Bryan Jaeger

Even though the Blue Jays find themselves with a 55-41 record and leading the AL East halfway through the season, the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and Tampa Bay Rays are all at most 5 1/2 games behind. The first-place standing is somewhat misleading because the Blue Jays had the 12th-easiest schedule in the first half of the season, but only had a +17 run differential, which is tied for the second-lowest among teams with winning records. It's a different picture looking at the second half's strength of schedule. Staying atop the division will be a challenge since the Blue Jays have the fifth-strongest remaining schedule. Division foes, the Red Sox (sixth-strongest), the Yankees (12th-easiest), and the Rays (10th-easiest), all could pose serious threats to overtaking the Blue Jays and claiming the AL East crown. Even Power Rankings Guru has the AL East title race coming down to the wire. Their current prediction for win total is Yankees at 90.2, Blue Jays at 87.6, Red Sox at 86.2, and the Rays at 84.7. The Blue Jays have 66 games remaining, which are split evenly between home and away games. The team began the second half at home against the San Francisco Giants in a three-game series, followed by a division rival, the New York Yankees. After sweeping the Yankees in a four-game series the first week in July, the Yankees return to the Rogers Centre July 21-23. This three-game series is crucial for the Blue Jays to extend their lead over the other teams in the division race. Excluding the division teams, the Blue Jays also face a challenge playing against four current division leaders: the Detroit Tigers (four games), as well as three games against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Chicago Cubs, and the Houston Astros, each. The Dodgers and Cubs will be a difficult stretch because the Blue Jays play them back-to-back with a travel day after Sunday's game. September will provide ample opportunities to gain ground in the divisional race. The key divisional series in September will be a three-game series from the 5th to the 7th against the Yankees, a four-game series from the 15th to the 18th against the Rays, and a crucial final stretch with six games being at home against the Red Sox and Rays. Even with the daunting schedule ahead, Power Ranking Guru gives the Blue Jays a 75.2 percent chance of making the playoffs as of this writing. This is extremely impressive, considering they received only a 29.5 percent to start the season. The 75.2 percent chance of making a postseason appearance is behind the Yankees (89.5), but ahead of the Red Sox (63.1) and the Rays (47.1). Their graph projects the Blue Jays to be the top Wild Card seed and would host the Seattle Mariners in a one-game series. Regardless of the outcome, after starting the season 14-16 and all the chaos surrounding Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s contract, fans may have felt discouraged about the season. However, the team took care of business against weaker teams, setting themselves up nicely for the second half. It'll be an exciting next couple of months to watch how the AL East title run plays out. View full article

