Heading into the 2015 Major League Baseball season, many had the Toronto Blue Jays pegged as a team who would have little trouble putting up offense but one that could potentially struggle to pitch well enough for them to claim their first American League East crown since 1993.

While it may still be very early, outside of one ugly inning against the New York Yankees on Wednesday night, Toronto has looked fairly impressive in winning four of five to start its season. The offense has delivered, and, surprisingly, outside of the aforementioned blip in New York, the pitching staff has managed to hold up its end of the bargain.

As good a story as the emergence of Miguel Castro and Roberto Osuna has been over the course of Spring Training and the opening week of the season, it has been the play of another rookie who has arguably been the biggest surprise of all. While many were hoping Devon Travis would eventually develop into the second baseman this organization has been searching for what feels like an eternity, no one was expecting for that transformation to occur this quickly.

Just like Castro and Osuna, the former Detroit Tigers prospect made the most of the chance he was handed in the spring and ultimately earned himself a spot in the Blue Jays' opening day lineup against the Yankees. As impressive as that may be, the fact Travis has looked more like a ten-year vet as opposed to a twenty-four-year-old rookie is the real story here.

Be it at the plate or in the field, this kid has not looked the least bit out of place. While no one seemed to be expecting much when it came to the defensive side of the game, Travis has already shown to have more than adequate range, the ability to turn a double play, and the necessary smarts to sneak in behind unsuspecting baserunners on throws coming from the outfield. Ryan Goins he is not, but he does look to be more than capable of holding his own in the middle of the infield.

Add that to what he brings to the table with a bat in his hands and, suddenly, Toronto has itself a very useful ballplayer. Again, it is early, but when a team gets the sort of production Travis has been able to supply from the number-nine hole in the batting order, (.385 AVG, .500 OBP, 4R,2B,HR,3RBI,2BB), Toronto is generally going to win ball games, and that is exactly what Toronto has been doing.

While the diminutive middle infielder has managed to chip in on offense in all four of his starts, arguably the most surprising aspect of all his been his approach at the plate. Finding young ballplayers who can hit is all well and good, but the chances of a team's getting its hands on one that recognizes the importance of giving himself up for the betterment of the team is not so easy.

Travis has had absolutely no problem making adjustments to his course of action depending on count -- as well as a willingness to hit behind runners when the situation calls for it. It may not sound like that big of a deal, but when a player’s meal ticket has been his bat, sacrificing plate appearances is generally not high on his list of priorities. While he may be young, it seems like the West Palm Beach native already has a pretty good grip on what he can and cannot do at the dish.

With that said, let’s be clear here. Reading too much into a handful of games is never a good idea, but when it comes to Devon Travis, one may just get that feeling that what we are currently watching is who this kid is as a player. While he will certainly have to deal with his fair share of ups and downs over the course of a 162-game schedule, it looks as though the Toronto Blue Jays have not only found their second baseman of the future but also for the here and now.