26 Questions Facing the Blue Jays Opening Day Roster

Happy Opening Day! Its been a long 178 days since we last saw the Blue Jays take the field in a competitive ball game. In that game, one game the Jays ultimately ended up losing, 3-1, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit leadoff in an attempt to get hit number 200, ultimately falling just short. Ryan Burr started and gave up two runs. Ryan Yarbrough, Brett de Geus, Spencer Horwitz, and Luis De Los Santos, none of whom is still part of this team, all made appearances. A lot has changed between then and now. Jeff Hoffman, Anthony Santander, Andrés Giménez, and Max Scherzer have all joined the club. Yimi García also makes a return after a mid-season trade to Seattle. After an impressive minor league and spring training performance, Alan Roden has made the team and started his first game on Opening Day. 

With the new season comes new hope, maybe slightly more after the Blue Jays finished first in the Grapefruit League, winning the Golden Grapefruit (shoutout to Keegan Matheson). There is a refreshed sense of optimism around this team, a sense that maybe, if things break their way, the Blue Jays can make a run to get into a playoff position this season. Almost every player on the roster has their own question marks or injury history. Let's look deeper into the 26 players on the Opening Roster and see what pivotal questions each player faces going into the 2025 season:

CATCHERS
Alejandro Kirk: How can he hold up to an increased workload this season?
Cooking off a five-year, $85-million dollar extension signed earlier this week, the Blue Jays have made it known that Kirk is going to be the undisputed number one catcher for the foreseeable future. Will he be able to handle the role? Catching causes wear and tear on the body, Kirk has never caught more than 99 games, which he did in 2023. Can he handle the increased workload?

Tyler Heineman: Can he be a positive contributor when called into action?
Heineman won the backup catching job this spring and has some experience with the staff. When Kirk does need a break, can Heineman contribute positively to this team? A career OPS of .571 is underwhelming, but he is a positive pitch framer, so that will help.

INFIELDERS
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Can he put together another MVP-caliber season in a contract year?
The topic with Guerrero has been whether or not he will sign an extension, and whether he does or does not, the question of what he will do on the field remains. Guerrero’s OPS+ over the past few seasons:

2021: 167
2022: 133
2023: 116
2024: 166

The Blue Jays are certainly going to need that number to be closer to the 2021 and 2024 numbers this season, and if he wants his $500 or so million, so will Guerrero.

Andrés Giménez: Will we get a bounce back with the bat?
In 2022, Giménez had a 141 OPS+ combined with his elite defence and baserunning to earn a sixth-place finish in the MVP voting. Since then, an OPS+ of 96 in 2023 and just 82 in 2024 leaves you wanting more. If the Blue Jays can get anywhere close to a league-average bat, then Giménez can turn into an extremely valuable player.

Bo Bichette: Can he turn the page on an injury-riddled 2024 season?
Bichette's 2024 season was highly disappointing. Playing in just 82 games and hitting just four home runs was not what anyone thought he’d do coming into the season. Can he put that season behind him and turn into the player who regularly would flirt with the AL lead in hits once again?

Ernie Clement: Can he take his skillset to the next level?
Clement does a little bit of everything well. He’s a good defender, (92nd percentile in range), a good baserunner, (78th percentile sprint speed), and a decent hitter (94 wRC+). Can he take another step forward and improve on his 3.4 WAR in 2024?

Will Wagner: How will he look in his first extended stint in the big leagues?
Will Wagner looked really good in his brief stint in the major leagues, hitting .305 with a 125 wRC+ in 2024. Wagner is going to get an extended run at third base as the strong side of a platoon this season, and his bat is a big question mark.

Davis Schneider: Can he be a masher off the bench?
As things currently stand, Schneider is the main right-handed bat off of the bench. He'll be hitting the tough lefties over the course of the season. Last season, he hit just .165 with a .528 OPS against lefties. That needs to be better or else Schneider could be spending much of the season in Buffalo.

OUTFIELDERS
Anthony Santander: Can he provide lineup protection hitting behind Guerrero?
Tony Taters will be relied on to deliver massive power numbers hitting behind Guerrero. Santander needs to prove that pitching around Guerrero will be a mistake.

George Springer: Can the Jays get one more productive season out of him?
Springer has shown some signs of decline over the last few seasons. His .674 OPS was a career-worst, and his range in the outfield has dropped to the 51st percentil, last season, down from 61st in 2023 and 76th in 2022. The Blue Jays need to get some production out of Springer, especially if he’s going to keep hitting in the top half of the batting order.