The Blue Jays struggled to start the season, going 14-16 in March and April, but flipped a switch over the past few months. The team went 16-12 in May, 16-10 in June, and 9-3 so far in July. They sit atop the AL East, but have the New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays, and Boston Red Sox nipping at their heels, all of whom are within 5.5 games of their spot atop the division. The first place standing is somewhat misleading, as the Blue Jays have had the 12th-easiest schedule thus far, yet they only have a +17 run differential, which is tied for the second-lowest among teams with a winning record. Looking at the fifth-strongest remaining schedule in the second half, to return to the postseason and have a legitimate shot at a World Series run, the front office may need to dip into their big-market wallets to take on massive contracts to receive a superstar or two. General Manager Ross Atkins has already stated they'd be "ultra aggressive" at the trade deadline. The Blue Jays haven't won the division since 1993, didn't qualify for the postseason last season, and haven't advanced past the Wild Card round since 2016 (when they lost to the then-Cleveland Indians). So, the front office doesn't want to waste the opportunity they are presented with, even though the rough second half schedule will be a challenge. The Blue Jays are already more than $30 million over the Competitive Balance Tax Space and have a $10 million penalty for a repeat offense. It's no secret that the Blue Jays need a starting pitcher for depth due to their current injuries. Alex Manoah (starting rehab assignments) has missed the entire season recovering from UCL surgery that he suffered in June last season, and Bowden Francis has been out since June 14 with no return timetable. In their absence, Eric Lauer has done an excellent job filling in, but he's needed in the bullpen as another lefty option. With Lauer starting games, Brendon Little has been left as the only left-hander in the bullpen for the majority of that span. Even when Manoah and Francis do return, if the Blue Jays are all-in for a postseason run, then they need a power arm. Eating all or a big chunk of a contract can help the Blue Jays avoid dealing away their better prospects. Jacob deGrom Over the next two weeks, the Blue Jays need to watch if the Texas Rangers fall further behind in the Wild Card race. They're currently 48-49, 8.5 games behind in the AL West, and 3.5 games behind in the Wild Card race. If they fall out of contention, deGrom should be a name the Blue Jays ask about. The Rangers may be willing to drop the 37-year-old, oft-injured superstar. He has $75 million owed over the next two seasons and a $20 million club option in 2028 that could become a $37 million player option based on performance incentives. Following years of injuries, deGrom has returned to his two-time Cy Young Award-winning form after failing to reach 93 innings in the last five seasons. This season, the ace is 9-2, having recorded a 2.32 ERA over 112 1/3 innings, and a 113:26 strikeout:walk ratio. This acquisition is a long-shot scenario since the righty has a full no-trade clause, but when it comes to flexing your muscles, adding a pitcher of this ilk shows the league you have a championship in mind. Pairing deGrom with José Berrios and Kevin Gausman on the mound in a postseason series would be intimidating for any opponent. Mitch Keller If deGrom's contract proves prohibitive, a (likely) easier starter to acquire would be the Pittsburgh Pirates' Mitch Keller. It's not the sexiest acquisition, but he's a consistent innings-eater. The 29-year-old has thrown more than 150 innings the past three seasons and is only 31 innings away from pushing that streak to four. Keller has three years remaining on the five-year deal he signed in 2024, but the Blue Jays could eat the remaining $54.5 million. The righty has posted a 3.48 ERA and a 92:32 strikeout:walk ratio this season. Out of his 20 starts, 14 have resulted in quality starts, which means he threw more than six innings and allowed three or fewer runs. Since the injury bug has bitten the starting rotation all season, having a reliable arm will go a long way to help the Blue Jays make a deep postseason run. With the Pirates being sure sellers, Keller will be a popular option. The competition may hurt the Blue Jays, as the Pirates will likely be seeking offensive prospects, which is not the strength of the Blue Jays' farm system, with 11 of their top 15 prospects being pitchers. If the Blue Jays take on the rest of Keller's remaining $54.5 million, then mid to lower-tier prospects should seal the deal (assuming Toronto is willing to surrender at least one high-end arm). Either way, a starting pitcher is needed to give the Blue Jays depth at the position. Adding a power arm for a second-half push and potential postseason run will be a significant addition, as will healthy returns from Daulton Varsho and Anthony Santander. It'll be fun to watch how Atkins approaches the next two weeks. View full article

