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After finishing the first half of the regular season at 44-37, when the second half of the campaign begins, the Toronto Blue Jays notice that they are 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 will play on Tuesday's AL Wildcard. I own a spot.

This year, the playoff structure has been expanded to add a third wildcard team to both leagues. It could be useful for teams like the Blue Jays who missed 91-71 last year's postseason.

Here's a report card for the first half of Toronto for the 2022 season (all stats will be available on Tuesday):

Start of rotation

Alexandre is a great sophomore Contradictions have plagued several Toronto starters this year while enjoying the season.

Manoa has 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) stretched up and down. Was too much. 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 score: C

Bullpen

Canadian closer Jordan Romano (2-2, 2.79) noticed that the Blue Jays were in a tight position. I was a major player for the first two months. Amazing frequency of games.

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 Toronto's lack of general relief depth. 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 Sinber and David Phelps posted decent numbers, but Trent Thornton Was mediocre. Trevor Richards and Julian Merryweather had been down for years before moving on to IL.

Overall Grade: C-

Outfielder

A healthy George Springer helps 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 viable 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 Toronto infielders.

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 score: B +

Catcher

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

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. Did.

Overall Grade: A

Management

General Manager Ross Atkins is doing well to create 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 is ranked 9th in the MLB power rankings of 30 teams with a 44-37 record slightly better than the 2021 teams (43-38) at the midpoint last year. FanGraphs predicts that the Blue Jays are currently 90.7% likely to play off.

The key player injury didn't make things easier for Montoyo, who is entering 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.

© 2022 The Canadian Press