Who was the Blue Jays’ 2024 first-half MVP?

When it comes to determining who deserves MVP honours for the Toronto Blue Jays for the first-half of the 2024 season, it might not be as clear-cut as one would think. Sure, the Blue Jays may be in the midst of a disappointing campaign to date. But with a roster full of stars, one would expect some of the usual suspects in Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., George Springer, Kevin Gausman, and Jordan Romano at least leading the charge.

Surprisingly, that has not been the case, as many of them have encountered some major struggles this year. However, among the elite group, Guerrero appeared to have worked his way out of it, as he currently leads the team in hits (107), runs scored (47), home runs (14) and RBI (55). So as the Jays’ leader on a team that has constantly had trouble in generating offense, Guerrero’s impressive turnaround performance should automatically crown him as the best Jay so far in 2024 right?

Not so fast, though. Because if it really came down to who has surprised and has provided the greatest impact with their overall game this season, the true MVP of the club is none other than utility infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Signed as a free agent by the Jays this past offseason, Kiner-Falefa was counted upon to be the team’s “super sub” given his versatility in playing multiple positions in the field. His track record didn’t scream offensive powerhouse by any means, but one expected a well-rounded player that could provide solid contributions both at the plate and in the field whenever called upon.

But as of now, Kiner-Falefa has surely exceeded his expectations based on his performance so far with the Jays. After a slow start to the season from an offensive standpoint, he has gotten stronger as the year progressed, securing himself a permanent starting role in the process. Here is a table highlighting his rapid improvement during the first three months of the 2024 season.

So basically Kiner-Falefa has now gone from being just a supplementary piece for the Jays to a valuable hitter and run producer in just a span of weeks. Cumulatively for the season, he is currently hitting a solid .292 with a .758 OPS, along with 7 home runs and 33 RBI over 82 games played. If projected over an entire 162-game schedule, that would mean 14 home runs and 65 RBI worth of production, which would easily shatter his previous personal career marks. 

More importantly, for a team that had been constantly looking for a clutch hitter to come through in key situations, Kiner-Falefa has been the best at it for the Jays this season. When hitting with runners in scoring position (RISP) in 2024, he has posted a sparkling .368 average, .828 OPS with 25 RBI in 57 total at-bats. And with two outs with RISP? He has been even better, sporting a .400 average and .864 OPS in such situations. 

Not to mention we haven’t even taken into consideration the incredible defense Kiner-Falefa has provided the Jays this season as well. With reps taken mainly at the second base, third base, and shortstop positions, he has registered 11 DRS already and has committed only three errors to date for a stellar .989 fielding percentage. Those stats actually put him on pace to surpass his fielding stats from his Gold Glove-winning 2020 season.  Just for good measure, Kiner-Falefa has even made a couple of pitching appearances to help give the bullpen the rest they needed.

With his newfound ability to effectively impact the game equally on both sides of the field, Kiner-Falefa truly deserves a bigger role on the team when he eventually returns from the IL. So in a year where everything seemed to be going wrong for the Jays, they certainly got at least one thing right. That was their successful recruitment of Kiner-Falefa to become their unexpecting most valuable player on the team so far this season.