2026 Profile: Toronto Blue Jays

Charles-Alexis Brisebois
2026 Profile: Toronto Blue Jays
Credit: Sportsnet

The 2026 Major League Baseball season will begin shortly. At Passion MLB, as we have done for years, we are setting the stage for the season by introducing all 30 Major League Baseball teams.

Today, the Blue Jays are on the menu.

2025 Season

In 2025, expectations weren't necessarily high. The Blue Jays had had a rough 2024 season, so it wasn't a given that the 2025 season would go well.

It started slowly, but the guys picked up the pace. Bolstered by Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s contract extension early in the season, the Blue Jays became a powerhouse.

They finished first in the American League in the regular season and had a superb playoff run. The Yankees and Mariners were eliminated in quick succession, allowing the Queen City's representatives to advance to the World Series.

And in a highly entertaining fall classic, the Blue Jays lost in seven games.

Additions and departures

The club's goal, therefore, is to win one more game in 2026 than in 2025. And to do that, the bosses didn't mess around: they had a great offseason to improve the club.

The biggest addition is undoubtedly the arrival of Dylan Cease. He accepted a $210 million contract to come to town. Until Kyle Tucker (who was a target of the Blue Jays) signed with Los Angeles, Cease had the most lucrative contract of the offseason among free agents.

Cody Ponce, a starter who returned from Asia, has also been added. The same goes for reliever Tyler Rogers and hitter Kazuma Okamoto, who is coming to the country after excelling in Japan. And recently, Jesus Sanchez was acquired.

Chase Lee, Eloy Jimenez (minor league deal) and Spencer Miles (fifth-round draft pick) are more minor additions that have been made.

The biggest departure is undoubtedly that of Bo Bichette. The star headed to New York on the terms of a lucrative short-term contract ($126 million over three years with opt-out clauses) in recent weeks.

Chris Bassitt, Max Scherzer, Seranthony Dominguez, Dillon Tate, Nick Sandlin, Justin Bruihl, Ty France, Joey Loperfido, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa all left the organization following the 2025 season.

Strengths and weaknesses

The Blue Jays' rotation will be a strength. Dylan Cease and Kevin Gausman, in that order, will form an excellent duo. Trey Yesavage will be there from the start, as will Cody Ponce, who is also a nice addition.

We'll see what happens with the other potential starters. Jose Berrios should have his spot, considering that Bowden Francis (season over) and Shane Bieber (who will go on the injured list early in the season) are banged up.

The bullpen has good depth with guys like Tyler Rogers, Yimi Garcia, Louis Varland, and Jeff Hoffman to pitch in the most important moments. However, the club has not been able to find a new ninth-inning specialist. That could happen in the coming months.

Will that hurt the team down the road? We'll see. But overall, the Blue Jays have a better pitching staff than they did in 2025.

On the offensive side, the players who had a big season will need to repeat their exploits. But it's a great group that is versatile defensively and talented offensively. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will be the guy to watch, obviously. He's here for another 14 seasons, and if he carries the club on his shoulders like he did in the 2025 playoffs, Toronto will be fine.

The big change is that Kazuma Okamoto is “replacing” Bo Bichette. It's clear that this is a step backward for the Blue Jays… even though the Japanese player has great potential.

Sanchez's late arrival also changes the game.

I don't expect the club to have as sparkling a start to the season as it did in the 2025 playoffs from an offensive standpoint. Perhaps the Blue Jays will make some moves in this direction before the trade deadline.

The loss of Anthony Santander for a few months is also noteworthy, considering that the club was counting on him.

Expectations for the 2026 season

Currently, expectations are high for the Blue Jays. After the 2025 playoffs and the club's offseason, it's easy to think that the goal will be to play in the World Series again in 2026. Will it be easy? No. The MLB is a league where it's hard to stay at the top.

The Yankees, Tigers, and Mariners are among the clubs that can also aspire to go far in 2026 in the American League. But in reality, many clubs can do something good.

We'll see what the club has in store for its fans.

Created by humans, assisted by AI.

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