldson is proving that he's far more than just an offensive powerhouse.

Even if the Blue Jays fail to get back into the race, Donaldson should come away with his fair share of MVP votes. Those votes will be deserved based on his excellent all-around game, not just his ability to mash at the plate.

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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik