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3 Toronto Blue Jays All-Stars Who Should Be Represented

Toronto Blue Jays All-Stars

The hunt for the Toronto Blue Jays All-Stars will be one to watch. The 93rd edition of the Midsummer Classic takes place in Seattle at T-Mobile Park on Tuesday, July 11. With fan balloting now open, Toronto has had the opportunity to send a combined eight players in the last two All-Star Games. They will look to do the same, as a few players on the roster are worthy of attending this year’s festivities. Let’s get to which Blue Jays are making a case to play with the best of the best in baseball.

Toronto Blue Jays All-Stars

Bo Bichette

An All-Star in 2021, Bichette stumbled in the first half of the 2022 season, but it tore up thanks to a hot month of September hitting. 406. Based on what the Blue Jays have seen from Bichette, he’s been on a roll since Opening Day. He has to be a starter at the Midsummer Classic in Seattle. The shortstop leads the AL in batting average (.333), hits (87), and at-bats (261). He has 12 home runs, 40 RBI, and two stolen bases with a .888 OPS. He’s hitting .302 for his career with 81 homers, 279 RBI, and 49 stolen bases.

Kevin Gausman

Gausman has provided strong performances so far in 2023. The Blue Jays ace put 6 2/3 scoreless innings on 115 pitches in his last start against the Milwaukee Brewers. His 11 strikeouts in that appearance give him 100 on the season, leading all AL pitchers. Gausman has posted a 2.76 ERA in 12 starts. The veteran right is in the 94th percentile in the chase rate and the 92nd percentile in K%. Opposing batters are hitting. 171 with a 46.6% whiff rate.

Matt Chapman

Chapman’s defense is good, but his offensive start to the season saw him with 1.182 OPS in April. He followed up with a .585 OPS in May but remained the best overall at his position. He leads the AL in extra-base hits while hitting .281 with a 137 OPS+. José Ramírez is playing subpar baseball, and Rafael Devers is playing with a sub.300 on-base percentage.

Honorable Mentions

Kevin Kiermaier

In recent memory, Kiermaier’s one-year, $9 million deal is one of the best moves from the Blue Jays. His defense is spectacular, ranking first with a 1.4 defensive bWAR in the AL and tied with Ramón Laureano with a 12 Rdrs. However, Kiermaier can change the game, making one of the season’s plays last week, robbing Andruw Monasterio of extra bases with a diving catch in right-center field.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Guerrero Jr. has represented the Blue Jays at the All-Star Game as a starter in the last two seasons. That streak could end as he’s cooled down a bit since hitting .439/.510/.610 in his first ten games of the season. Yandy Díaz leads the AL first baseman in batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage. Anthony Rizzo appears to have regained his All-Star form from years past. However, Guerrero Jr. is hitting a respectable .288/.354/.467 with nine home runs and 38 RBI. He’s just heating up at the right time.

Chris Bassitt

Bassitt has turned a corner since his disastrous outing against the St. Louis Cardinals. The 34-year-old is 6-3 with a 2.42 ERA, 65 strikeouts, and 4.13 FIP, including a complete game against the Atlanta Braves. Bassitt pitched 7/23 shutout innings on Friday against his former team while his wife was back in Toronto in labor. He has four starts of seven-plus shutout innings this season, tied with Eduardo Rodriguez for the most in the majors.

Photo Credit: © Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports

Players mentioned:

Bo Bichette, Kevin Gausman, Matt Chapman, José Ramírez, Rafael Devers, Ramón Laureano Yandy Díaz, Andruw Monasterio, Kevin Kiermaier, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Chris Bassitt, Eduardo Rodriguez

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