Seven Blue Jays featured on MLB.com Top 100 players for 2022

An annual tradition when it comes to Major League Baseball, MLB.com has released its rankings for the Top 100 baseball players “right now”, essentially the best of the best heading into the 2022 campaign. This list is generated by the brain trust and analytics department from within the MLB Network, hopefully avoiding any bias and focusing solely on production only. While no rankings list is sure to appease every fan, Blue Jays fans will be happy to see multiple players from Toronto make the list this season.

97. Jose Berrios – SP

After being acquired by the Blue Jays at the 2021 trade deadline, right-hander Jose Berrios didn’t find himself ranked last season but enters the upcoming campaign slotted in at #97. With this upcoming year being his first full season with the Blue Jays, Berrios finished last season strong, earning a 3.58 ERA through 12 starts while posting a 1.7 BB/9 and a 10.0 K/9 with the club.

While the Blue Jays traded two top prospects to bring Berrios north of the border, the Puerto Rican product inked a seven-year extension with the club this past offseason (opt-out after the fifth) and was recently tabbed as the Opening Day starter against the Texas Rangers on April 8th.

83. Matt Chapman – 3B

The Blue Jays’ newest acquisition to the active roster, Matt Chapman was acquired from the Oakland Athletics back in mid-March with four prospects heading the opposite way (eerily similar to the 2014 Donaldson deal).

An elite defender, the addition of Chapman shores up the left side of the diamond while his power bat helps offset the recent departure of Marcus Semien this past offseason. Even after posting what many would describe as a down year (.210 batting average and .716 OPS), Chapman still finds himself ranked at #83 heading into the 2022 campaign, a true testament that his career 79 bDRS (2021 = 10 bDRS) at third base carries a lot of weight even if the bat is hovering just above the Mendoza line.

Factor in that he moves to a hitter-friendly park in the Rogers Centre, the addition of Chapman makes an already dangerous lineup that much more powerful and adds more security to the left side of the infield.

74. Kevin Gausman – SP

Another new addition to the Blue Jays squad, Kevin Gausman was one pitcher Ross Atkins and the front office had their eyes on and they were finally able to bring him to Toronto this past offseason. Replacing the recently departed southpaw Robbie Ray in the rotation, Gausman revitalized his career with the San Francisco Giants over the past two seasons, amassing a combined 3.00 ERA through 45 appearances with 306 strikeouts through 251.2 innings of work.

Joining the Blue Jays on a five-year deal, Gausman is no stranger to the Rogers Centre, owning a 3-3 record with a 3.83 ERA through 12 outings as a member of the Baltimore Orioles early in his career. The right-handed starter finds himself at #74 this season after an impressive 2021 campaign that saw him finish sixth in innings pitched (192.0) and strikeouts (227) while holding opponents to a .210 batting average.

65. Teoscar Hernandez – OF

While it took a few years for Teoscar Hernandez to piece it all together, he proved last season that his breakout 2020 campaign was not just a one-off as the Dominican product earned a consecutive Silver Slugger award on his way to 32 home runs, 116 RBI, and a .870 OPS. Had he not missed a couple of weeks early in the campaign on the COVID-19 IL, it is not unjust to think that Hernandez could have overtaken Salvador Perez as the RBI leader (121).

MLB.com released its Top 100 player rankings for the 2022 campaign and several Blue Jays find themselves amongst the group.

Hernandez was one of the reasons the Blue Jays lineup was so strong last season and he should continue to give opposing pitchers trouble this season behind Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the batting order. Factor in that the right-fielder has seen an improvement on the defensive side of the ball these past two years (-7 bDRS in 2019 to -3 and -2 in 2020 and 2021 respectively), and it’s easy to see why he ranks at #65 heading into 2022.

33. George Springer – OF

George Springer was the star signing of the 2020/2021 offseason for the Blue Jays and their fanbase, and while injuries limited him to just 78 games and 299 at-bats last season, when the Connecticut product was in the game, he was contributing. He would finish the year with a .264/.352/.555 slash line while adding 22 home runs and amassing a .907 OPS split between patrolling centre field and acting as the designated hitter.

Considered healthy heading into the upcoming campaign, Springer’s presence in the Jays lineup will be an absolute game-changer this year, especially with Semien no longer in the mix. A full season of the Jays regular centre fielder at the top of the lineup should go a long way to getting the club into postseason contention.