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Blue Jays: Some surprises among team WAR leaders

By Chris Henderson

BOSTON, MA - AUGUST 07: Cavan Biggio #8 of the Toronto Blue Jays rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run in the first inning of game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on August 7, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - AUGUST 07: Cavan Biggio #8 of the Toronto Blue Jays rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run in the first inning of game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on August 7, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /
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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)
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.

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