Saunders excited to hit in Blue Jays' lineup

The Toronto Blue Jays fielded one of the toughest lineups in the American League last season, finishing among the top five in runs scored (723), home runs (177) and batting average (.259).

And new addition Michael Saunders believes the Blue Jays' lineup can be even better in 2015.

"This lineup is absolutely ridiculous," Saunders said Thursday on MLB Network Radio. "I'm really excited to be a part of this lineup. I feel like there's a lot I can learn from these guys."

Toronto acquired Saunders via trade with Seattle this offseason. The club also added Josh Donaldson and Russell Martin to the mix. They'll join incumbent heavy hitters like Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Bautista, improving an already potent offense.

Video: Anthopoulos on the Blue Jays acquisition of Saunders

Saunders, 28, batted .273/.341/.450 with eight homers and 34 RBIs over 78 games in 2014. He's entering his seventh season in the Majors, having spent his first six years in Seattle.

"If everyone just plays their game, we can hit one through nine," Saunders said. "There's always going to be somebody on base and there's always a threat for someone to put one out of the park.

"This is by far the best lineup I've ever been a part of, and I'm excited."

Here's the Blue Jays' projected lineup for the 2015 season, per MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm:

1. Jose Reyes, SS
2. Martin, C
3. Bautista, RF
4. Encarnacion, DH
5. Donaldson, 3B
6. Saunders, LF
7. Justin Smoak, 1B
8. Maicer Izturis, 2B
9. Dalton Pompey, CF