Blue Jays: Some surprises among team WAR leaders

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TORONTO, ON – APRIL 01: Manager Charlie Montoyo #25 of the Toronto Blue Jays checks over the lineup card in the dugout before the start of MLB game action against the Baltimore Orioles at Rogers Centre on April 1, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) /

The Blue Jays have had a lot of strong performances in 2020, and some from surprising sources. Who are their bWAR leaders so far?

It’s hard to believe it, but by the time the Blue Jays finish their upcoming three-game series with the Red Sox on Thursday, they’ll be halfway through the 2020 regular season.

It’s been a strange one to say the least, with the team being without a home field for a while, rushed renovations in Buffalo to give them one, an expanded roster and playoffs, and a lot more. That said, it’s been an encouraging year for the Blue Jays, especially considering where they’re supposed to be in their current rebuild. In fact, they’ve played well enough that they’re now being given a 61.7% chance of making the post-season by Fangraphs.

How has it happened? It’s been a combination of a lot of things really, with some expected playoff contenders like the Red Sox and the Angels falling off a cliff, and major struggles for some of the NL East teams, who the Jays play in their shortened schedule this year. More importantly and to their credit, the Blue Jays have played some exciting baseball this season. Sure, there have been plenty of missed opportunities, and all kinds of signs that this young team still has learning to do, but the talent is pretty obvious, and the future is looking pretty bright.

Since we’re nearly halfway through the season, I thought it might be fun to look at who is leading the Blue Jays in WAR so far (I’ll use bWAR from baseballreference.com for the purpose of this list). It’s been a group effort for sure, but let’s have a gander at the top performers on the roster so far.

BALTIMORE, MD – AUGUST 18: Randal Grichuk #15 of the Toronto Blue Jays celebrates a two run home run in the third inning during a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on August 18, 2020 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

#8-10

If I’m making a top ten list here, then we actually have to include 11 players since there are two tied at #10 with 0.4 bWAR thus far.

That would be a pair of veterans in Matt Shoemaker and Randal Grichuk. Unfortunately, both are currently banged up as of this writing, as Shoemaker as placed on the 10-day Injured List with shoulder inflammation, and Grichuk left the game on Monday with lower back tightness, something he’s already dealt with this season. Dan Shulman indicated on Monday’s broadcast that the move was precautionary, and hopefully the hot-hitting outfielder won’t have to miss any more time.

On the season Grichuk has shown improvement at the plate, slashing .297/.340/.582 with seven home runs, five doubles and 19 RBI. He’s had greatly improved plate discipline, and lately he’s been one of the hottest hitters in the American League. As for Shoemaker, it’s unfortunate that he’s back on the sidelines dealing with another injury, especially because it looked like he was starting to put things together. Through five starts he had posted a 4.91 ERA and a 1.013 WHIP across 25.2 innings.

At #9 comes another tie (so I guess that takes up the eighth spot as well) between a pair of inexperienced arms in Anthony Kay and Thomas Hatch, both of whom have been worth 0.5 bWAR so far. They’ve each made a smooth transition to the bullpen despite being far more familiar in a starting role, but that’s life trying to play professional baseball during a pandemic.

With the recent injuries to Shoemaker, Trent Thornton, and Nate Pearson, don’t be surprised if one or both of Kay and Hatch end up in the rotation. They’ve earned the opportunity.

BUFFALO, NEW YORK – AUGUST 16: Teoscar Hernandez #37 of the Toronto Blue Jays swings during the eighth inning of game two of a double header against the Tampa Bay Rays at Sahlen Field on August 16, 2020 in Buffalo, New York. The Blue Jays are the home team and are playing their home games in Buffalo due to the Canadian government’s policy on coronavirus (COVID-19). (Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images) /

#6-7

The next two players on the list are a pair that I would describe as pleasant surprises, even if at least one really shouldn’t be.

Coming in at #7 is Anthony Bass, who has been a central figure in helping Charlie Montoyo navigate a schedule without Ken Giles at the back of the bullpen. The 32-year-old has appeared in nine MLB seasons, but he’s a talented pitcher who flew under the radar a bit and made some significant improvements over the last few years. The Jays recognized something they liked in him prior to the season, and he’s rewarded them with a 2.13 ERA a 0.789 WHIP and 0.7 bWAR across his 12 appearances, spanning 12.2 innings.

