Vernon Wells, Toronto’s highly overpaid All-Star center fielder is already 20 percent of the way to matching his home run total from 2009. With a pair of big bombs against Texas’ Dustin Nippert and Darren Oliver on Wednesday night to go along with his Opening Day blast to ruin Scott Feldman’s start gives him three homers in the first two games of the season. In 158 games last year, he only managed to reach a total of 15.

Wells is on pace to hit 243 home runs this year and is hitting .714. Barry Bonds, eat your heart out. Realistically, Wells was given a contract that no mere human could ever live up to, and fans in Toronto have been giving heckles to him for every dollar they’ve felt he hasn’t earned. He’s followed the good year, bad year scenario for the last half decade, and he’s due for a good one…a real good one, actually. He only hit .260 with a .311 on-base last year, lowering both career averages to .281 and .330. 15 home runs and 66 RBI are not typical of any clean-up hitter in the game, yet there he was night after night.

A native of Arlington, Texas, Wells now has 19 career multi-home run games. He’s been heavily criticized in Toronto for his lack of production in recent years, but a lot of people in the media have been saying that watching Wells in Spring Training has really changed some opinions. He looks better than he has in years, but will that be enough to help change the opinions of the thousands more who think the Jays are a sure bet to finish last in the American League East?

If Wells can even get back to half of what he’s capable of, he can be a big threat in the middle of the Jays lineup. He’s easily capable of hitting .300 with 25 home runs and 90 RBI. He’s done as much twice in his career. He, like many other overpaid players will never be able to justify earning what he does, and the fans will have to live with that fact. But in a rebuilding year like Toronto is experiencing, a bounce-back year from Wells might be unwelcome. It’s unfortunate, but that’s something Wells will have to live with.