Blue Jays: Memorable moments from the 2022 campaign

The Toronto Blue Jays season came to an abrupt end this past weekend when they were swept by the Seattle Mariners during the AL Wild Card. After Luis Castillo stymied the Jays’ bats on Friday, the bullpen struggled to keep the Mariners’ bats silent after Kevin Gausman left the game and they overcame an 8-1 deficit to win and advance to the ALDS.

This is obviously a tough pill to swallow for the Jays and their fans, especially since expectations were sky-high coming into the 2022 season. The season’s expectations were only enhanced by the campaign Alek Manoah, Bo Bichette, and Vladimir Gurerrero Jr. put forward last year, as well as the return of a healthy George Springer and the Gausman, Matt Chapman, Yusei Kikuchi, and Yimi Garcia additions earlier this year.

Overall, finishing the year with a 92-70 record is not a small feat and should provide the stepping stones and fire for the team to put forward a strong 2023 campaign that hopefully provides some better postseason results.

That being said, let’s take a quick trip down memory lane and look at some memorable moments from this past offseason and regular season and see how different moments shaped the Jays’ year that was.

Blue Jays Extend José Berríos to a Long-Term Contract

November/16/2021

With the offseason in full swing, the Blue Jays were knee-deep in free agency with a looming Collective Bargaining Agreement set to expire, meaning they had to act quick if they wanted to bring back the likes of Robbie Ray, Marcus Semien, and/or Steven Matz before a potentially lengthy hold on transactions.

The Jays made some bigger news before signing any free agents, extending starter José Berríos to a seven-year deal worth $131 million midway through the month of November. The deal includes a player opt-out clause following the fifth season and carries an average salary hit per season of approximately $18.7 million.

Acquired at the 2021 trade deadline in exchange for top prospects Austin Martin and Simeon Woods-Richardson, the risk was high that Berríos would walk following the 2022 campaign as he was eligible for free agency for the first time in his career. The Jays were able to convince him to forego free agency and stay with the club long-term, joining Hyun Jin Ryu and Alek Manoah as rotation options for the 2022 campaign.

Blue Jays sign RHP Kevin Gausman to a 5-year Deal

December/01/2021

After Marcus Semien signed a long-term deal with the Texas Rangers and the prognosis of Robbie Ray returning to the Jays looking slim, the Blue Jays front office went out and got their man in the form of Kevin Gausman, inking him to a five-year deal worth $110 million.

The Jays had been courting Gausman for quite some time, offering him a contract back in the 2020/2021 offseason before he signed the qualifying offer with the San Francisco Giants, putting forth a solid year before reaching free agency that saw him earn some NL Cy Young votes.

Kevin Gausman signs a five-year deal with the Toronto Blue Jays

While the Jays had to pony up significantly more money this time around for his services, they did not have to surrender a draft pick considering he wasn’t tied to compensation this time around. He also produced a fantastic campaign for the Jays, posting a 3.35 ERA through 174.2 innings with a 10.6 K/9 and an AL-leading 2.38 FIP and a team-leading 5.7 fWAR.

Overall, the Gausman signing turned into a huge win for the Jays and the club got draft pick compensation for Ray when he signed with the Seattle Mariners.

The Blue Jays Front Office Makes Headlines during Spring Training

Spring Training

The Blue Jays’ front office continued to make moves after the lockout was lifted, signing Yusei Kikuchi and trading for Matt Chapman, Raimel Tapia, and Bradley Zimmer.

Kikuchi joined the team on a three-year contract worth $36 million and struggled in his first season with the Jays, pitching to a 5.19 ERA through 32 appearances with 5.2 BB/9 and was relegated to the bullpen midway through the month of August.

Third baseman Matt Chapman was brought in to shore up the hot corner and did exactly that while putting forth 27 home runs and 76 RBI. The Jays also avoided arbitration with their new player, signing him to a two-year deal worth $25 million that will still see him hit free agency following this upcoming season.

Ross Atkins and co. also shipped out outfielder Randal Grichuk and some of his remaining salary to the Colorado Rockies in exchange for outfielder Raimel Tapia and prospect Adrian Pinto while also acquiring outfielder Bradley Zimmer from the Cleveland Guardians.

Zimmer was used as a defensive replacement and a pinch runner for most of the year while Tapia appeared in 128 games, posting a .265/.292/.380 slash line with a .672 OPS.

Blue Jays Win a Wild Opening Day

April/08/2022

A newly extended José Berríos was given the ball for Opening Day against the Texas Rangers, signalling the first April game at the Rogers Centre in over two seasons due to the pandemic.

The right-hander struggled early, recording only one out while allowing four earned runs off three hits and two walks while striking out zero batters. It was not a pleasant start for the Jays and their fans, especially with Marcus Semien back in the building on the other side of the diamond.

The Jays were down 7-0 heading into the bottom of the fourth before rallying, eventually winning 10-8 with home runs coming from Teoscar Hernández and Danny Jansen while Jansen, Bo Bichette, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. all had multiple hits in the contest. The Jays used seven relievers on the day and Jordan Romano notched his first save of the year while Adam Cimber picked up the win.

While the going was tough out of the gate, this year’s Opening Day is easily one of the most exciting in franchise history, and ultimately, they ended up winning the game.

Blue Jays Promote Top Prospect Gabriel Moreno

June/11/22

With Danny Jansen heading to the IL with a fifth metacarpal fracture, the Blue Jays were needing another catcher on the roster to join Alejandro Kirk. While the club did use Zack Collins earlier in the season, the front office decided it was time to promote their top prospect, Gabriel Moreno, and he made his long-awaited MLB debut on June 11th against the Detroit Tigers.

Moreno spent the next month on the Blue Jays roster, playing in 14 complete games while also being used as a defensive replacement or pinch hitter when needed. His first taste of MLB action saw him post a .276/.300/.293 slash line through 58 at-bats while also adding one double and four RBI to the tune of a .593 OPS.

The Venezulan-born catcher would be dropped back down to AAA when Jansen was healthy in mid-July and he returned when the rosters expanded in early September, finishing the season on the Jays squad and even making the postseason roster. He also notched his first Major League home run on the last day of the regular season, driving Orioles pitcher Michael Baumann’s offering to the opposite field for a three-run homer.

On the year, Moreno finished with a .733 OPS and seven RBI, going 22 for 69 on the year.

John Schneider Era begins in Toronto

July/13/2022

After a struggling west coast road trip and reports that the faith in the locker room was lost, the Jays’ front office decided a change was needed and fired manager Charlie Montoyo, replacing him internally with John Schneider, who was handed the interim tag for the rest of the season.

The move made sense from a few angles, as the Jays skipper had experience managing at the MiLB level (with success) and had managed the likes of Guerrero Jr., Bichette, and Biggio as they rose through the Minor League system, a familiarity that no outside candidate would have with the squad.

With Schneider now at the helm, the Jays won their first game against the Phillies 8-2 and he finished with the same amount of wins as Montoyo (46) but in 14 fewer games. That success did not translate into the postseason, however, as the Jays were unfortunately swept by the Mariners in the AL Wild Card. Schneider was noticeably more aggressive on the base paths and wasn’t afraid to move players around in the lineup, most notably moving Bichette down in the order when he was struggling at the plate. He also held players accountable when they messed up on the field and gained a lot of respect from the players, many of whom would like him to return next season.

The big question now remains on whether the Jays’ front office will remove the interim tag and offer him the permanent manager role moving forward into 2022.

Six Blue Jays make the AL All-Star Roster

July/19/2022

The Toronto Blue Jays sent six representatives to the MLB All-Star game, with catcher Alejandro Kirk and 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr. both making the starting roster. Alek Manoah and George Springer were also voted to the All-Star roster in the rotation and on the bench while Santiago Espinal and Jordan Romano both made the team as replacement players. Springer chose not to attend the festivities in order to recover from a nagging elbow injury.

Both Guerrero and Kirk went 0-2 on the day while Manoah came in to replace starting pitcher, Shane McClanahan, with the right-hander being able to throw to his normal catcher. The Jays pitcher was talking with the broadcast booth during the entire outing and struck out William Contreras and Joc Pederson before hitting Jeff McNeil on a slider that John Smoltz suggested he throw. He then struck out Ronald Acuna Jr. to end the inning and ran off the mound yelling, “three punchies“.

While Romano did not see any game action, Espinal came on in the fourth to replace Andres Gimenez at second base and got one at-bat later in the seventh, grounding out to shortstop with Brewers reliever Devin Williams on the mound.

Blue Jays set Franchise Single Game Record for Runs Scored vs. Red Sox

July/22/2022

In their first game back after the All-Star break, the Blue Jays were visiting the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park and turned in an absolute performance in the batter’s box, breaking the franchise single-game record for most runs by putting 28 on the board.

Every starting player had multiple hits on the day while Lourdes Gurriel Jr. led the team with six hits, with Raimel Tapia and Danny Jansen both adding six RBI, highlighted by Tapia’s inside-the-park grand slam. The Blue Jays batters scored 22 runs from the fourth to sixth innings alone, with Gurriel Jr. tying Frank Catalanotto for the most hits in a single game.

The Jays flirted with the MLB single-game record set by the Texas Rangers back in 2007 at 30 runs but fell just a few short. A great win for a team that just got back from the All-Star break.

Blue Jays make some Trade Deadline Moves

August/02/2022

With the Blue Jays looking to make the postseason after narrowly missing out last season, the front office made a few moves to bolster the roster:

• Acquired RHP Anthony Bass & Zach Pop from the Miami Marlins
• Acquired RHP Mitch White and INF Alex De Jesus from the Los Angeles Dodgers
• Acquired INF/OF Whit Merrifield from the Kansas City Royals

The Jays added a few arms in the form of Bass and Pop to bolster the bullpen while White came in to take Kikuchi’s spot in the rotation. Merrifield worked off the bench but also found himself in the outfield with some starts at second base.

Bass was fantastic for the Jays, posting a 1.75 ERA through 25.2 innings while striking out 28 batters posting a 1.130 WHIP. Pop found himself in AAA for a short time due to having options available but was solid at the big league level, authoring a 1.89 ERA through 17 appearances.

Blue Jays make a few trades at the deadline

In the rotation, White struggled after a few solid outings to begin his time with the Jays, finishing the year with a 7.74 ERA and a 1.744 WHIP but did pitch to a 3.76 FIP through his 10 appearances.

Merrifield didn’t get off to the strongest start but did have a few clutch moments at the plate, finishing the year with a .769 OPS through 121 at-bats and was riding a hot streak heading into the postseason.

All four players will be back next season as long as the Jays bring back Bass on his team option worth $3 million. Pop is not free agent eligible until 2027 and White is on the books until 2028, with Merrifield having a club option for 2023 (worth approx $6 million including bonus) and a mutual option for 2024 worth $18 million.

George Springer Comes in Clutch During Losing Streak

August/17/2022

Through July and into early August, George Springer was battling an elbow injury and ended up on the IL list on August 5th. He returned ten days later on August 15th but the Jays used him sparingly at first, as he would find himself in the DH spot over centre field once he was off the IL.

On August 17th, the Jays were in the midst of a seven-game stretch that saw them win only one game, one of the first times the club has been struggling since John Schneider took over as manager.

Things seemed to be going sour against the Orioles that day until the Jays pinch-hit Raimel Tapia for Springer, with the outfielder bringing in the go-ahead run and opening the floodgates for six runs that inning, handing the Jays the win.

That knock proved to be big for Springer as well, as it was his 1000th hit in his career and the pure emotion can be seen on his face at first base, signalling a change in momentum that would help the club win six of their next seven games.

Alek Manoah Shows Everyone he is not Afraid of a Runner-Up Cy Young Candidate

August/21/2022

With the Blue Jays trying to catch the New York Yankees in the AL East (as well as fighting for a Wild Card playoff spot), the Blue Jays were facing the Yankees in New York in mid-August and a pitching duel was taking place in the final game of the four-game series between Alek Manoah and Nestor Cortes Jr.

In the fifth inning, Manoah pitched up and in on slugger Aaron Judge, hitting him on the arm. Manoah is known to be a bit wild but the Yankees took exception, especially 2021 runner-up Cy Young candidate Gerrit Cole, who voiced his displeasure by coming onto the field and yelling at the Blue Jays ace.

The right-hander was asked about the incident after the game and had this to say about the Yankees starter, “If Gerrit wants to do something, he can walk past the Audi sign next time,” making note of the Audi sponsorship sign located in front of the Yankees dugout. Cole had pitched the previous day against the Jays and they tagged him for four earned runs off five hits, earning the loss on the day. The Jays would eventually leave New York with the series win, taking three of four.

