Predicting the Blue Jays' All-Stars in 2023

Bo Bichette

Bo Bichette made his first All-Star appearance in 2021. Like Guerrero, his numbers came down the next season to the point that he was not selected for the 2022 team. Then the calendar switched to September.

Bichette’s final month of last season salvaged his year and reminded everyone that he’s capable of being a perennial All-Star for the rest of his career. He entered the month batting just .260 with a .725 OPS on the season; he ended it by increasing his average by 30 points and OPS by nearly 80 points.

In an eight-game stretch in September, Bichette hit three home runs in one night in Baltimore while batting .517 with six homers and 17 RBI. He’s the only shortstop in MLB history to do that. His strong finish to the year allowed Bichette to lead the American League in hits for the second consecutive season.

Bichette led all AL shortstops with 93 RBI. Only Corey Seager had more home runs than Bichette’s 24. Carlos Correa and Xander Bogaerts were the only shortstops with a higher OPS. And Bogaerts, one of Bichette’s main challengers for an All-Star nod, is now out of the AL after signing with the Padres in the offseason.

If Bichette’s finish to the 2022 season is a catalyst for what is to come, he should be in Seattle in July.

Kevin Gausman

Kevin Gausman didn’t make the All-Star team in his first year in a Blue Jays uniform. His 3.35 ERA ranked only 11th among qualified AL starting pitchers. But there is one factor that should help Gausman get to Seattle this time: sheer luck.

Gausman was the unluckiest starting pitcher last season. His .363 opposing batting average on balls put in play was the worst in the league; compare that to the .244 mark of Alek Manoah, .240 of Cy Young winner Justin Verlander, or .260 of Dylan Cease. Gausman was a victim of balls finding holes and bloopers falling in between defenders.

His stats suggest that, if his numbers revert to the mean, Gausman is in for an All-Star season in 2023. Only Carlos Rodon had a better FIP rate last season, a statistic that measures only things a pitcher has complete control over. He was fifth in the AL among starters in strikeouts per nine innings.

Gausman pitched like the ace the Blue Jays paid him to be, even if his numbers didn’t quite reflect it. He’s made only one All-Star appearance in his 10-year career, but another season like his debut with the Blue Jays should be enough to get him to Seattle.

Alek Manoah

Alek Manoah wasn’t the MVP of last year’s All-Star Game and was well out of the game by the time it was decided. But he gave the game its most memorable moment.

Manoah came on to pitch the second inning in what was his first All-Star appearance. What made this different from every other time he took the mound in his incredible sophomore season was the fact he was wearing a microphone, allowing him to speak directly to Fox host Joe Davis as he prepared to take on the NL’s best hitters.

While discussing his strategy and the pitches he was about to throw, Manoah struck out William Contreras. Then he struck out Joc Pederson. After hitting Jeff McNeil on the foot, he capped off the inning by getting Ronald Acuña Jr. swinging. The entire baseball world got a glimpse of his personality, his demeanor on the mound, and, most importantly, his potent stuff.

Manoah has been in the big leagues for less than two full seasons but is already among the elite pitchers in the game. He finished third in the AL in ERA and fourth in WHIP last season. Any concern that the long season and increasing workload would wear him down were quickly put to rest when Manoah only got better.

His September was one for the record books as he posted a 0.88 ERA over his final six starts, the lowest in a calendar month in Blue Jays franchise history. He gave up only six earned runs in his last eight appearances. His incredible year was recognized when Manoah finished third in AL Cy Young Award voting behind Justin Verlander and Dylan Cease.

The rest of the league saw what Manoah is capable of last year. Now entering his third big league season, Manoah can show it was no fluke and earn his way onto the AL All-Star roster once again.

Dark Horse candidates

This core four is a strong bet to get to Seattle if they perform as they are capable of this season. But the Blue Jays lineup is deep enough that they can rival last year’s group of six that represented the club in the All-Star Game.

Alejandro Kirk was one of the Blue Jays who made his first All-Star appearance last season, but his chances of returning in 2023 could be hampered by a lack of opportunities. The addition of Brandon Belt to the roster will likely reduce the number of plate appearances Kirk makes this year. Kirk was in the lineup 51 times as the designated hitter last season; but with Belt getting his shot to be the club’s full-time DH, either Kirk or Danny Jansen will have to sit.

George Springer is preparing for a full-time move over to right field as Kevin Kiermaier assumes his old center field role. He’s a four-time All-Star already, including last season, but he faces a crowded field of outfield candidates in the AL. Aaron Judge, Mike Trout, and Julio Rodriguez have the talent and name recognition to be popular picks to start the game, and that doesn’t even include players such as Yordan Alvarez, Kyle Tucker, and Byron Buxton. Simple numbers could keep Springer from joining his teammates in Seattle.