Blue Jays: Which players will make the All-Star team?

The Fan Favourites

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. took the league by storm in 2021 and was the leading vote-getter for last year’s game. Things haven’t come quite as easily for the phenom in 2022 as his numbers are down across the board. Still, he’s slashing .246/.469/.805 with an OPS+ of 129. Guerrero Jr. remains a fan favourite and has an excellent chance of making the team.

Bo Bichette slogged through a disappointing first month of the season but has really picked up his production since then and could be rewarded with his second All-Star game selection. Since April 30th, Bichette has hit .301 with 19 extra-base hits, 22 RBI, and an OPS of .895. That surge has put his overall numbers closer to where fans are used to seeing them. Overall Bichette is hitting .266 with 10 home runs, 31 RBI, and a .771 OPS. It should also be noted that Bichette has worked hard on his defence, and will almost certainly cut down on last year’s 24 errors.

Who are the players standing in their way? At the first base position, Jose Abreu, Anthony Rizzo, and Jared Walsh are former All-Stars who are in line to be selected again. Luis Arraez, Ji-Man Choi, and Ty France are emerging players at first base who could be Midsummer Classic participants for the first time.

At shortstop, Tim Anderson and Xander Bogaerts are likely Bichette’s stiffest competition. J.P. Crawford and Jeremy Pena, who could make the team as a rookie, also have strong cases to be included.

There will be some really good players who don’t make the cut, but something tells me Guerrero Jr. and Bichette won’t be among them. They’re both popular players, have the benefit of having an All-Star appearance and really good seasons under their belt, and will have the support of an entire nation.

Blue Jays Breakout Stars

If you told me before the season started that the player on the Blue Jays with the best case for a spot on the All-Star team was Alejandro Kirk, I would have called you crazy. However, as the voting process has begun, there may not be a more obvious choice at a position than Kirk at catcher.

He has just continued to improve and, in a season where many backstops have struggled hitting, Kirk seems to put a good swing on the ball virtually every time he’s up to bat. Since May 2nd, Kirk has hit .376 with five homers and eight doubles with OPS of 1.072. Overall he’s hitting .329 with five home runs, 18 RBI, and a position-player team-high 2.2 WAR. He’s also got some of the best framing stats of any catcher, especially on low pitches.

Santiago Espinal wasn’t the opening day second baseman, but he’s manned the position brilliantly almost every game since. At the onset of Spring Training, Espinal showed up to camp bulked up and it’s paid off big-time.

He showed a power-hitting ability not seen before, early and often with five homers and 16 doubles, and is among the AL leaders in hits with 58. In addition to the increased slugging, Espinal is proving himself to be one of the better defensive players in MLB. He has a dWAR of 0.5 and is garnering early Gold Glove consideration.

Alek Manoah had an excellent rookie season but he also flashed an erratic streak, highlighted by his league-leading 16-hit batters. This year, he’s taken his game to a whole new level.

Manoah is a fierce competitor on the mound and a complete workhorse. He never wants to come out of a game and always believes he can get the next batter out. His numbers this year are incredible, 7-1, 1.81 ERA, .096 WHIP, and a 2.5 WAR. Not only does Manoah deserve a spot, but his performance is also drawing early Cy Young buzz.

Valuable Veterans

Prior to the 2021 season, the Blue Jays tried like heck to sign just about every free agent available. They were unsuccessful on the first few attempts but then reports had them zeroing in on George Springer. It was between them and the New York Mets and I was fearful they’d miss out again.

We know now that he signed the big deal, but had a multitude of injuries last year but still hit 22 homers in just 78 games. This season, fully healthy, Springer is as valuable as ever. He’s flashed that explosive defensive ability we’ve seen from him before and his bat is electric.

He’s hitting .282 with 12 homers and tied for a team-high with 32 RBI. Springer is in the designated hitter mix and gets the occasional day off to keep him rested for the long haul of the season. He’s a safe bet to make the team, possibly as a starter.

When the Blue Jays signed Kevin Gausman, it seemed like a logical lateral move after Robbie Ray chose to sign with the Seattle Mariners. Many thought that they were getting a similar caliber of a pitcher. Both players signed five-year contracts so we can’t completely judge this swap of sorts, but the early indications are that the Jays have the better arm.

Gausman has been dominant at times this season and has combined with Alek Manoah to form one of the better starting pitcher combos in the AL. He’s leading the league with a 1.61 FIP and a 10.43 SO/W rate.

In his last start against the Minnesota Twins, Gausman struggled a bit and was let down by his teammates too. He appeared to be labouring somewhat and looked like he was tipping his pitches. Hopefully, this is just a blip on the radar and not a trend.

So far, guys like Martin Pérez and Justin Verlander are getting more pub, but Manoah and Gausman are squarely in the Cy Young hunt, and in the conversation for All-Star game starter.

Room for Relievers?

As good as he was last season. Jordan Romano has turned it up a notch. He leads the league with 22 games finished and 16 saves and is regarded as one of the premier closers in baseball. Not bad for a guy the Blue Jays lost in the Rule 5 draft a few years ago, only to get him back from the Texas Rangers and see him drastically change his career path as a late-inning reliever.

Romano won reliever of the month for April and although his May wasn’t as good, he still recorded six saves. He is an intense, fiery athlete and a joy to watch. There are plenty of relievers in the American League who will merit consideration, but Romano should be right there with them.

The trade of Joe Panik and minor-league infielder Andrew McInvale to the Miami Marlins for Corey Dickerson and Adam Cimber has been a heist. Who knows, maybe McInvale becomes a player, but Dickerson played well down the stretch for the Jays last year and Cimber has been an integral piece to their relief corps.

He’s made a league-high 27 appearances and has been involved in a lot of decisions. He’s 6-2 with a 2.55 ERA, a 0.93 WHIP, and three saves. His unorthodox delivery often fools batters and Cimber offers a change of pace to the team’s other, hard-throwing relievers.

All these players won’t make the All-Star team, but they all at least deserve some contemplation. My guess is you’ll see six members of the Blue Jays recognized next month.