Report card to see the first half of the Blue Jays

After finishing the first half of the regular season with 44-37, when the second half of the campaign begins, the Toronto Blue Jays find themselves hovering near the playoff cut line.

The New York Yankees appear ready to flee in the American League East this year, but division rivals Boston, Toronto and Tampa Bay own AL wildcard spots for Tuesday’s match.

This year’s expansion of the playoff structure — the addition of a third wildcard team to both leagues — may help teams like the Blue Jays who just missed in last season’s postseason 91-71.

Here’s what the report card looks like in the first half of Toronto for the 2022 season (all stats will be available on Tuesday).

Start of rotation

Alek Manoah enjoys a great second grade season, but this year some of Toronto’s starters are suffering from inconsistencies.

Manoa emerged as a staff ace thanks to the 9-3 record. The giant right-handed player is 3rd in AL with an ERA of 2.33, 5th in 0.99 WHIP, and 9th in batting average (.213) of his opponent.

Kevin Gausman (6-6, 2.86) was very reliable, but José Berríos (6-4, 5.72) and Yusei Kikuchi (3-4, 4.74) had too much up and down stretch. Ross Stripling (4-3, 3.32) successfully transitioned from a long relief role to rotation after Hyun-jin Ryu was injured at the end of the season.

Overall grade: C

bull-pen

Canada’s closer Jordan Romano (2-2, 2.79) was a key player for the first two months as the Blue Jays played in tight matches with amazing frequency.

His nine performances are a big reason why the Blue Jays are 18-12 in one-run games. Originally from Markham, Ontario, Romano has recorded 17 saves this season, second only to Cleveland’s Emanuel Klaas in AL.

However, be aware of the lack of general undulation depth in Toronto. Set uppers Tim Mayza and Yimi Garcia have been able to fight injuries this season, and manager Charlie Montoyo has been creative and sometimes forced to use low-leverage arms in high-leverage areas. ..

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Among the main rescuers, Adam Cimber and David Phelps posted decent numbers, while Trent Thornton was mediocre. Trevor Richards and Julian Merryweather had been down for years before moving on to IL.

Comprehensive grade: C-

Outfielder

A healthy George Springer helped stabilize the outfield in Toronto. The center fielder has posted solid attack statistics and his defenses are strong.

Teoscar Hernandez is rounded in shape after a diagonal injury, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. also has a stable presence. Raimel Tapia was a competent option, and backup outfielder Bradley Zimmer’s speed made up for the weak bat.

Overall grade: B

Infielder

I have a lot of things I like about the situation in the infields of Toronto.

Shortstop Bo Bichette and first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will probably be the starters of the All-Star game. Matt Chapman is locked on third base and Santiago Espinal has emerged as a quality daily second baseman.

Cavan Biggio has been waving a hot bat since recalling from Triple A Buffalo in late May. He was a valuable utility man because he can play well in multiple positions defensively.

Overall grade: B +

catcher

The Blue Jays are loaded behind the plate. Toronto catchers are currently leading the major leagues in hits (84), batting average (.295), on-base percentage (.367) and OPS (on-base percentage and slugging) (.869).

Alejandro Kirk has significantly reduced .315 / .405 / .910 during the breakout season, forming a formidable 1-2 punch with Danny Jansen.

The Blue Jays gave top prospect Gabriel Moreno a Major League Baseball representative, as Janssen was on the injured list twice this year, and he flashed some of his impressive skill sets.

Overall grade: A

management

General Manager Ross Atkins is doing well to shape a competitive roster with a bright future. He aims to improve by the trading deadline of August 2nd, so it will be a real test in the coming weeks.

Addressing the lack of mound depth is priority 1. Another left-handed bat is also a welcome addition.

Toronto ranks 9th in the 30-team MLB power ranking with a 44-37 record, slightly better than last year’s midpoint 2021 teams (43-38). FanGraphs predicts that the Blue Jays are currently 90.7% likely to play off.

The key player injury did not make things easier for Montoyo in his fourth season as a skipper. He will be pressured to bring the prospective candidate back to the postseason.

Overall grade: C +

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published on July 5, 2022.

Follow @GregoryStrongCP on Twitter.