The Blue Jays added 19 prospects during this year's MLB draft. The team had to forfeit their second-round pick to the Baltimore Orioles for signing Anthony Santander, who had a qualifying offer prior to free agency. Hopefully, Santander can make adjustments while on the injured list to improve his struggles from the first half of the season; that way, it won't hurt as much to miss out on a top-50 prospect from the class. Teams and the rest of the draft staff discuss their strategies throughout the year for the upcoming draft. With each pick, certain similarities highlight the prospects and attributes each team wants. General Manager Ross Atkins and the rest of the scouting team did the same by showing a few tendencies that they were focusing on. Let's dive into those tendencies: Big-bodied, middle of the field players on Day 1 Shortstops and center fielders are highly valuable assets when approaching the draft. These positions are considered the most athletic in the field because they can likely play any position on the team. The Blue Jays drafted both positions with their two Day 1 picks, and the prospects are bulky. JoJo Parker, a high school senior, is 6'2" and 200lbs, while Jake Cook, a redshirt junior from Southern Mississippi, is 6'3" and 185 lbs. Both athletes display great vision at the plate and demonstrate a strong ability to get on base. Parker had a batting average of .489 and stole 30 bases this season; Cook hit .350, but although he flashes his speed in center field, he only stole six bases over his 64 career games at Southern Miss. Utilizing his speed on the basepaths should be a major focus in the lower minor-league affiliates. Drafting younger prospects early The Blue Jays drafted a high school senior or redshirt junior with their first six picks. Teams like to draft talented high schoolers early, hoping they will bypass college and provide three or four extra years of service to a team. This strategy is risky, though, because the prospect may have their eye on attending college (and are a lot rawer than their collegiate counterparts). The same applies to redshirt juniors, who can receive an extra year of service instead of being drafted as seniors. However, these players are more likely to start their professional careers rather than return for their senior year of college. When high schoolers are drafted in the early rounds, there has likely been communication between the team and the player regarding the prospect's readiness to begin their professional career. The Blue Jays clearly believe in their ability to 1) coax younger players out of their committments to college, and 2) develop them to mitigate the risks as they mature and grow into their frames. No team wants to waste an early pick, although if the Blue Jays were to fail to sign one of their selections, the team would receive a pick one spot lower than where they made the selection in next year's draft. This compensation only applies to the first three rounds, though. Draft left-handed bats Of the 11 position players selected by the Blue Jays, nine of them bat left-handed, including a switch-hitter. The Rookie League (two lefties and two switch-hitters) and Low-A Dunedin (one) are lacking left-handed bats, where these draftees will likely begin their professional careers. Given that Nathan Lukes and Addison Barger are the long lefties on the big league team with a wRC+ of 100 or greater (minimum 200 plate appearances), it should be no surprise that Toronto chose to invest heavily in that skillset during this draft. View full article

The Blue Jays selected Tim Piasentin at #143 in the 2025 MLB Draft. Piasentin is a third baseman at Foothills Composite HS in Alberta, Canada. The slot value for the pick is $503,800. The Canadian was ranked 116th on our Jays Centre MLB Mock Draft Board. Here's what our write-up of Piasentin by our draft expert, Jamie Cameron: "Piasentin is a physical prep prospect out of Alberta with an imposing, 6'3, 205-pound frame. Piasentin put up one of the more impressive rounds of batting practice and the MLB Draft Combine, underscoring that power is the calling card of the offensive profile. There's some swing and miss in this profile, but that's not uncommon for a prep prospect for whom there's a coat of two of polish to apply. Defensively, it's a plus arm ideally suited to third base. He's not a great mover, and there's work to do on the actions in the infield. Still, with two-plus tools, there's a chance an org takes a chance on Piasentin in the first three rounds and pulls him away from his commitment to Miami." What do you think of the pick? Add your thoughts in the comments. View full rumor

The Blue Jays selected Micah Bucknam at #112 in the 2025 MLB Draft. Bucknam is an RHP at Dallas Baptist (TX). The slot value for the pick is $680,800. Here's what MLB.com says about Bucknam: "One of the best Canadian prospects in the 2022 Draft, Bucknam turned down the Blue Jays as a 16th-rounder to attend Louisiana State. He worked just 16 innings in two seasons in Baton Rouge because of command issues, enjoying more success in two summers in the Cape Cod League before transferring to Dallas Baptist. He became the Patriots' No. 1 starter and has some of the best feel for spin in the college ranks." Bucknam struggled at Louisiana State in 2023 and 2024, posting an 11.57 ERA over seven innings and a 7.00 ERA over nine innings, respectively. He transferred to Dallas Baptist this past spring and threw 62 1/3 innings, posting a 4.62 ERA with an 80:25 strikeout:walk ratio. The righty is still raw, but he has shown he can correct his command issues. He has a four-pitch arsenal that Bucknam will need to improve on, but his fastball ranges in the 92-96 mph range, and curveball, slider, and changeup hang around the low-mid 80s, so this swing and miss potential with his speed differences. What do you think of the pick? Add your thoughts in the comments. View full rumor

