Blue Jays: Who deserves the nod as the All-Star representative?

Every team sends at least one representative to the All-Star regardless of their place in the standings. Who will represent the Blue Jays for the AL team?

Now that we’re officially at the halfway point of the 2019 season and the All-Star starters have been announced, it’s a fair time for us to look at who might represent the Blue Jays in the July classic.

Every team has at least one representative in the All-Star game, and while the Blue Jays might not seem like a team to celebrate because of their 29-52 record at the moment, there have been some impressive individual performances.

Not surprisingly, the Blue Jays did not have a player that was voted into the starting lineup, but they will have someone who takes a spot on the roster as a reserve. They actually didn’t even have anyone finish in the top three in fan voting either, which is reflective of how difficult the 2019 campaign has been so far.

And not that I want to focus on the negative (I’ll get that out of the way now), but the closest the Blue Jays had to an AL starter was Gio Urshela, who now plays for the Yankees and finished 3rd in the voting for that position. He spent time with the Blue Jays last year, but never showed the type of potential that he’s displayed with the Yankees this year. Josh Donaldson finished second to Nolan Arenado as the starter at third base as well.

Getting back to the positive though, the Blue Jays will have a representative in the game, and there is more than one candidate for that spot. It will ultimately be determined by Alex Cora, and it’s possible that they may have to choose either a pitcher or a position player based on need.

There are a few variables at play, but here are the most likely candidates to represent the Blue Jays at this year’s All-Star game.

Eric Sogard

Chuckle if you must, but have a look at the Blue Jays’ roster and tell me that Eric Sogard hasn’t been one of their best players this season? Well, I’m waiting?

See what I mean? The man who has made #NerdPower a real thing has been absolutely legit, especially when you compare him against a struggling roster.

I’ll admit it, I believe there are better candidates than Sogard for the honour, but I don’t think there could be a better story than if he were the one selected. The 33-year-old has perservered through an up and down career and has fought for every start he’s ever been given in the big leagues, and I can’t help but cheer for a guy like that.

He’s also been pretty darn good too, as he’s slashed .301/.369/.495 with eight home runs, 23 RBI, 10 doubles, and six stolen bases. He’s been worth a very respectable 1.6bWAR so far this year and has been an invaluable veteran to teach the young players around the clubhouse the ropes of the big leagues. Honestly, there aren’t many better examples of hard work around the league, and hopefully the highly touted prospects are paying attention.

He does have positional flexibility going for him, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if social media ran with the idea of Sogard getting to play in the All-Star game. It would be quite the story for a guy who agreed to a MiLB contract and started the year in Triple-A, knowing that he was signing up to serve as depth for a rebuilding team.

It feels like a fair reward for the kind of season he’s had so far, and if there’s anyone that I’m rooting for to get picked by Cora, I’d have to go with Sogard.

Ken Giles

Joining Marcus Stroman on the popular trade target list is Ken Giles, the dominant closer who is having a standout campaign in his first full year in Toronto.

He came over in the Roberto Osuna deal last year in the midst of a tough season while playing for Houston, but he’s shown why he’s posted a sub 2.00 ERA before, and he’s on pace to do it again this year.

So far he’s sporting a 1.33 ERA and a 1.031 WHIP through his first 27 appearances and has already earned 1.3 bWAR. He’s been lights out almost every time he’s taken the mound, and he’s struck out 47 hitters against just eight walks in 27 innings pitched. He’s only picked up 12 saves through the first half, but that’s a result of the Blue Jays only having 29 wins overall, and the limited chances for Giles to pad that stat.

He could be a likely candidate to be selected, both because he’s very deserving and because bullpen arms can be an easier spot to make the All-Star team than at other positions. That’s not to say there aren’t a ton of talented relievers in the American League, but Cora will fill out the team without having to worry about anyone being able to pitch more than one inning. Giles also doesn’t have to worry about losing his potential spot because of how the Blue Jays’ rotation works out in advance of the All-Star game.

It wouldn’t hurt for the Blue Jays if Giles was the player that represented them at the All-Star game, even if it were solely to lift his profile even more in advance of the trade deadline. He’s been so good that I’m not even opposed to the idea of the Blue Jays extending him beyond the 2020 season, but I don’t think that’s going to be how it goes down.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

The last serious candidate for the All-Star honour would be Lourdes Gurriel Jr., and that’s sure saying something after the way his season started.

For a player who began the year by hitting .175 in his first 13 games, got demoted to Triple-A, and has switched positions, how could Gurriel Jr. possibly be considered as the best candidate to represent the Blue Jays in Cleveland this summer? Well, he’s been destroying the ball ever since he got back.

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The 25-year-old showed flashes of this potential last year when he was a rookie, but he’s been on a whole new level over the last 30 games. He’s now pushed his slash line up to .304/.351/.615 and has 12 home runs, 12 doubles, and 30 RBI. Add in the fact that he’s adjusted very well to left field, and has even proven to be a weapon out there with six outfield assists, and Gurriel Jr. has been the Blue Jays’ best player over the last month.

Is that enough to get Gurriel Jr. to the All-Star game? It’s possible, especially if he continues to tear the cover off of the ball before the league breaks for the official end of the first half.

If he hadn’t started off so poorly and spent a decent chunk of the year in Buffalo, then I would think he would be the slam dunk choice to represent the Blue Jays. It could come down to what the Cora and AL team need to fill out the roster as well, but I also think the previous three candidates are just slightly ahead of Gurriel Jr. right now, simply because of the consistency of their contribution. Something tells me this won’t be the last time we’re talking about Gurriel Jr. as a candidate for the All-Star game though either, and he should be in a Blue Jays’ jersey for a long time.

Given their place in the standings and the amount of other deserving players around the American League, I don’t think the Blue Jays will get more than one player on the AL roster. Injuries and availability could change that, but otherwise I would expect we’ll see just one player pick up the honour, and if it’s any of the four players I’ve mentioned here, it’ll be their first selection.

Now that we’ve had a look, who would you choose as the Blue Jays’ All-Star representative? Feel free to tell us what you think in the comments section below.