On Opening Day — when almost no one picked the Blue Jays to go from worst to first — Bo Bichette was leading off, Will Wagner was the designated hitter, Alan Roden started in right field with Addison Barger in Buffalo, waiting to start his season with the AAA Bisons.

At the same time, George Springer — the eventual leadoff hitter — was batting sixth and playing centre field, where the Jays didn’t want him playing at all.

What mattered on Opening Day didn’t matter much after that.

When the Blue Jays somehow found their way, the now-injured Bichette was hitting cleanup, Wagner and Roden were traded away, Barger was brought up to play right field or third base and became a discovery while Springer was prevented from playing the outfield in what turned out to be a rather spectacular offensi

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