Toronto Blue Jays: Comparing Past to Present Postseason Rosters

With the Blue Jays now confirmed to be in the postseason, it’s okay to reminisce a little about the last time the team was in the playoffs. Nostalgia and good vibes can be fuel to any fire of anticipation. This 2022 group of Blue Jays has a legitimate chance to make a deep run into October, despite not winning their division.

This is a vastly different group than we saw last time around, and I’d like to compare the last playoff team to the one we’ll see this weekend. However, it’s important to remember just what year Toronto made the playoffs last, as it wasn’t back in 2016.

The autumn of 2020 saw an up and coming Blue Jays team take on the American League Champion Tampa Bay Rays in a three game wild card series (a series that has potential of happening yet again) down at Tropicana field. It’s easy to forget this postseason appearance, as it lasted only two games, both of which weren’t particularly noteworthy for the Jays. The club rode a 32-28 record into the last remaining playoff spot during the shortened 2020 season, which featured an expanded playoffs. It’s astounding to analyze just how much this team has improved since then, as various aspects of the team have undergone a complete overhaul. It’s worth mentioning that this 2020 team also featured breakout mainstays from today’s roster, such as Teoscar Hernandez and Jordan Romano.

The 2020 year was primed to be an interesting one for Blue Jays fans, with the main storyline coming from the fact that the rookies were entering their first full MLB season. Vlad was still at third, Teoscar had yet to break out, Romano wasn’t a household name, and Rafeal Dolis was relied on to be a difference maker in that bullpen. Things change, and the 2020 season did a lot to forge new narratives on within the organization. The biggest one of all being that this club was on the cusp of taking that next step.

That next step is about to take place this weekend, and the wise and knowledgeable Chris Henderson provided us with a glimpse of what we could expect the roster to look like. So with Chris’ insight, and a bit of reminiscing, we’ll see just how far this team has come in between now and their last playoff appearance.

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2020 Starting Pitchers

Hyun Jin Ryu

Robby Ray

Matt Shoemaker

Taijuan Walker

Chase Anderson

2020 Relievers

Anthony Bass

Rafael Dolis

Ryan Borucki

Nate Pearson

A.J. Cole

Thomas Hatch

Anthony Kay

Ross Stripling

If this pitching staff was intact in 2022, this team is last in the AL East. It’s remarkable how far this staff has come, from relying on Chase Anderson and notable roster omission Tanner Roark, to having a group headlined by Alek Manoah and Kevin Gausman. This was of course Hyun Jin Ryu’s best year as a Blue Jay, as he led the team in bWAR and was dominant night after night. Robbie Ray wouldn’t be a massive game changer, but his positive impression on the organization that summer would compel him to be the first free agent to sign that following offseason, and of course go on to win the Cy Young award in 2021. Matt Shoemaker missed time with an injury in 2020, but was healthy in time to start game one of the Wild Card Series. Shoemaker would throw three scoreless innings, followed by another three innings from Ray. Taijuan Walker would be an asset for the Jays down the stretch, but missed out on pitching in the playoffs.

The bullpen turnaround has been incredible to say the least. The reliever’s efforts were spearheaded by the likes of Dolis and Bass that 2020 season. Other notable contributors included A.J. Cole and Thomas Hatch, as all four of these men were top 12 in bWAR on the club during that COVID shortened year. This success was short lived however, as almost all of the aforementioned relievers would have little to no success from 2021 on. The two remaining include Anthony Bass and Ross Stripling, with the former having been reacquired at the deadline and the latter now in the starting rotation.

Chris Henderson’s Projection

Starters:

Alek Manoah

Kevin Gausman

Ross Stripling

Jose Berrios

Bullpen:

Jordan Romano

Yimi Garcia

Tim Mayza

Anthony Bass

Adam Cimber

David Phelps

Trevor Richards

Zach Pop

Development, trades, and free agent signings. All three are responsible for the turnaround of the pitching staff, a staff that for many parts of the season single handedly held the team together. Alek Manoah has been nothing short of a revelation, and it can’t be overstated how good he has been. Leading the team in bWAR at 6.0, Manoah has made his way into Cy Young conversations as the year comes to a close and is set to play a big role in this year’s playoffs. Toronto was expecting Nate Pearson to develop into an ace by now, meanwhile in his absence Manoah has done just that and then some. Gausman has started off his five year contract right, pitching to an 3.35 ERA with a sparkling 2.38 FIP. Jose Berrios hasn’t quite lived up to his contract however, but still has more than enough time to redeem himself. Ross Stripling has taken over for an injured Ryu and is having by far the best year of his career. A lowly 1.8 BB/9 has boosted Stripling to a 3.01 ERA over 24 starts.

The bullpen has been completely overhauled, with Romano and Bass being the only full-time holdovers. This group collectively has been one of the better arm barns in the league. The team ERA of 3.90 this season is a dramatic improvement over 4.60 from 2020.