Manoah has been a fan favourite for the Jays since he joined the squad last year and gained a lot of favour when he showed that he wasn’t afraid of Cole or the Yankees squad. He also bolstered that fanbase a month later by defending teammate Alejandro Kirk when radio host Matthew Ross of TSN 690 criticized the catcher’s body via Twitter post, proving that one should consider the repercussions if they come after him or one of his teammates.

José Berríos Racks up 1000 Career Strikeouts

September/27/2022

After signing a seven-year extension, Berríos struggled for most of the 2022 campaign, pitching quality starts with limited runs followed by blowouts that saw him chased early.

A seven-year veteran coming into this season, the Puerto Rican product had one personal milestone that was on the horizon in 1000 strikeouts, with the right-hander earning the mark on September 28th against the Yankees, striking out Aaron Hicks for his 6th K on the night. Through 5.1 innings, he allowed nine hits with five earned runs with seven strikeouts on the day, earning the loss on the day.

Since joining the Blue Jays at the 2021 trade deadline, Berríos has struck out 227 batters through 242.1 innings of work, compiling an 8.4 K/9. While he struggled this year, Berríos did hit an impressive milestone and will likely hit many more throughout the length of his contract with the Blue Jays.

Bo Bichette Breaks Franchise Record for Most Hits in a Single Month

October/01/2022

Heading into September, shortstop Bo Bichette was slashing .260/.305/.420 with a .725 OPS with 17 home runs and 66 RBI. After initially struggling out of the gate, Bichette’s numbers were not awful by any means but were a step back from his impressive 2021 campaign.

Fast forward to the end of September and Bichette’s whole season turned around, with the Florida product collecting 48 hits through 119 at-bats, adding seven home runs and 27 RBI to his season totals while authoring a .403 batting average and a 1.134 OPS, highlighted by a three home run affair against the Baltimore Orioles.

This impressive feat set a franchise record for the most hits for a Blue Jay within a single calendar month and really turned around his season, eventually finishing the year with a .290/.333/.469 slash line and a .802 OPS, with his 189 hits on the year leading the AL, six knocks ahead of second-place finisher Jose Abreu. This is the second consecutive season where Bichette has led the AL in hits.

Alek Manoah wins AL Pitcher of the Month Award

October/01/2022

Alek Manoah emerged as the Blue Jays’ go-to pitcher this season and alongside Kevin Gausman, these two formed one of the best one-two punches in the American League.

While Bichette gained a lot of headlines for his play in September, Manoah also shined during the late stages of the season, starting six games in the month with the Blue Jays winning five of those contests. He authored a 0.88 ERA through 41.0 innings while allowing just four earned runs and striking out 33. He limited opposing batters to a .162 average during that month as well.

For his efforts, Manoah was awarded the AL Pitcher of the Month for September and also enters the Blue Jays record books, throwing the lowest ERA within a single month, besting Roger Clemens by 0.01.

Overall, the 6’6″ right-hander finished the year with a 2.24 ERA through 31 starts with 180 strikeouts through 196.2 innings, rightfully earning the role of ace by the end of the year. He will likely end up with some Cy Young votes this offseason as well.

Blue Jays Secure Home Field Advantage for Wild Card Series

October/03/2022

The Toronto Blue Jays last made the postseason in 2020 but haven’t won a playoff game since 2016, as the team was swept by the Tampa Bay Rays during the AL Wild Card matchup two years ago.

This year, the Blue Jays were poised to take the top spot given the offseason acquisitions and the talented core in place but a stellar Yankees squad positioned the Jays for the AL Wild Card instead, fighting for one of the three spots alongside the Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays, and the Baltimore Orioles.

While the Jays mathematically locked a spot before heading into the last series of the year in Baltimore, they still needed to fend off the Mariners for first place, which meant the club would either be hosting the AL Wild Card vs. travelling to either Seattle or Tampa Bay after finishing in second.

The Jays would go on to lock up the first AL Wild Card spot during their first game against Baltimore, as the club won 5-1 in a rain-shortened contest while the Mariners lost to the Detroit Tigers, so late October 3rd, playoff baseball was officially coming back to Canada.

And the rest is history.