The Blue Jays boasted one of MLB's best offenses in 2021. Is their lineup for 2022 even better?
Toronto finished second in team batting average (.276), fourth in on-base percentage (.330) and first in slugging percentage (.466). Losing AL MVP finalist Marcus Semien hurts, but the team made moves that can make up for the Semien vacancy.
General manager Ross Atkins got an everyday third baseman, acquiring Matt Chapman in a trade with the A's. He essentially switched out Randal Grichuk for Raimel Tapia, and the team is getting a healthier George Springer.
Oh, and all the youngsters --- namely, Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr and Cavan Biggio --- have another offseason of development under their belts.
The expectations are high for Toronto, with World Series aspirations very real and very possible given the roster makeup.
The Blue Jays open their season Friday at home against the Rangers, going head-to-head with Semien, who signed with Texas in the offseason. It's the start of what could be a breakout season, and it all starts with the team's superb starting lineup.
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What is the Blue Jays' starting lineup?
The official Opening Day batting order is not yet known, but here is a look at the projected primary lineup the Blue Jays will be rolling out the season.
| 1 | George Springer | CF |
| 2 | Bo Bichette | SS |
| 3 | Vladimir Guerrero Jr. | 1B |
| 4 | Teoscar Hernandez | DH |
| 5 | Matt Chapman | 3B |
| 6 | Lourdes Gurriel Jr. | LF |
| 7 | Raimel Tapia | RF |
| 8 | Danny Jansen | C |
| 9 | Cavan Biggio | 2B |
Breaking down the Blue Jays' lineup
George Springer, OF
Springer is looking for his first full, healthy season as a Blue Jay. He played in less than half the games last season after signing a six-year deal with Toronto; he dealt with injuries to his quadriceps and knee. He hasn't played at all during spring training as a precaution, but manager Charlie Montoyo maintained that Springer was ready. Springer hit .264 with 22 home runs and 50 RBIs in his limited action in 2021. When healthy, he is one of the best leadoff hitters in the league.
Bo Bichette, SS
While the hot topics with the Blue Jays last season were Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Robbie Ray, Bichette emerged as a legitimate top shortstop. He proved that his first two seasons of abbeviated action were no flukes. Bichette led the American League with 191 hits while batting .298 with 29 home runs and 102 RBIs. Bichette's 6.0 WAR ranked fifth in the AL and he received four MVP votes. Don't be surprised to see the 24-year-old take another step forward.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B
The most dangerous hitter in the AL last year is back. Guerrero would have been voted AL MVP had it not been for Shohei Ohtani's emergence as baseball's version of a unicorn. The 24-year-old slugger ranked first in the AL in runs (123), OBP (.401) and slugging (.601), tied for first in home runs (48), was second in hits (188) and was third in batting average (.311) and WAR (6.8). Vladdy Jr. is already one of the best hitters in the game.
Teoscar Hernandez, OF/DH
Hernandez enjoyed his first All-Star season in 2021 while putting up a slash line of .296/.346/.524. He ripped 32 home runs and piled up 116 RBIs, third-most in the majors. The 29-year-old figures to get a good portion of DH at-bats. He isn't a liability in the outfield, but Montoyo has better defensive options.
Matt Chapman, 3B
He's the newest face in the Blue Jays' infield. Toronto acquired him to lock down the hot corner. There is no questioning Chapman's glove: He's a three-time Gold Glove winner and is one of MLB's best defensive third basemen. But the Blue Jays are gambling on his bat. He posted a career-low .210 average last season. With all the power in the lineup, Toronto doesn't need Chapman to be the .279 batter he once was. But any improvement from last year at the dish would certainly be welcomed.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr., OF
The 28-year-old from Cuba finally enjoyed a full 162-game season on the Blue Jays' roster since coming up for good in 2019. He hit .276 with 21 home runs and 84 RBIs. With Grichuk no longer on the roster, Gurriel should be the everyday left fielder in Toronto.
Raimel Tapia, OF
Tapia was acquired in the deal that sent Grichuk to the Rockies. The 28-year-old put up very respectable numbers in Colorado, but Coors Field is a hitter's dream. The question will be how Tapia's hitting translates to Rogers Centre and the rest of the AL parks. He hit .273 last year, .321 in 2020 and .275 in 2019. Tapia also brings speed on the basepaths as well; he swiped 20 bags last season. He also gives the Blue Jays a left-handed bat for an outfield that didn't previously have one.
Danny Jansen, C
Jansen is what most catchers are in the majors — a great defensive option who isn't so good with the bat. He has some pop, though; he hit 11 home runs last year with a .473 SLG. Not bad for a hitter who batted .223. Jansen is in line to be the everyday catcher until prospect Gabriel Moreno is ready to take over later this year or next year.
Cavan Biggio, 2B
Biggio was the odd man out last year after the Blue Jays brought in Semien to play second base and Santiago Espinal earned the third base job. Now, he has the tall task of replacing Semien, who finished third in the AL MVP voting. The 26-year-old from Texas is far from the player of Semien's caliber, but with more reps he could be a reliable bottom-of-the-order hitter. Biggio posted career lows in batting average (.226), OBP (.322) and slugging (.356) while dealing with injuries for most of the 2021 season.
Blue Jays bench options
Santiago Espinal, IF
Don't be shocked if Espinal is more of an everyday player than a bench option. The 27-year-old from the Dominican Republic saw action in 92 games last season. He batted .311 in 246 plate appearances and took over for Biggio at third base. He can play third, second or shortstop, which makes him a great utility option.
Alejandro Kirk, C
The hefty catcher is more useful with the bat than behind the plate, but he figures to be Jansen's backup for now. He'll have competition from Zack Collins on the major league roster and Moreno in the minors. Kirk hit .242 last season with eight home runs and 24 RBIs. He'll have to be better in the box if he wants to play more often.
Gosuke Katoh, IF
Katoh was one of the feel-good stories of spring training. The infielder from California has bounced around the minors since 2013, but he impressed the Blue Jays' staff enough to be selected to the 40-man roster. He hit .304 with Triple-A El Paso last season, but his defensive versatility is what makes him useful. He played first, second base, third base and left field in 2021, so he's like a left-handed-hitting version of Espinal.
Zack Collins, C
The 26-year-old spent parts of the last three seasons with the White Sox. He played in 78 games with Chicago in 2021, batting .210 with four home runs and 26 RBIs. Like Kirk, he's dealing with tons of competition at catcher. With the Blue Jays potentially eyeing Kirk as a DH option, they'll need a third catcher if anything happens to Jansen.