As of games on July 6, Blue Jays relievers have the 10th-best ERA in MLB (3.62) and have thrown the second-most strikeouts (377). However, the Jays currently have only one left-handed reliever on the 26-man roster (excluding Eric Lauer, who has now joined the rotation). Brendon Little has been a workhorse in the bullpen, being the only left-handed option at times. He's logged the second-most innings (41 1/3) amongst all Blue Jays relievers while posting an impressive 2.18 ERA and striking out 58. The lefty has been nearly unhittable, allowing batters to hit only .189. Little has been Toronto's only consistent lefty, hence the heavy workload. Other lefty relievers that have logged innings in the big leagues this season are Mason Fluharty (5.57 ERA over 34 innings), Josh Walker (7.20 ERA over five innings), and Richard Lovelady (7.71 ERA over 4 2/3 innings). Fluharty is currently at Triple-A Buffalo, Walker was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for cash considerations, and Lovelady was designated for assignment in April and elected free agency. Bowden Francis or Alek Manoah returning to the starting rotation after recovering from their respective injuries would be a massive boost to an already impressive bullpen, as Lauer would no longer be needed as a starter. He would likely then return to a long-reliever role, unless manager John Schneider decides he needs to relieve Little's workload as a short reliever. Internally, the only left-handed relievers on the 40-man roster are Fluharty and Justin Bruihl. Fluharty had some success early in the season, but there was a good reason the Blue Jays optioned the rookie back down to Triple A. As for Bruihl, he showed success with Toronto (2.70 ERA, 35.7% strikeout rate) but in a very limited sample. So, an additional left-handed reliever to work alongside Little is a need that the team will likely try to address at the trade deadline. However, since Bruihl is in his final optionable season, I assume the Jays have plans for him to gain more MLB experience at some point this year. View full article

Arjun NimmalaTrey YesavageRicky TiedemannKhal StephenOrelvis MartinezJake BlossAlan RodenLanden MaroudisJonatan ClaseKendry RojasJosh KasevichJohnny KingGage StaniferYohendrick PinangoAdam MackoCharles McAdooSam ShawJuaron Watts-BrownFernando PerezBrandon Barriera

Arjun NimmalaTrey YesavageRicky TiedemannKhal StephenOrelvis MartinezJake BlossAlan RodenLanden MaroudisJonatan ClaseKendry RojasJosh KasevichJohnny KingGage StaniferYohendrick PinangoAdam MackoCharles McAdooSam ShawJuaron Watts-BrownFernando PerezBrandon Barriera

