The Blue Jays spent the final two months of the 2017 season buried in the depths of the American League Wild Card race. Following back-to-back AL Championship Series appearances, Toronto finished 76-86, nine games out of the second Wild Card berth.
Meanwhile, Giancarlo Stanton chased 60 home runs, and other star sluggers, such as Aaron Judge and J.D. Martinez, rode blistering hot streaks to the finish line for playoff-bound clubs.
All of that might have obscured another development, which was that Josh Donaldson staked a credible claim as the best hitter in baseball over those final two months.