Given we are now into September, the potential playoff roster options are set - if you weren't in the system on the night of August 31st to September 1st you can't play with the Jays in the post-season. So IKF qualifies (barely), but Buddy Kennedy (re-acquired September 1st) doesn't.
Here is a list of everyone who can play in October with the Jays who is on the 40 man roster (guys not on it can too, but few will be considered outside of the obvious one in Trey Yesavage (xFIP of 2.49 so far))
Here is a list of everyone who can play in October with the Jays who is on the 40 man roster (guys not on it can too, but few will be considered outside of the obvious one in Trey Yesavage (xFIP of 2.49 so far))
I used wRC+ for hitters, and xFIP for pitchers. Just to minimize the randomness due to parks/leagues (ERA and OPS can be drastically affected by that) and to avoid playing time issues (WAR and most raw stats can be grossly shifted due to that too). Fielding quality we pretty much know I figure. Varsho = good, Bo = bad (relative to others at their positions that is - I'm sure Bo is 1000x+ better than anyone here). Brackets show overall stats for guys who came here mid-season (otherwise stuff like IKF's stats would make no sense, and you need to see how France has done since he came here to appreciate how useful he has been). FYI: RH-CL = Right handed closer, SU = Set Up man.
The guys here now are....
| wRC+ or xFIP | |||
| Position | Who | Majors | Minors |
| DH/OF | George Springer | 164 | 313 |
| RF/3B | Addison Barger | 108 | 94 |
| 1B/DH | Vladimir Guerrero Jr. | 143 | |
| SS | Bo Bichette | 130 | |
| CF | Daulton Varsho | 138 | 45 |
| C | Alejandro Kirk | 123 | |
| OF | Nathan Lukes | 102 | |
| IF | Ernie Clement | 94 | |
| 2B | Andrés Giménez | 77 | 94 |
| C | Tyler Heineman | 139 | |
| 1B/DH | Ty France | 135 (99) | |
| IF | Isiah Kiner-Falefa | 9 (74) | |
| LF/2B | Davis Schneider | 135 | 103 |
| CF/OF | Myles Straw | 94 | |
| RH-S | Kevin Gausman | 3.86 | |
| RH-S | Max Scherzer | 4.64 | 3.77 |
| RH-S | Chris Bassitt | 3.83 | |
| RH-S | José Berríos | 4.39 | |
| RH-S | Shane Bieber | 2.03 | 2.34 |
| RH-CL | Jeff Hoffman | 3.35 | |
| RH-SU | Seranthony Domínguez | 4.19 (3.80) | |
| RH-SU | Yariel Rodríguez | 4.44 | |
| RH-R | Tommy Nance | 2.55 | 2.67 |
| LH-R | Brendon Little | 3.28 | |
| RH-R | Louis Varland | 2.88 (3.06) | |
| LH-R | Ryan Borucki | 6.14 (3.88) | 4.58 |
| RH-R | Dillon Tate | 5.87 | 4.65 |
| LH-R | Eric Lauer | 4.22 | 4.58 |
| IL | Anthony Santander | 62 | |
| IL | Alek Manoah | 6.08 | |
| IL | Nick Sandlin | 4.90 | 5.60 |
40 man minors |
|||
| IF | Orelvis Martinez | 72 | |
| IF | Leo Jiménez | -20 | 118 |
| OF | Joey Loperfido | 159 | 98 |
| PR | Jonatan Clase | 68 | 98 |
| LH-R | Easton Lucas | 4.75 | 4.06 |
| RH-S | Lazaro Estrada | 3.52 | 4.79 |
| LH-S | Adam Macko | 4.90 | |
| LH-R | Mason Fluharty | 4.45 | 2.51 |
| RH-R | Braydon Fisher | 3.38 | 3.12 |
| RH-R | Paxton Schultz | 3.77 | 4.28 |
| LH-R | Justin Bruihl | 3.72 | 3.30 |
So we can see lots of options, some good, some bad. Interesting to look at minor league and ML numbers side by side for some guys. Fluharty does much better in the minors, but Estrada did better in the majors - go figure. Loperfido a below average hitter (barely) in the minors, but hit like a house on fire up here. Nance about the same at both levels. Very surprised to see Varland having a better xFIP here than in Minny (IE: He is pitching well, but has rotten luck so far).
So who makes the final 26 man roster I wonder. It'll obviously depend on A) who is healthy, B) who is hot, C) who the opponent is. Some slots are (or should be) locked in. But for 4th starter (especially in the ALDS) I'm very curious what the Jays do. Much more fun than last year debating who should be called up to see if they can play in the majors at all, or if they can help next year.
For hitters I'm betting on Straw, Schneider, Heineman being locks along with the 9 regulars, then either IKF or France depending on what the Jays think they'll need most, a PH or another IF, I expect it to be France.
The pen is a lot trickier and depends how the rotation goes too (if it is an 8 or 9 man pen and if any starters go to the pen outside of Lauer). Locks (4) are Hoffman-Dominguez-Rodriguez-Little. Varland & Nance should be locks too. That leaves 2-3 more slots, Lauer should get one, everyone else is auditioning for the other 1 or 2. I expect Fisher has a great shot at one once he is back up, then a LH with Fluharty my choice (his LAD game being the #1 reason). I'm sure everyone here has opinions on this. Rotation has to be Gausman-Scherzer-Bieber in some order. 4th I think depends on opponent (if Bassitt or Berrios has had success vs them).
