Are the Blue Jays ready to shock the world this season? Probably not. But after the doom and gloom of our worst fears being confirmed when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. announced that he would be seeking free agency at the end of the season, the signs are there that we could at least surprise a few people this year.
What Happened In 2024?
Before we get too positive though, we have to confront the disaster that was the 2024 season.
Hopes were high to begin with, although there hadn’t been major additions over the offseason (Justin Turner, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Yariel Rodriguez), we still had Vladdy and Bo Bichette and an exceptional pitching staff led by Kevin Gausman, Jose Berrios and Chris Bassitt.
Fast forward a few months though and it all went horribly wrong. There were injuries to key players like Bo and closer Jordan Romano, indifferent seasons for George Springer and Bassitt amongst others, our top prospect got an 80-game suspension for using a performance-enhancing substance and we had a fire sale around the All Star game.
All of this resulted in a 74-88 record, putting us comfortably in last place in the AL East and 24th overall.
There were bright spots like the emergence of Bowden Francis (8-5 with an ERA of 3.30 and AL Pitcher Of The Month for August), the resurgence of Vladdy (third in the AL for doubles and second for hits), and Dalton Varsho’s elite performance in the outfield which earned him his first Gold Glove, but generally it was a season to forget.
Big Offseason News
The big news, of course, is that the organisation failed to agree terms with both Vladdy and Bo, meaning they will both go into free agency at the end of the season.
There were the usual failed pursuits of players (Juan Soto and Roki Sasaki) but also some decent signings in Max Scherzer, Anthony Santander and Andrés Giménez, to strengthen the rotation, the hitting and the infield respectively. GM Ross Atkins and CEO Mark Shapiro remain in post, much to the ire of many fans.
[Editor’s note: check out Daniel’s excellent article Toronto Blue Jays: Are they the Tottenham Hotspur of baseball? ]
One To Watch
I think this will be a great season for Ernie Clement, a utility player who established himself in the team with a solid season last year (0.263 batting average, 48 runs scored and a Gold Glove nomination) and who has had an outstanding Spring Training with an average so far of 0.435 (10-for-23) despite being hit in the face with a 91mph fast ball a couple of weeks ago.
He’s 28 now, he knows the majors, he knows himself and he knows his game – I’m looking forward to seeing it all come together for him.
Reasons For Optimism
- A top four in the line up of Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Anthony Santander and Dalton Varsho looks strong and has plenty of hits in it, and Bo and Vladdy will both be playing with points to prove (and with free agency in mind) which could lead them to do great things.
- They have to all stay healthy, but a starting group of Jose Berrios, Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer is full of nous and experience and allows for Bowden Francis or Yuriel Rodriguez to continue to develop and for Alex Manoah to be reintroduced at the right pace following his Tommy John surgery.
- It can’t be as bad as last year, it just can’t be.
- I loved Jordan Romano, but every time he came in to save a game with a lead of only one or two last season then it felt more and more like you were watching with hope more than expectation. Jeff Hoffman is a solid replacement and another veteran for our younger players to learn from.
- Alejandro Kirk knows that he is definitively our number one catcher now and I expect him to thrive both with the gloves and with the bat. He has always had a good eye at the plate and I think this will be the year that the power we saw a few seasons ago returns.
Predictions For This Season
We won’t win the division, but we won’t come last either. We have more power and more infield agility than last season and an experienced group of veterans who will help us be tougher to beat. The free agency situation will be a daily saga that will hopefully be resolved sooner rather than later, but if it doesn’t become a distraction, then a wild card place is not out of the question.
As for 2026 though…
Featured image photo of Ernie Clement by Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images
Article by Daniel Woodrow. Want to read more Blue Jays takes from Daniel? Let us know in the comments or on social media.
Discover more from
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
What is your opinion? Let us know