This year's All-Star Game will be held July 15 in the Atlanta Braves' Truist Park. The rosters are determined by fan voting for the starters at each position, while the players and the commissioner's office choose the reserves and the pitchers. The Blue Jays are off to a 36-30 start, are four games behind the New York Yankees in the AL East, and are half a game ahead in the Wild Card standings. With this success, the Blue Jays should receive a few All-Star selections. The issue is that no one on the roster is guaranteed to make the trip to the Midsummer Classic, unless Vladimir Guerrero Jr. can win the fan vote or earn his peers' vote because of his popularity and solid performance this season. Brendon Little is another Blue Jay who deserves All-Star consideration, but this is the lefty's first full season in the big leagues. So, is he too much of an unknown to make his first All-Star appearance? Little's MLB debut was short-lived in 2022, when he threw two-thirds of an inning for the Cubs and gave up three earned runs. He was sent back down to Triple-A Iowa shortly afterward. He spent all of 2023 in Iowa, pitching to a 4.05 ERA and striking out 73 in 73 1/3 innings. In the following offseason, the Blue Jays acquired the 28-year-old for cash considerations. They are reaping the rewards this season. In 30 innings, Little has a 2.10 ERA, a 44:16 strikeout-to-walk ratio, 12 holds, and two saves. Due to a stellar pitching arsenal, batters are hitting .185 against the lefty, and Little has an impressive 1.17 walks plus hits per inning pitched (WHIP). According to Baseball Savant, he throws his knuckle curve and sinker 47.5 and 46 percent of the time, respectively. These pitches have Little in the 94th percentile or higher in expected batting average, as well as chase, whiff, strikeout, and groundball percentages. His knuckle curve is the most dangerous pitch in his arsenal. This pitch has held batters to a .136 batting average, a .169 slugging percentage, and fooled opponents with a 60.2 whiff percentage. Little has finished 64 plate appearances with the pitch this season, and 38 have ended in a strikeout. Little's pitch mix in 2024 and 2025, via Baseball Savant The whiff percentage for the knuckle curve has improved by 16.5 percent from last season. His sinker is dropping even more than it did last season, and his whiff percentage on the sinker has increased from 21.5 to 36.1 percent. These increases are a massive reason why Little is succeeding and could potentially earn an All-Star appearance. Little's biggest hurdle is that, with his short MLB history, he is not a known name outside of Toronto. Also, after allowing an earned run on April 25, Little went 15 games without allowing another earned run. He has since allowed an earned run in each of his last two appearances, raising his ERA to 2.10. Pitchers get 12 spots on the All-Star team (although that number could rise as replacements are added), and relievers get at least three of those. With popular relievers Jhoan Duran, Tommy Kahnle, Josh Hader, and Andrés Muñoz having successful seasons, Little's chances to earn a bid were already slim, but his recent struggles make a Midsummer Classic trip seem almost impossible. To salvage his All-Star bid, shutout innings will be vital for the rest of June as he strives to reach the top of the AL reliever leaderboards. Stats, standings, and rankings updated prior to games on June 10. View full article

Jon Schneider recently said, "Varsho is going to play when he's here, and he's going to play center." Everyone expected this, but it doesn't sound like Varsho will sit much to rest between a string of starts. Schneider has also said he wants Anthony Santander to get more time in the outfield. These circumstances mean Schneider has some puzzle pieces to work with when deciding who will handle left and right fields. Santander, George Springer, Alan Roden, Myles Straw, Nathan Lukes, and Addison Barger alternated in the outfield while Varsho was injured. For most of the season, the designated hitter role has been rotated between Santander and Springer. However, with Schneider wanting more outfield time for Santander, positioning the outfield is rather complicated. Defensively, the Blue Jays are loaded with outfield talent. Straw won a Gold Glove Award in 2022 while playing center field for the Cleveland Guardians. Barger was rated in the 99th percentile in his partial debut last season in arm strength. Barger also started 29 games last season at third base. Santander has a .990 fielding percentage over 492 career games in right field with 28 assists. Springer has started 718 games in right field with 43 assists and a .989 fielding percentage. Roden and Lukes have limited experience in left field in the big leagues. They both have started less than 20 games in left but have a .971 and 1.000 fielding percentages, respectively. Santander and Springer will likely continue to rotate at DH to give their aging bodies a break, but Varsho and Alejandro Kirk may get time in the role for a rest day here and there. Although those two will rarely fill the role, between Santander and Springer, whoever is DH, the other will likely handle right field. Although Santander could also make starts in left field, which would allow Barger's strong arm to be in right field. In left field, Santander will make the occasional start, but you'll mostly see a split between Roden, Straw, Barger, and Lukes. Managers usually like right-handed hitters versus left-handed pitchers and vice versa. So, since Straw is the only right-handed hitter, he will likely handle left field against left-handed pitchers. Against right-handed pitchers, Roden looks to get the nod, with Barger and Lukes filling in occasionally. Roden, Barger, Lukes rarely bat against left-handed pitchers. They have 11, two, and zero plate appearances against lefties this season, respectively. Neither of these three excels on offense enough to separate themselves from the others and deserves more playing time. No one has a higher than .670 OPS, but Lukes has an on-base advantage, drawing an 11.4 walk percentage. I was surprised that one of Roden, Barger, or Lukes wasn't sent down, given Varsho's return to the 26-man roster. Lukes seemed the obvious choice to be demoted because of his struggles at the plate, hitting just .222 and a .659 OPS. Barger has versatility, being able to play third base, and the Blue Jays have said they are sticking with Roden throughout his slow start. Wagner seemed more useful to the club, being able to play first, second, and third base. If Wagner gets hot in the minor leagues or any injury to the infield happens, it'll be interesting who the Blue Jays decide to demote. View full article

