Fresh off a 91-win 2021 season that still left them watching the playoffs from home with a fourth-place finish, the 2022 Blue Jays won 92 games and this time landed the top Wild Card spot in the American League. As such, they’ll host a best-of-three set against a Mariners team making its first playoff appearance in two decades. Here’s their roster…
Right-Handed Pitchers
- Anthony Bass
- Jose Berrios
- Adam Cimber
- Yimi Garcia
- Kevin Gausman
- Alek Manoah (Game 1 starter)
- David Phelps
- Zach Pop
- Trevor Richards
- Jordan Romano
- Ross Stripling
Left-Handed Pitchers
Catchers
Infielders
Outfielders
Not many playoff clubs see a managerial change midseason, but the Jays are riding into postseason play with an interim manager (former bench coach John Schneider), thanks largely to a powerhouse lineup that slugged 200 home runs (seventh in MLB) and led the American League batting average (.264), on-base percentage (.329), slugging percentage (.431) and wRC+ (117).
The Jays won’t have outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. available to them this round, as he’s dealing with a hamstring injury that’ll keep him sidelined. That’ll push Tapia into today’s starting lineup as the left fielder — a notable step down in production at the plate. Gurriel hit .291/.343/.400 this season, whereas Tapia’s first year with the Jays resulted in a .265/.292/.380 slash.
Toronto will carry all three of its well-regarded catchers on the roster, giving them the luxury of plugging two of Jansen (.260/.339/.516), Kirk (.285/.372/.415) and Moreno (.319/.356/.377) in the lineup in each game without fear of losing the DH in the event of an injury behind the plate.
The Blue Jays have not yet announced the second and third starters of the series, but it’ll be Manoah going in Game 1. The former first-round pick broke out as a legitimate Cy Young contender in 2022, hurling 196 2/3 inning of 2.24 ERA ball with a 22.9% strikeout rate and 6.5% walk rate.
Gausman, signed to a five-year deal over the winter, thrived in his first season with the Jays and is a natural candidate to take the bump in Game 2, but there’s perhaps some consideration to saving him for either an elimination game this series or, in the event of a sweep, for a Game 1 appearance in the ALDS. Both Berrios and Kikuchi have been disappointments for the Jays in 2022, and although Berrios is the most established option for a third start this series, it’s possible that Stripling (2.92 ERA in 123 1/3 innings as a starter) will ultimately be the one to take the hill.
I’m hearing that Manfred blacked-out international MLB.tv subscribers for all the playoff games. This dude really hates baseball fans who give him money.
I always thought the playoff games were a separate package anyway. And If you live in Canada, all the Jays games are on Sportsnet.
It wasn’t blacked out last year according to fans on fangraphs, mlb66, and MLBTR. You can make excuses for Manfred’s blackouts all you want but MLB deserves a commish focused on growing the game, especially in the international markets.
Last year (Canada) I was able to watch the US teams in the playoffs on MLB.TV. This year, it’s blacked out
One Bite Hotdog;
Is there no where else in Canada that you can see the MLB playoffs on TV?
Other broadcasting companies pay a tremendous amount for the rights to do the MLB playoffs.
Subscribers know going in that they can only see some of the playoff games on replay after the game is over. They weren’t “blacked out”.
MLB.tv subscribers pay a lot of money to watch their baseball games and the playoff blackout wasn’t listed on the MLB.com website, according to Jay Jaffe. You can slurp manfred and the broadcasting companies all you want but it doesn’t make it right. Sure it’s legal but it’s not in the best interest of fans.
Thanks for your comment Mr. Manfred
Yup. We get some games on ESPN here but no CS or world series. There is literally no other legal way to get access to all the games.
Berrios does not start in this series, period. Gausman or Stripling in game 2, nobody else.
Yeah, I gotta believe Gausman gets the ball in game 2.
Yup, looks like the jays will be in an elimination game now.