5 Blue Jays players that have been major disappointments this season

For the 2023 season, there have been many Toronto Blue Jays players that have played a major role in leading the team to success so far this season. First and foremost has to be the tremendous bounce back seasons by starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi and, to a slightly lesser extent, José Berríos. After struggling for almost the entire 2022 season, in particular for Kikuchi who was even relegated to bullpen duties near the end of the season, both pitchers have been a renaissance for 2023 in leading the Jays to many victories so far this year.

In addition to Kikuchi and Berríos, there have been strong contributions from unexpected sources in both Whit Merrifield and Kevin Kiermaier. Being a huge question mark near the start of the season, Merrifield has revitalized his career by regaining his prior All-Star form this season with the Jays, while Kiermaier has combined his stellar defence with some unforeseen offensive output to help the ballclub. In terms of the Jays’ bullpen, left-handed reliever Tim Mayza has been having the best season in recent memory from a relief pitcher, while trade deadline acquisition Génesis Cabrera has been truly lights out ever since joining the team in July.

At the same time, there have been some players that have severely underachieved this season. As a result, they have turned out to be major disappointments for the Blue Jays this year, as much more was expected from them than what they have produced so far. No doubt they would certainly need to step up their game soon in order for them to have further success with the team and in their careers in the long run.

In this review, we will take a look at five Jays’ players that have unfortunately failed to meet expectations for the 2023 year.

Adam Cimber

For those that could recall, Adam Cimber was acquired along with Corey Dickerson from the Miami Marlins back in 2021 by the Jays in a desperate move to revamp their bullpen that had been struggling mightily for the season. Along with Trevor Richards, who was acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers just a week following the Marlins trade, they helped resurrect the Jays’ relief corps down the stretch in helping the ballclub become strong contenders for the postseason. Cimber would finish that season with a sparkling 1.69 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, while giving up only seven earned runs, five walks and 30 strikeouts in 37.1 innings pitched with the Jays following the trade.

Cimber would continue his successful run with his new ballclub right into the 2022 season, as once again, he was one of the main cogs of the Jays’ bullpen. He would go on to post a strong 10-6 record, along with 19 holds, four saves, 2.80 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 13 walks and 58 strikeouts in 70.2 innings of work.

However, it had suddenly become a nightmarish season for Cimber when 2023 rolled around. After starting off the year on a good note, it had been all downhill for him from the end of April and onwards. The normally reliable and consistent Cimber suddenly became batting practice for opposing hitters. As a result, he has endured his worst season ever in his career, compiling a gaudy 7.40 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, giving up 17 earned runs including six home runs (tying his career high), seven walks and 12 strikeouts in just 20.2 innings pitched. To make matters worse, he was met with multiple injuries along the way, including a right shoulder impingement that has now put him out most likely for the rest of the season.

Alejandro Kirk

Coming off an impressive breakout season in 2022, Alejandro Kirk was set to take off for the Blue Jays for 2023 as one of their primary catchers on the roster. After all, not only was Kirk a first-time All-Star, he also won his first ever Silver Slugger award by batting .285 with a .786 OPS, along with 59 runs scored, 19 doubles, 14 home runs, 63 RBI, 63 walks and only 58 strikeouts in 139 games played. He was so impressive that we even named him as one of the most important players for the Jays’ future at one point in time.

However, the 2023 season has turned out to be quite the disappointment so far for Kirk. Not only has he been unable to build upon his growth from the previous season, he has even lost playing time now to Danny Jansen, who has been clutch for the Jays thus far. For 2023, Kirk has struggled to a .247 batting average, along with a .667 OPS, with 23 runs scored, six home runs, 30 RBI, 29 walks and 34 strikeouts in 95 games played. He is currently on pace for less than 10 home runs and 40 RBI for the season, while batting almost 20 points below his career average.