At #6 is a player who had a tremendous second half of the 2019 campaign, giving us a preview of what he was about to do in this year. So far Teoscar Hernandez is slashing .294/.336/.637 with 10 home runs, just one behind Nelson Cruz and Jose Abreu for the AL lead. He’s also chipped in five doubles and stolen four bases in five tries, showing off his underrated speed.

The problem for Hernandez hasn’t really changed though, and that’s his questionable outfield defence. At times it seems like he’s improving, and he is, but he’s still far too prone to making costly mistakes, and his bWAR score would be higher if his defence were a little stronger. That said, he’s been a central part of the Blue Jays’ success so far in 2020, and they’ll keep finding a place for him as long as he keeps producing at the plate.

BUFFALO, NEW YORK – AUGUST 16: Cavan Biggio #8 of the Toronto Blue Jays swings during the seventh inning of game two of a double header against the Tampa Bay Rays at Sahlen Field on August 16, 2020 in Buffalo, New York. The Blue Jays are the home team and are playing their home games in Buffalo due to the Canadian government’s policy on coronavirus (COVID-19). (Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images) /

#3-5

Coming in at #5 might be the most pleasant surprise of them all, and a name that I didn’t expect to see so high on the list, if at all. That said, when thinking back on A.J. Cole‘s contribution to the bullpen in 2020, it makes sense that he’s already earned 0.9 bWAR. So far the right-hander has thrown 12 innings and posted an ERA of 0.69, and a WHIP of 1.00. Not bad for a minor league contract signing.

At #4 is someone who is quickly becoming one of my favourite players, and I’m sure I’m not the only Blue Jays fan saying that about Cavan Biggio. The 25-year-old has been a much-needed steady presence in the lineup so far, and he’s played wherever he’s been asked on defence, and hit wherever he’s placed in the lineup. Already contributing 1.0 bWAR, his recent hot streak has pushed his slash line up to .277/.397/.525 with six home runs, seven doubles, 18 RBI, and four stolen bases. He’s doing it all, and quickly becoming a star.

Getting near the top now, I’m actually going to cheat a little as far as separating the slides here. That’s because #2 and #3 are tied at 1.1 bWAR, but I’ll choose one to make as the 2b. for now.

That would be Bo Bichette, and chances are very good that he’d be leading this list if he hadn’t tweaked his knee last week. It was very unfortunate, as Bichette was in the midst of a red-hot span at the plate, and had helped turn the season around for the young squad. There are still high hopes that he’ll be back before the season ends, but at the moment his slash line stands at .361/.391/.672 with five home runs, four doubles, four stolen bases, and 13 RBI in just 14 games played.

Hurry back, Bo.

BALTIMORE, MD – AUGUST 17: Hyun-Jin Ryu #99 of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches in the first inning during a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles on August 17, 2020 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

#1-2

As previously mentioned, there was a 2a. that was tied with Bichette, and that would be one of the most dominant relievers in baseball this season in Jordan Romano.

Yeah I said it, and I meant it.

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Romano has been unbelievable thus far, posting a 0.64 ERA and a 0.86 WHIP across his first 14 innings, fanning 20 batters over that time. It’s not just that he’s been dominant when he’s been on the mound, it’s that he’s doing it in the highest leverage situations, and making it look easy. After watching his performance so far in 2020, it’s hard to believe that the Blue Jays let him get away last year in the Rule 5 draft, and even crazier that he was returned. That said, his newfound focus on being a reliever has obviously been a successful shift.

And rounding out the top ten is the man that you’d hope to see leading the list, and that’s Ross Atkins’ free agent prize from last winter, Hyun-Jin Ryu. The 33-year-old southpaw got off to a bit of a shaky start, but he’s been absolutely dominant as he’s settled in, and so far he’s making the Blue Jays’ look very wise for their investment.

The Korean lefty has now made six starts and has lowered his numbers to a 3.19 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP over 31 innings. He’s been a steady and reliable presence in the rotation, and that’s exactly what you hope for when you sign a veteran to an expensive multi-year contract. He’s been worth every penny though, and he’s provided a much-needed ace to a staff that needs him more than ever.

Blue Jays not saying much about Pearson's injury. dark. Next

Were there any surprise inclusions or omissions from the top 10 bWAR leaders? Do you expect that we’ll see names like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. or Lourdes Gurriel Jr. by season’s end, or would you pick someone else? So far, all that really matters is that the group is performing as good, or even better than we likely could have hoped for so far this year, and it’s made for some very fun baseball to watch.

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