5 Things That Went Right for the Blue Jays in 2026

You don’t have to look far to find something that went wrong with the 2026 Toronto Blue Jays. Bryan Jaeger gave us his list of five things, and honestly, I admire his restraint. That list could sprawl if we let it. As the season went on and various people in my life checked in on my mental health after a mounting number of crushing defeats, I grew fond of using the phrase “You can’t be a .500 team if you don’t lose half your games.” The glass-half-full side of that, of course, is that you’ve gotta win half too. (“You can’t be a .488 team if you don’t lose 83 games” doesn’t quite have the same poetic feel to it.) Last year’s offseason was the shortest in franchise history, and with the looming labour stoppage, the upcoming one could be one of the longest – so let’s look on the bright side and remember the good times.

1. Offseason Signings

The best Blue Jay on each side of the ball this season was a player that didn’t suit up for Toronto last season. Dylan Cease was the prize of the offseason, signing a seven-year, $175 million contract and immediately started making it look like a bargain. He flirted with no-hitters and put himself squarely into the AL Cy Young discussion. His 5.5 fWAR puts Cease into a tie with Kevin Gausman’s 2022 as the best pitching season by a Blue Jay in the last 17 seasons. His K/9 (12.782) and H/9 (5.759) are the new single-season high-water marks for the franchise.

Kazuma Okamoto had a stretch of six seasons hitting 30-plus home runs in Japan for the Yomiuri Giants, but there were questions of how he would perform in North America. Well, his 33 homers this year were more than double the next closest Jay. His 113 wRC+ was the highest of any Jay to appear in at least half of Toronto’s games this season. He also turned one of the prettiest double plays I’ve ever seen. He is certainly in the discussion for the best rookie season in franchise history, and the good news is that the performance looks sustainable.  

2. Solidifying the Endgame

Tyler Rogers could have easily been highlighted in the section above. His arrival and then pairing with Louis Varland to handle the eighth and ninth innings brought a level of comfort and confidence that I don't think we've had since the days of Ward and Henke. Rogers made 74 appearances, notched 33 holds and picked up four saves for good measure. He only surrendered two homers all season and has just a delightful delivery to go along with it. 

Varland wasn’t immediately given the closer’s role, but once he took it, there was no question about who deserved it. He racked up 35 saves (top 10 Jays season) to go along with five early-season holds. 

3. Honouring the Past

With this being the 50th anniversary of the franchise, there were a number of ways the organization celebrated the history of the club. The two biggest were absolute home runs: the Joe Carter statue and the Hall of Excellence. The statue is something we have been clamouring for as fans for quite some time. It took them a long time to get it in place, but now that it’s here, it’s perfect. It’s a gathering point on game days, and it's a tourist attraction when the Jays are out of town. It’s an incredible addition to the space outside of the stadium.

The Hall of Excellence was something I was a little more skeptical of when it was announced. I thought that taking the Level of Excellence away or altering it from something that could be seen from almost every seat in the building and moving the focus to a corner of the concourse would take the shine away from the great names that have been put in place. I am happy to say that I was wildly wrong with that take. The Hall is incredibly well done, and I could easily spend more time there. Each section is outfitted with memorabilia specific to each inductee. I’m a sucker for analog notes, so my two favourite features are Carlos Delgado’s notebook (open to his 4-HR day) and Buck Martinez’s scorecard from last year’s ALCS Game 7. You can also find the ball from Dave Stieb’s no-hitter, José Bautista’s bat flip bat, Paul Beeston’s custom-made “Labatt 80” beer can, plus a display case for all of the Silver Slugger and Gold Glove awards. It’s awesome.

4. Saying Hello

After the ‘25 playoff run, I was a big proponent of running it back with the same roster. Re-sign every free agent and take the same guys through it again. That kind of illogical homerism is just one of the reasons I was not given the GM role.

Kevin Gausman was traded at the deadline, in another move that I would not have made as GM. That trade brought Brett Bateman (and Ty Southisene) to Toronto. Two prospects that did not immediately inspire much confidence and slotted into the low end of the Jays' top 20 prospects list. Fast forward to the end of the season and Bateman has already endeared himself to fans. Over just 41 games, Bateman posted a 138 wRC+, good for best on the team (among batters with more than 25 PA) and a 1.9 fWAR, which placed him behind only Alejandro Kirk in the second half of the season.

Charles McAdoo’s second-half wRC+ of 117 was another boon to the lineup in desperate need of a kick. Then there was Spencer Miles, arguably the most valuable pitcher on the roster not named Varland or Cease. The Rule 5 selectee did everything that was asked of him and more. Those are three of the players I am most excited to see next season, and I have already started seeing their jerseys showing up in the stands. 

5. Saying Goodbye

Game 162 might have been our last chance to see both George Springer and Max Scherzer in a Jays uniform, and the fans were given two great chances to show their appreciation. In comments leading up to the game and afterwards, it certainly sounded like Springer is headed for retirement. Scherzer ended the season ninth on the all-time strikeout list, but only three behind Justin Verlander and 17 behind Don Sutton – that might be enough for Mad Max to run it back one more time. If he does, I would love it to be here, but it’s tough to predict at this point.

Springer hit a single in the third inning and advanced to second on an error. He was then lifted for pinch runner Sean Keys and given the opportunity to (slowly) walk off the field, for maybe the last time, to the loud ovation given by the Toronto crowd. Six seasons with the Jays, one of the biggest swings in franchise history, and a place amongst the favourite players of the modern era.

Similarly, Scherzer walked off to his own ovation – but not before sending manager John Schneider back to the dugout empty-handed after ‘refusing’ to come out in the 7th inning, harkening back to his start in Seattle during last year’s ALCS. In the eighth, he relented after 114 pitches, his most as a Blue Jay and his most since 2020. When Scherzer first signed in Toronto, there were questions of how much the future Hall of Famer still had to offer. Safe to say that Mad Max gave it everything, every time.

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