Despite the down season, the good part is that Kirk is still at the young age of 24, so he still has plenty of time to develop and work on his hitting approach at the plate to mould himself into a more consistent hitter over time. Added to the fact that the Jays also have Jansen in the mix, it gives Kirk some extra leeway in maturing his game so that he can be the potent contributor we saw in 2022 once again in the near future.

Santiago Espinal

The rise and fall couldn’t have come any faster and harder than what Santiago Espinal has experienced these past couple of years. Acquired from the Boston Red Sox back in 2018 in exchange for Steve Pearce, Espinal finally got his chance to shine with the big league club back in 2021. Playing in a part-time role at third base, while sharing the duties with the likes of Cavan Biggio, Joe Panik and Breyvic Valera, Espinal put together a solid season in which he hit a solid .311 with a .781 OPS, along with 32 runs scored, 13 doubles, two home runs, 17 RBI and six stolen bases in 92 games played. What made him stand out among the group was also his ability to flash the leather at the hot corner at the same time.

He would then follow that season up with his coming out party in 2022. His rapid ascension in becoming a Jays’ everyday player materialized that season, as he beat out Biggio to become the permanent starter at second base. Not only did he continue to provide stellar defence at the position, Espinal would also have a breakout season at the plate. His hard work and success was eventually recognized when he was named an All-Star for the first time in his career in the process. He finished the season with a .267 average, 51 runs scored, 25 doubles, seven home runs, 51 RBI and six stolen bases in 135 games played.

Despite the breakout season, Espinal did encounter a cold spell near the end of the 2022 season, but many believed it was perhaps just due to fatigue as he hadn’t played in so many games in a season previously in his career. However, his struggles did end up carrying over into the 2023 season. Not only has he lost his starting gig at second base to Merrifield, he has also lost a lot of playing time overall due to his struggles at the plate. Unfortunately with those struggles, which probably had some effect on his overall confidence, it has inadvertently affected his defence somewhat as well, as he hasn’t been as sure-handed as he used to be from previous seasons. It has truly been a disappointing year for Espinal, as he has hit only .222 with a .596 OPS, 26 runs scored, two home runs and 19 RBI in 73 games of action. He will really need to step it up soon if he hopes to maintain a spot on the big league roster with Jays for the near future.

Alek Manoah

Perhaps the biggest disappointment of them all has been the unexpected decline of former Jays’ ace and pitching sensation Alek Manoah. The former first round draft pick from the 2019 MLB Draft took the MLB by storm in his rookie debut season back in 2021. Despite joining the big league club in late May, Manoah became a key part of the Jays’ starting rotation for the rest of the season. Pitching like a seasoned-veteran, he posted strong numbers across the board, with a 9-2 winning record, 3.22 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, with 127 strikeouts in just 111.2 innings pitched in 20 starts.

If people weren’t impressed already, he quickly followed that up with a Cy Young-calibre season in 2022. In becoming the team’s co-ace along with Kevin Gausman, Manoah compiled a stellar 16-7 record with a 2.24 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, giving up just 49 earned runs, 51 walks and 180 strikeouts in 196.2 innings of work. He would end up being named to his first All-Star game, along with being a finalist for the AL Cy Young award. As a result, many were looking forward to what he had in store for everyone for 2023.

Unfortunately, it has been a complete disaster for Manoah for the 2023 season. Practically almost everything that could go wrong has gone wrong for the big man, as he struggled with control, command and consistency throughout the whole season, ultimately leading to his demotion to the minors on multiple occasions. So far this year, Manoah has posted an unworldly 3-9 record, 5.87 ERA, 1.74 WHIP, giving up 57 earned runs including 15 home runs, 59 walks and 79 strikeouts in just 87.1 innings pitched. As he looks to work on his pitching mechanics to regroup and recapture his pitching magic from the past, the short-term outlook for his future with the ballclub appears cloudy, as it will be up to Manoah to turn things around as soon as possible to become a player of significance once again.