Blue Jays: Some surprises among team WAR leaders

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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.

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.