5 Things That Went Wrong for the Blue Jays in 2026

It’s been a disappointing season for the Toronto Blue Jays, who had high hopes after a World Series trip last season. They were two outs away from winning their first championship since 1993, but Miguel Rojas ruined those dreams. That success makes this season's struggles look even worse, as the Jays are on pace for one of their worst regressions in franchise history. 

Their 15-game dip in wins from last season is one of the franchise’s worst declines. Things turned around this season in August when the Blue Jays went 17-11, giving them hope for another postseason trip. However, they returned to their lackluster ways in September, going 11-13 to end the season. Fans have plenty of options to point fingers at for what derailed the season, but here are five things that went wrong.

1. Injuries

The injury bug hit the Blue Jays hard. The starting rotation started the season off horribly, with José Berríos and Bowden Francis undergoing surgeries that kept them out all season. Shane Bieber began the season on the injury list with right elbow inflammation. He returned in late June but made only 11 starts before getting shut down with a right teres major injury. He threw a side session on September 19 with hopes to make a late return, but with the Blue Jays missing the postseason, there was no need to rush Bieber back.

Cody Ponce drew hype around his return to MLB after four seasons pitching overseas. However, he pitched only 2 1/3 innings before tearing his ACL. The team added Patrick Corbin because of a lack of depth in April. He made only 19 appearances (15 starts) before suffering a left teres major strain and missing the remainder of the season. Jameson Taillon was acquired at the trade deadline, but he made only three starts for the remainder of the season due to different stints on the injured list.

With so many injuries in the rotation, we saw 24 starts from relievers in bullpen games, six more if including Eric Lauer. The Blue Jays also made several call-ups, including nine pitchers who made their MLB debuts, for spot starts or to keep the bullpen’s arms fresh. Speaking of the 'pen, expectations were huge for Yimi García, but in September 2025, he underwent surgery to remove scar tissue in his right elbow. He started a rehab assignment in July, but it was short-lived, as he suffered neck and arm nerve symptoms. García would eventually be shut down due to thoracic outlet syndrome. 

The offense didn’t fare much better on the injury front. Anthony Santander had high hopes for a bounce-back season after a disappointing 2025. However, he underwent left labral surgery a few days before this season kicked off. He started a rehab assignment in September, with eyes on a late return if the postseason was a possibility, but the Jays ended up with no need to rush him back. 

Addison Barger was another player who was expected to be a major contributor this season. He was brutal to start the season, slugging .045/.214/.091. However, he only took 28 plate appearances before requiring surgery on his elbow and missing the rest of the season. Barger was given a six-month recovery timetable, so he should be healthy for next season. 

Several other offensive IL stints throughout the season forced the Blue Jays to make moves, which included calling up seven prospects for their MLB debuts.

2. Where’d the Face of the Franchise Disappear To?

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been catching a lot of heat from fans recently after he made comments about the 14-year, $500-million contract he signed during last season. In an interview, he stated, “The money they gave me wasn’t for what I’m going to do. It was for what I already did.” These comments didn't sit well with fans, given the awful season Guerrero produced.

The superstar’s production this season ranked among the worst in his career in every offensive category. Vladdy’s .688 OPS was far from his career .839 mark, and his nine home runs matched the total he hit during the shortened 2020 season (when he had 366 fewer plate appearances). He didn’t even homer at the Rogers Centre until September 13.

Guerrero isn’t completely wrong about being paid for past performances, but the Blue Jays also project future production when making contract deals. This type of season wasn’t what the Blue Jays had in mind, though. The truth is, Vladdy had way too high of expectations going into the season. He’s not a huge power hitter, despite his anomaly 48-home run season in 2021. 

The first baseman is a line-drive hitter who is strong and occasionally gets enough lift to put a ball over the fence. His average launch angle has only exceeded 9.5 degrees in a season once. However, that wasn’t the 2021 season. He had a 10-degree average launch angle in 2023, but only hit 26 home runs. In comparison, another player who has been in the league as long as Guerrero is Pete Alonso. The Orioles’ first baseman is a true power hitter and has never dipped below a 14.4-degree launch angle in a season over his career.

Vladdy dealt with a back injury all season, which could explain the home run disappearance, given that his 90.3 mph average exit velocity is his lowest since his rookie season in 2019. However, his comments in the interview have fans questioning his focus and desire. This offseason will be instrumental in fixing the legacy Guerrero leaves in the Blue Jays' lore. A fast start next season will help ease fans’ feelings after their slugger’s recent comments.

3. Defensive Woes

The Blue Jays ranked 12th among MLB teams in outs above average (OAA). However, that was heavily swayed by Andrés Giménez, who was phenomenal defensively. He’s been known as a defensive specialist over his seven-year career. His 18 outs above average ranked him third among qualified MLB shortstops, which helped Toronto's infield rank 10th. 