Nathan Lukes: Can he adapt to a full-time bench role?
Lukes had a good spring and secured himself a spot on the Opening Day roster, His reputation is that he can work a good at-bat and provide solid defence and speed. During a brief stint in 2024, he hit .303 with an .818 OPS and more walks than strikeouts. Lukes may not play every day and needs to show that he can be productive when called on in small doses.

Myles Straw: Can he provide anything with the bat?
Straw’s calling card is his defence, but in order for Straw to stick on the roster after Daulton Varsho returns, he needs to show he can provide something with the bat. For what it's worth, he did hit .400 with a 1.039 OPS in 30 at-bats this spring.

STARTING PITCHERS
José Berríos: Can he remain durable and consistent?
José Berríos has made 32 starts in every 162-game regular season since 2018, and aside from a poor 2022 season, his ERA has been between 3.50 and 4.00. In an era where pitchers get hurt more and more, Berrios staying on the field will be a major key this season.

Kevin Gausman: Can he find his fastball velocity and splitter movement again?
Kevin Gausman's fastball velocity dropped from 94.6 mph in 2023 down to 93.9 in 2024. Likewise, the splitter went from 32.2 inches of vertical drop down to 30.9 in 2024. If Kevin Gausman can prove he’s healthy and find the velocity again, then the Blue Jays could be getting the pitcher who got down-ballot Cy-Young votes three seasons in a row. 

Max Scherzer: Can he overcome the nerve issue in the thumb and remain on the field?
Scherzer has been one of the best pitchers in the game over the course of his career, and the Blue Jays are hoping the veteran has even more in him. The main issue will be keeping Scherzer on the field, as he threw just 43 1/3 with the Rangers last season, and has already had some starts pushed back this spring due to a thumb issue. 

Chris Bassitt: Can he avoid the slow start?
Bassitt has historically been a slow starter in his time with the Blue Jays. In 2024, his March/April ERA was 5.64; in 2023, it was 5.18. The Blue Jays' schedule in that time has them face 28 out of their 31 games against teams that finished .500 or above last season. Bassitt will need to be sharp right from the get-go this season. 

Bowden Francis: Is the player he was in the second half of 2024 the real deal?
Bowden Francis's 2024 season had two very different sides. He ran a 5.82 ERA in the first half, compared to a 1.80 ERA in the second half. Which version of Francis wthe Blue Jays get in 2025 will be a major factor in the rotation's overall quality.

RELIEF PITCHERS
Jeff Hoffman: Are the failed physicals a concern?
A shoulder injury reportedly caused Hoffman to fail physicals from both the Orioles and the Braves before ultimately signing in Toronto. Is that just nonsense, or is it possible that his shoulder is a ticking time bomb? 

Yimi García: Can he handle another high-leverage relief role?
García was excellent with the Blue Jays in 2024, but since his trade to Seattle, he has dealt with injuries and some inconsistency. A return to form would be huge for a bullpen that was the worst in all of baseball last season.

Chad Green: Can he handle another potential innings jump?
Green was healthy in 2024 after missing time due to Tommy John surgery in 2022 and the first half of 2023. He was very effective most of the season before running out of gas at the end. The team will need to rely on Green, so avoiding a late-season collapse will be very important.

Brendon Little: Can he strand the inherited runners?
No Blue Jays pitcher ran a higher groundball rate than Little's 72.3% in 2024. Because of that, Little will likely be the first reliever to come into the game in a tight spot with runners on base. If he can strand runners on, then he could be an unsung hero in this bullpen.

Nick Sandlin: Can he avoid giving up the long ball?
Last season in Cleveland, Sandlin was effective, but he gave up more than his share of home runs. His 1.91 home runs per nine innings were the third-highest out of all qualified relievers. Home runs can be back-breaking in the bullpen, and Sandlin is going to have to be better at that in 2025.

Richard Lovelady: Can he get lefties out enough to keep his spot on this roster?
The Blue Jays chose to go with a second lefty in the ‘pen and Lovelady won that spot. If he’s going to keep it, he’s going to have to prove he can get other lefties out consistently. Over his career, he’s held lefties to a .232 average with a 3.45 FIP. Combined with the improvements he made from going to driveline this winter, this is how Lovelady can keep his spot on the roster.

Jacob Barnes: Can he stay on the roster once others are healthy?
Barnes' inclusion on the Opening Day roster was a bit of surprise, and he could be the odd man out when Burr/Swanson/Tate are ready to return. Barnes' goal early in the season is to do everything he can to make sure he’s not the first man sent down when reinforcements arrive.

Yariel Rodríguez: How will he adjust to moving from the bullpen and the rotation?
With Ryan Yarborough opting out, Rodriguez becomes the team's primary long man going into the season. He’s more than likely going to pitch both as a starter and as a reliever. His ability to perform in both roles will go a long way for his development in 2025 and in the long term.