2026 Toronto Blue Jays Opening Day Roster, v. 2.0

[Owen Hill]

It’s hard to believe we’re closer to the first pitch of 2026 spring training than the end of the 2025 World Series. Thankfully for Blue Jays fans, it means it’s officially time to focus on the future instead of the past, because I’m not sure many of us have had a very easy time coming to grips with the painful end of that series against the Dodgers. 

That Game 7 loss brought the most exciting run of Blue Jays baseball in 30 years to a screeching halt on the one-yard line. It was devastating for a fanbase that wants nothing more than to celebrate its team. But if those same fans have been keeping up with the offseason that Ross Atkins is putting together, their excitement will only be greater in 2026.

The Jays seem to be determined to get over that one-yard line and burst into the endzone in 2026, because they’ve outspent the circuit this winter.

They’ve committed $337 million worth of salary, and of the 15 players that have signed for at least $30 million, four of them have done so with the Jays.

The offseason started with the Jays addressing the starting rotation by bringing in Dylan Cease on a seven-year deal and Cody Ponce on a three-year contract.

Next in the order of operations was bringing in some bullpen help. Tyler Rogers is bringing his funky delivery to Toronto on a three-year deal.

Most recently, the Blue Jays dipped their toes in the position player market, bringing Kazuma Okamoto over from Japan on a four-year deal.

It’s hard to deny that the roster is ready to start the season as-is, and the offseason has already been a success. The craziest thing is, there still seems to be a real chance that the Jays sign the top free agent on the market, Kyle Tucker, or bring back Bo Bichette.

There will almost certainly be changes to the roster between now and Opening Day on March 27, but if the offseason ended today, here are the 26 I’d expect the Jays to bring north from Dunedin.

Editor's Note: In December, Jays Centre's Sam Charles took a stab at predicting Toronto's Opening Day roster for 2026. Just over a month later, things already look quite different. Today, Owen Hill makes his best guess as to what the 26-man roster will look like on March 27 in version 2.0 of our roster projection series.

PITCHERS

STARTING ROTATION (5)

• Kevin Gausman
• Dylan Cease
• Shane Beiber
• Trey Yesavage
• Cody Ponce

Should the Jays get a clean bill of health, this will be one of the best rotations in baseball in 2026.

On the outside looking in here is José Berríos, who’s been a mainstay of the rotation since the 2021 trade deadline. It’s really hard to know what kind of role the Jays have in mind for him, because the five listed above are all projected to have better seasons than Berríos, but it’s also extremely hard to envision him pitching out of the bullpen.

There’s no such thing as too much pitching depth, but is a trade imminent?

Some other depth options will include Eric Lauer, Bowden Francis, Adam Macko and potentially Ricky Tiedemann.

BULLPEN (8)
We know that bullpens are always volatile, and one guy not showing up to spring training healthy or underperforming in spring training can throw this whole prediction out of whack. Assuming health, this is the bullpen I expect to see on Opening Day:

• Jeff Hoffman
• Yimi García
• Louis Varland
• Tyler Rogers
• Brendon Little
• Tommy Nance
• Mason Fluharty
• Eric Lauer

If you thought the starting rotation had a logjam of talent, feast your eyes on the bullpen.

Between Hoffman, García, Varland and Rogers, the back-end is more than solid, even if it lacks the star closer the Jays were rumoured to be chasing at the start of the winter.

Little and Fluharty both had very solid seasons, especially against opposing teams’ lefties.

Nance probably slips under the radar in this group, but he was awesome in his 31.2 big league innings last year, is out of options, and has too much arm talent to let go.

Lauer slides in as the long man.

If this is the bullpen that opens the season, Berríos will have either been traded, placed on the injured list, or sent to start the season in Triple A (it's unlikely but possible).

This scenario also would mean both Angel Bastardo and Spencer Miles – Rule 5 picks from each of the last two seasons – would be sent back to their previous teams. It’s very feasible that one of them wins a job, but it’s tough to see who they'd beat out for that roster spot right now.

Lastly, this group doesn’t include Braydon Fisher, who was great for the Jays across 50 innings in ‘25, and will certainly see a lot of time in the big leagues again in ‘26. He simply falls victim to the asset management game: Fisher has options, whereas not many other guys in the ‘pen do.

HITTERS

CATCHERS (2):

• Alejandro Kirk
• Tyler Heineman

Cal Raleigh is a safe bet to be the most valuable catcher in baseball, but Kirk is a solid bet to be second or third. If Heineman can recreate some of the magic (pun intended) that helped him to put up a 120 wRC+ and 2.1 fWAR in 2025, the Jays should have one of the best catching tandems in baseball.

INFIELDERS (3):

• Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (1B)
• Ernie Clement (2B, 3B, SS)
• Andrés Giménez (SS)

If a Bichette reunion isn’t in the cards, the infield is in safe hands, anchored by Vladdy at first and Giménez at short. Clement will play elite defense at any of the three positions he’s listed at, but he'll likely open the season as the everyday second baseman.

If Bichette re-signs, he’ll more than likely be the second baseman. Clement would shift into a utility role and probably get the bulk of his playing time against lefties.

UTILITY (3):

• Addison Barger (3B, Corner OF)
• Kazuma Okamoto (3B, 1B, Corner OF)
• Davis Schneider (LF, 2B)

The addition of Okamoto likely means Barger gets a heavier dose of his playing time in the outfield, but he should still see some time at third. 

Okamoto is listed as a utility player here because there have been some whispers that he may see some time in left field, but the starting third base job is likely his to lose.

Schneider will get at-bats against lefties, either in left field or at second base, although Okamoto definitely steps on the toes of his role.

OUTFIELDERS (5):

• George Springer (DH, Corner OF)
• Anthony Santander (Corner OF, DH)
• Daulton Varsho (CF)
• Nathan Lukes (Corner OF)
• Myles Straw (CF)

After posting a career year in his age-35 season playing primarily out of the DH spot, Springer will be the regular DH again in ‘26. Santander is likely to fill in when Springer gets a day off and spend the rest of his time in left or right field.

Varsho will look to put together a healthy contract season and continue to display his elite centre field defense, with Straw backing him up.

Lukes’ role will likely shrink, despite a very productive 2025 and playoff run. Right now, he’s slated to come off the bench but will have a role against right-handed pitchers.

A Tucker signing is still on the table, but it’s hard to see where he would fit without one of these other outfielders being sent away. In that scenario, I’d suspect that that guy is Santander, but it could also be Lukes, who would have at least some value in a potential trade.

OPENING DAY LINEUP

Just for fun, here’s how I’d line up the current roster on Opening Day:

1. George Springer (DH)
2. Addison Barger (RF)
3. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (1B)
4. Anthony Santander (LF)
5. Alejandro Kirk (C)
6. Daulton Varsho (CF)
7. Kazuma Okamoto (3B)
8. Andrés Giménez (SS)
9. Ernie Clement (2B)

    SP. Kevin Gausman

It’s still early January, so this is all subject to change, and hopefully, soon, we’re in for a Bichette or Tucker signing that will make v. 3.0 of this roster look unbeatable.

Still, as constructed, this team should be a favourite to repeat as AL East and American League champs.

View full article

[Hill]

I can almost feel the warmth of the February Florida sun while reading this.