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The Toronto Blue Jays may not necessarily be having the 2023 season that they were hoping for so far, but they are still in the thick of the American League wild card race as we creep up on the halfway point of the season. With a 37-31 record, it's clear the Blue Jays are solid, but they do have the misfortune of playing in the stacked American League East, which hampers their playoff potential.
While the Blue Jays are in a decent position, it's clear that many folks expected them to be competing for the top spot in the division rather than hanging in fourth place like they are right now. It's safe to say that there have been a handful of key players who haven't stepped up for Toronto, which has contributed to their somewhat uneven start to the season.
Despite that, there have also been a handful of standout performances along the way as well, which is why things aren't as bad as they could be for the Blue Jays. So with that in mind, and the All-Star Game drawing closer, let's take a look at three Blue Jays players who must be All-Stars for their play in the 2023 season so far.
3. Jordan Romano
Having a lockdown closer is a gift in the MLB, and the Blue Jays have just that in Jordan Romano. After taking awhile to find his footing in the majors, Romano has emerged as one of the best closers in the game, which he confirmed in 2022 when he racked up 36 saves and a 2.11 ERA to earn the first All-Star selection of his career.
Romano has been solid once again so far in 2023 (3-2, 2.67 ERA, 18 SV, 33 K, 1.11 WHIP) to provide stability for Toronto at one of the most important positions in the game. Romano's 18 saves are tied for second in the majors behind Emmanuel Clase, and while there may be question marks elsewhere in the bullpen for the Blue Jays, Romano isn't one of those question marks.
It is worth noting that Romano has blown three saves already, but even closers make mistakes from time to time. Romano has remained one of the most consistent finishers in the MLB after his breakout 2022 campaign, and he should be able to translate that to his second straight All-Star appearance this season.
2. Kevin Gausman
The Blue Jays have certainly had their struggles in the starting rotation (cough cough, Alek Manoah) which is why Kevin Gausman's stellar start to the season has been so important for this team. Gausman has been the anchor of Toronto's starting rotation, and he is only getting stronger as the season goes on.
Gausman has been Toronto's best starter by far to start the season (5-3, 3.12 ERA, 117 K, 1.14 WHIP) and is going to have to continue pitching at this high level to ensure the Blue Jays remain in the wild card hunt. Gausman's 117 strikeouts are the most in the American League at the time of this writing, with only Spencer Strider sitting ahead of him currently.
After his shocking emergence into a Cy Young caliber pitcher over the past two seasons, Gausman has continued to dominate so far this season. Gausman earned his first All-Star selection in 2021 with the San Francisco Giants, and assuming he can keep up his strong string of recent starts (1.35 ERA in his past six starts before struggling against the Minnesota Twins on Sunday) he should be an easy All-Star choice here.
1. Bo Bichette
Bo Bichette has always been a key piece of the Blue Jays lineup, but he's never exactly been their best hitter. When you play alongside Vladimir Guerrero Jr., that tends to happen. But in 2023, Bichette has emerged to become the unexpected driver of Toronto's offense, and he should be the easy choice at shortstop in the American League for All-Star voting.
Bichette appears to have taken his game to another level for the Blue Jays so far this season (.316 BA, 14 HR, 43 RBI, .853 OPS) and has been arguably the most consistent player in the majors. Bichette's .316 batting average is the best in the AL, and his 92 hits lead the majors. Bichette has also played in all 68 of Toronto's games, which isn't something that can be ignored either.
After playing 159 games in each of the past two seasons, and leading the AL in hits in both of those campaigns too, it's clear that this is the type of player Bichette is. But in 2023, he's taken on a bigger role of being the team's top source of offense, and he's been fantastic to this point. Bichette has been putting together a monster campaign so far, and he is pretty much a lock to be an All-Star at this point.
