New players of importance:
George Springer (not playing today, injured. Starting CF when healthy): Signed the biggest contract in Jays history coming from Houston. Was the 2017 World Series MVP with the Astros. Is an MVP candidate at his best. Elite bat playing great D at a valuable position
Marcus Semien (starting 2B): Signed a one-year deal with the Jays as a sort of prove-it/value-rebuilding contract with the Jays. A natural shortstop, he chose to play 2nd and come to the Jays. A great defender with a bat that's either good enough or (if 2019 was real) really, really good.
Best players:
Springer, natch.
Semien too.
Bo Bichette (Starting SS): The best player on the team for the last year and a half or so since he came up. Son of former Colorado Rockies player (among other teams) Dante Bichette. Kind of the opposite player to his dad. While Dante Sr was a big, burly masher, Bo is smaller, wiry, and uses a funky but effective swing to make a ton of contact and get a lot of balls in play. Has deceptive power though too. Passable defensively.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr (Starting 1B): One of the biggest prospects in baseball in the last couple decades. He had a bit of a reality check coming up with all that hype and struggling (relative to expectations) for the first little while. Son of (obviously) Vladimir Guerrero Sr of Expos/Angels fame. And like Bichette he's pretty much the opposite of his dad. Vlad Sr was long, athletic and hyper aggressive at the plate, with a cannon arm and good play in the outfield. Vlad Jr is shorter, stockier, and is not a great defender, and his performance at the plate is carried by being patient and discerning with an excellent eye. But both Sr and Jr boast prodigious power and bat-to-ball skills. At his best he could be one of the top hitters in all of baseball, he just has to show that all the attention he got as a prospect wasn't overblown. He lost a ton of weight this off-season in a bid to last through the season better and had a monster spring.
Cavan Biggio (starting 3B): Not as much of a star as the others, but worth mentioning because he's a notable part of the core of homegrown talent. The son of Astros legend and HOF C/2B/CF Craig Biggio. He's closer to being his dad than Bichette and Guerrero as a versatile, scrappy player who can play multiple positions and is a tough at-bat. Exceedingly patient at the plate which leads to a high walk rate and long at-bats, but also tends to strike out a lot when he doesn't take the walk or get a hit. Decent power for his size. Is playing as the regular 3B after the acquisition of Semien, his first time at the position. Previously played 2B last season and some OF. Might have a future as a utility guy if he doesn't stay as a regular in the lineup.
Hyun-Jin Ryu (Left-handed starting pitcher): The Jays' biggest signing last year, Ryu is a Cy Young candidate, certified ace of a pitcher with a bit of a rep for not being able to handle a full-season workload without missing starts due to various little dings and injuries. A crafty, finesse-based pitcher who has a wicked changeup and plays off everything with a nice, broad arsenal. He's the anchor of the Jays staff right now as it's in shambles because of a couple of poorly timed injuries to other starters in the spring.
Prospects to watch
Nate Pearson (Right-handed starting pitcher): Currently on the injured list due to a groin issue from the spring. One of the top pitching prospects in baseball. A big, massive redwood of a starter with a massive 100 mph+ fastball and wicked, wicked slider. Has had some trouble staying healthy so far but if he can stick it out and get in a groove he could be a dominating 1-2 punch with Ryu
Alejandro Kirk (backup catcher): Made the team after a short audition last year, forcing his way into the backup role and pushing incumbent backup Reese McGuire out of a job. An unconventional looking catcher with his stocky, rotund build, but a solid guy behind the plate and a hitting savant
Austin Martin (Shortstop in the system): Not going to be a factor this year, but was considered possibly the best player in the 2020 draft and ended up slipping to the Jays at #5 for various reasons. An advanced hitter who makes strong contact and uses the field, he also has tremendous potential positional versatility, and has been talked about as maybe playing any or all of short, 3rd, 2nd, or center field as he climbs the ladder. Will probably rocket through the system and might be up as soon as next year, playing basically whatever position the team needs of him.
Alek Manoah (right-handed starting pitcher): The team's 2019 1st rounder, pitched last year for low-A Vancouver, but came into spring and looked locked in and dominating. A big, burly thick-bodied start with a hard fastball, strong slider, and good control. Not on Pearson's level in terms of track record, but showed enough in the spring that if the Jays need pitching help later in the season he could see time in the pen or as a starter.
Bad players
Honestly the lineup doesn't have a lot of holes. Danny Jansen has probably been the weakest bat in terms of guys who will get regular play, which is odd for a guy who came up as a bat-first catcher. But his defence and receiving has picked up and there's still plenty of time for him to get his hitting in order and become a solid all-around catcher.
Randal Grichuk will probably get the most grief from the fans as he fills in for Springer for now and is the 4th OF otherwise. A good power bat who can get streaky and plays solid enough D in any outfield spot, some feel that he's overpaid (he probably isn't. At least not enough for it to matter) and his aggresiveness at the plate leads to some bad at bats and Ks.
Joe Panik is the current utility bench infielder and is likely the worst player on the team, but he's one of those greasy, gritty coaches'-pet types. He's a workable glove at 2nd, short, and 3rd and a poor bat.
Tanner Roark is the whipping boy in the rotation. If everyone was healthy he probably shouldn't even be there. He was signed last year to a short and somewhat overpriced free agent contract with a rep as an innings-eating late rotation starter and responded by being godawful last season that was easily the worst of his career and one of the worst in baseball, with too few strikeouts, far too many walks, a lot of contact, and an ugly, ugly tendency to allow HRs. But with Pearson and presumptive #2/3 starter Robbie Ray out for at least 1 turn through the rotation, Roark is currently slated to play one of the first two games in Texas (they purposely held him out of the Yankee series because his heavy fly ball tendencies would've likely gotten him slaughtered in the joke that is Yankee Stadium)
Overall this should be a fun offensive team with a strong, balanced lineup, a great pitcher in Ryu, some promising potential arms in the rotation in Pearson, Ray, or intriguing reclamation projects in Steven Matz and Ross Stripling, and a potentially deep and strong bullpen.
If everything goes well this team should contend for a playoff spot. And if not there's still plenty of prospect reinforcements coming that will put them in a good position for 2022.
I think that just about covers it for now.