Guerrero finished with 4 OAA, but he struggled mightily fielding balls towards second base; he produced a 68 percent success rate moving into the hole. Ernie Clement has usually been a strong defender over his six-year career, but this season was an exception. He finished with -5 OAA, mostly at second base. He also struggled to cover the hole between first and second. 

Kazuma Okamoto has been decent at third base in his rookie season. He has a one OAA, but he’s had 54 attempts at shortstop, where he’s struggled mightily fielding balls to his right. He has a -4 rating on balls hit in the hole with a 60 percent success rate. However, covering that much ground isn’t a typical skill set he needs when playing the hot corner. So, we can likely chalk the struggles up to unfamiliarity. 

The outfield was worse, ranking 15th with -2 OAA. However, that was heavily skewed by the Blue Jays’ left fielders ranking 26th with a -10 rating. Jesús Sánchez was a disaster in the outfield, allowing routine fly balls to drop. He had a -2 rating in left field, but was far worse in right field (-6 OAA). Sánchez was by far the worst right fielder, with Nathan Lukes (2 OAA) and Myles Straw (3 OAA) performing significantly better. Sadly, Sánchez wasn’t the worst left fielder. 

Davis Schneider and Yohendrick Piñango both posted -4 ratings, primarily playing left field. Brett Bateman looked strong defensively since his debut on August 7, posting 4 OAA. It may not look like Bateman is an upgrade over Daulton Varsho (Varsho finished with 7 OAA between Toronto and Houston) at the position, but Bateman posted nearly 2.0 fWAR, compared to Varsho’s negative rating following the trade deadline. The new Blue Jays' center fielder actually led all hitters acquired at the deadline in fWAR. 

Overall, many of the team's defensive struggles seemed to stem from a lack of athleticism to cover ground this year, other than Sánchez, who just looked lost. These skills should definitely be a priority in the offseason, with a focus on a quick first step to get to balls in the hole.

Defensive stats from prior to games on September 27.

4. Lack of Offense

The offense was atrocious this season. They ranked last in runs and home runs and in the bottom five in most other offensive categories, except batting average. Their 648 runs this season are fewer than the 671 they scored in 2024 and their fewest in a 162-game season since they scored 624 in 1980.

Not having power from Santander and Barger hurt, and in their place were contact hitters. Okamoto easily leads the team with 33 home runs, but the next closest was George Springer’s 15. Nathan Lukes and Alejandro Kirk were the only other hitters with double-digit homers. 

A top priority this offseason will be beefing up their lineup with more potential home runs.

Toronto will gain some lineup flexibility if Springer doesn’t return. Santander could then DH, which could help keep him healthy. Seiya Suzuki, Randy Arozarena, and Ian Happ stand out as top outfield names who will be free agents and could add more pop to the lineup. Adding someone will depend on whether the Blue Jays have confidence in Barger as a starter after his ugly, although brief, season. 

5. Early Bullpen Struggles

With all the rotation injuries and poor performance, the bullpen was heavily relied on all season long, especially early. Jeff Hoffman didn’t provide much confidence to fans returning as the closer after an up-and-down 2025 season. Those struggles continued as he posted a 6.31 ERA through May while blowing three of eight save opportunities. These struggles did benefit the Blue Jays’ future, as they led to the team finding a new closer, Louis Varland, for the foreseeable future. 

The bullpen also saw struggles from Brendon Little, who had a 24.55 ERA over 3 2/3 innings through April before being demoted to Triple-A Buffalo. On the bright side, Little would correct his issues, returning to the majors in late July and posting a 2.38 ERA over 22 2/3 innings in the second half.

Eric Lauer returned to his 2025 role bouncing between the bullpen and rotation. He made six starts and two relief appearances through May 11, posting a 6.69 ERA over 31 1/3 innings. Lauer was then designated for assignment, and six days later he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for cash considerations.

Tommy Nance was a revelation in 2025, posting his best statistics over his five-year career (1.99 ERA over 31 2/3 innings) at the age of 34. However, he returned to his lackluster ways early in 2026, posting a 5.14 ERA over 14 innings through April. Nance turned things around after that, only to be traded to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for a prospect and international bonus pool space.

Yariel Rodríguez started the season with Triple-A Buffalo. He made his season debut in May, but it lasted only 9 1/3 innings, and he posted a 7.71 ERA. He was designated for assignment on June 8, then returned to Buffalo after clearing waivers.

Mason Fluharty started the season no better. He had a 7.36 ERA over 11 innings through April. However, he flipped a switch and became one of the better bullpen arms in the second half of the season. Over 25 innings post-All-Star break, he posted a 1.44 ERA. 

Collectively, Toronto's relievers pitched to a 4.23 ERA (19th in MLB) with seven blown saves and nine losses in March and April. The good news is that the Blue Jays bullpen as a whole was a major strength for the final stretch of the season. This gives the team one area that doesn’t need much attention over the offseason. They have plenty of other areas that need attention, though, if they don’t want to repeat their historically awful season. 

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