After closing the first half of the regular season 44–37, the Toronto Blue Jays found themselves hovering near the playoff cutline as the second half of the campaign began.
The New York Yankees are set to run away with the American League East this year, while division rivals Boston, Toronto and Tampa Bay have AL wild-card spots entering Tuesday’s games.
An expanded playoff structure this year – a third wild-card team added to both leagues – could help teams like the Blue Jays, who missed last year’s season at 91-71.
Here’s a report card look at the first half of Toronto’s 2022 season (all stats entering play on Tuesday):
start rotation
While Alec Manoah is enjoying an excellent sophomore season, inconsistency has plagued many of Toronto’s starters this year.
Manoah has emerged as a staff ace thanks to a 9-3 record. The Hulking right-hander is third in the AL with a 2.33 earned run average, his 0.99 WHIP is fifth and he is ninth in rival batting average (.213).
Kevin Gossman (6-6, 2.86) has been pretty dependable but Jose Berrios (6-4, 5.72) and UC Kikuchi (3-4, 4.74) have too many up-and-down stretches. Ross Stripling (4-3, 3.32) has replaced Hyun Jin Ryu well into the rotation from a long-relief role following a season-ending injury.
Related Video
Overall Grade: C
bullpen
Canadian close Jordan Romano (2-2, 2.79) was a workhorse in the first few months as the Blue Jays found themselves in tight games with remarkable frequency.
His ninth-innings performance is a big reason the Blue Jays are 18-12 in a one-run game. Romano of Markham, Ontario has made 17 defenses this season, finishing second in the AL behind Emmanuel Claes of Cleveland.
However, Toronto’s general lack of relief depth deserves attention. Setup men Tim Maiza and Yimi Garcia battling injuries several times this season forced manager Charlie Montoyo to get creative and sometimes use low-leverage weapons in high-leverage spots.
Among the main relievers, Adam Simber and David Phelps have posted decent numbers while Trent Thornton has been mediocre. Trevor Richards and Julian Merryweather were running down the aisle for years before moving on to IL.
Overall Grade: C-
outfielders
A healthy George Springer has helped stabilize Toronto’s outfield. The centre-fielder has been posting solid offensive figures and his defense has also been sound.
Teoscar Hernández has been back in form after a skewer and Lourdes Gurrill Jr. has also provided a steady presence. Raimel Tapia has been a capable option and backup outfielder Bradley Zimmer’s pace makes up for a weak bat.
Overall Grade: B
infidels
There’s a lot to like about Toronto’s infield situation.
Shortstop Bo Bichette and first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., will likely be the All-Star Game starters. Matt Chapman has been a rock at third base and Santiago Espinal has emerged as a quality second baseman.
Cavan Biggio has turned up a hot bat since being called back from Triple-A Buffalo in late May. He has been a valuable utilitarian as he can play well defensively in many positions.
Overall Grade: B+
catchers
The Blue Jays are loaded behind the plate. The Toronto Catchers currently lead the major leagues in hits (84), batting average (.295), on-base percentage (.367), and OPS (on-base plus slugging) (.869).
Alejandro Kirk is lacking .315/.405/.910 in the breakout season, while building up a formidable 1-2 punch with Danny Jensen.
Since Jensen has been on the injured list twice this year, the Blue Jays have given top prospect Gabriel Moreno some big league reps and he has shown some of his impressive skills.
Overall Grade: A
management
General Manager Ross Atkins has done well to shape a competitive roster with a bright future ahead. The next few weeks will be a real test as they aim to improve on the August 2 trading time frame.
Addressing the lack of depth on the mound is priority number 1. Another left-handed bat would also be welcome.
Toronto are ninth in the 30-team MLB Power Rankings, whose 44-37 record is slightly better than last year’s 2021 squad (43-38) at the midway point. According to estimates from FanGraph, the Blue Jays currently have a 90.7-percent chance of making the playoffs.
Injuries to key players have not made things easy for Montoyo, who is in his fourth season as captain. There will be pressure on him to bring back the expected contender after the season.
Overall Grade: C+
,
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on July 5, 2022.
Follow @GregoryStrongCP on Twitter.
© 2022 Canadian Press