How Anthony Santander Fits on the Blue Jays Roster

Before we all salivate over how much more dangerous the addition of Anthony Santander makes the BlueJays lineup, let's consider how John Schneider and the Jays are going to get him into it. Below is the team’s projected depth chart, as posted by FanGraphs’ Jason Martinez on Bluesky immediately after Santander’s deal was announced.

As you can, see, Santander is projected to slot in as the everyday left fielder, after primarily playing right field across eight seasons with the Orioles. This may require some adjustment, but there’s not much concern that he’ll lose what little defensive value he brings, because switching corners is far easier than learning a completely new position. Left field is a less valuable defensive position than right, and is likely where Santander would have spent his time in recent years if it weren't for the enormous amount of ground to cover in left field at Camden Yards thanks to the Great Wall of Baltimore. With George Springer expected to keep holding down right field, Santander will slide over to left, although he represents a stark departure from the left fielders to whom the Jays have given playing time over the last couple of seasons. 

From 2023 to 2024, Statcast’s Fielding Runs Value credited Blue Jays left fielders with saving 11 runs, tied with the Cleveland Guardians for the best in baseball. Only four other teams produced a positive number. Over the same timeframe, Santander has run an FRV of -6.

Daulton Varsho got the bulk of the innings in left field, but once he returns from shoulder surgery, he'll sepnd 2025 as the primary center fielder. Varsho primarily played alongside Kevin Kiermaier and George Springer, a combination of three center fielders whose ridiculous 48 FRV made Toronto easily the best defensive outfield in baseball. The Jays have since moved on from Kiermaier, but the core of Varsho and Springer will remain a strong defensive tandem in center and right, with guys like Nathan Lukes, Joey Loperfido, Jonatan Clase, and the newly acquired Myles Straw able to fill in at any of the three outfield positions. Santander hasn’t put up a positive defensive season since 2020 (the only one of his career) and heading into his age 30 season, he certainly isn’t going to start now. This is the end of the elite defensive outfield play that Blue Jays fans have become accustomed to, but that’s obviously a sacrifice Ross Atkins and the front office are willing to make in order to get Santander’s bat in the lineup.

Now for the fun part: Santander can absolutely mash, and it would not be a stretch to call him the perfect fit behind Vladimir Guerrero Jr. A switch hitter, Santander is coming off of his first All-Star selection and a season in which he crushed 44 homers en route to a 129 wRC+. He’s capable of doing damage any time he steps in the box thanks to a profile that emphasizes pull-side fly balls.

Fangraphs projected lineup has Santander bumping Guerrero up to the two spot in the lineup and Bo Bichette down to cleanup. Personally, I love the idea of getting my best hitter more at-bats, but I also wouldn’t be upset if Vlad continued to insist on hitting third and Bo slid back into the two-hole. Either way, for the first time since 2022, the Blue Jays have a player not named Vladimir Guerrero Jr. who is capable of a 25-homer season.

We can debate whether or not lineup protection matters, but the fact is, the lack of production in the cleanup spot behind Vlad has been a massive weakness in the Blue Jays’ lineup. Over the past two seasons, the Blue Jays had a 103 wRC+ out of the cleanup spot, which ranked 18th in baseball. They were dead last with 31 homers. Steamer projects Santander to hit 33 homers in 2025 alone. Santander is also a switch-hitter, and essentially platoon proof. In 2024 he rocked an wRC+ above 120 as both a righty and a lefty, and his career numbers are nearly even. That offensive consistency against different pitcher profiles will be massive in the middle of a lineup that has been crying out for consistency. 

Giving Santander everyday reps in the outfield is going to have a ‘rob Peter to pay Paul’ effect. The Jays have taken away from their elite defensive outfield, a spot of serious strength over the last couple of years, to address a serious weakness: the lack of power and an offensive threat to hit behind Guerrero. One can only hope that Ross Atkins and the front office are on the verge of finally striking the perfect balance between a defensive and offensive lineup.