Daulton Varsho began the season on the injured list due to having rotator cuff surgery in his right shoulder in September last year. The Blue Jays expect the outfielder to return to the big leagues by the end of April, but what changes will the team need to make before then? While rehabbing his shoulder, Daulton Varsho played 12 games in spring training as the designated hitter. Over 20 at-bats, he had an OPS of .994, four home runs, and nine RBI. It was a great showing at the plate, but his surgically repaired shoulder was not ready for him to break camp with the team. Last week, he successfully threw from 150 and 165 feet. This week, the goal is for Varsho to throw from the outfield to the bases and return to regular game-speed throwing. If successful, the center fielder expects to spend a week playing full extended spring training games before going to Triple-A Buffalo for a few games and returning to the big leagues. The Blue Jays have Nathan Lukes and Myles Straw splitting time in centerfield based on the pitcher. Lukes, a 30-year-old rookie, starts against righties, and Straw, a 30-year-old four-year veteran, starts against lefties. The team also has 25-year-old rookie Alan Roden, who has started at both corner outfield positions as an option to send down if the front office wanted to move Lukes and Straw to right field. This is unlikely to happen with the rookie's struggles, slashing .229/.317/.286 with zero home runs and only two RBI over his first 35 big-league at-bats. Between Straw and Lukes, Straw has been much more successful on the offensive side of the ball, slashing .350/.381/.381 and a 143 wRC+ over 20 at-bats. Lukes is struggling in his first trip to the majors, slashing .158/.273/.158 with a 40 wRC+ in 19 at-bats. When Varsho returns, he will be slotted into center field and likely have a few starts at designated hitter to ease him into a full workload. This situation means it is likely that either Lukes or Straw will be sent down to Triple-A Buffalo. Both have an option available. Varsho is a left-handed hitter like Lukes, which means Lukes will likely be the player sent down. This move allows the rookie plenty of at-bats to work out his struggles in case he is needed back in Toronto later in the season. It will also enable Straw to make starts against a lefty, allowing Varsho to have an off day or start at DH. Whichever option the Blue Jays go with, they will gladly have Varsho's power back. The 28-year-old does not reliably hit for average, posting just a .214 average last season, but he has hit 20 and 18 home runs since coming over from the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2023, respectively. Last season, he had a 93 wRC+ and a wins above replacement of 3.3. View full article

Trading for Andrés Giménez brought the Blue Jays a Gold Glover. Could some swing changes have also brought them a power hitter? Over Andrés Giménez's first five seasons in the big leagues, he was a defensive specialist who could contribute occasionally on offense. He has won three straight Gold Glove Awards and a Platinum Glove Award in 2023 for being the best defensive player in the American League, but the star second baseman's offense didn't come up often. His most productive season at the plate was 2022, when he hit 17 home runs with 69 RBI, both career bests, over 491 at-bats. This season, in only 26 at-bats, Giménez has three home runs and six runs batted in with an OPS of 1.131. That is .294 percent higher than his career-high .837 percentage set in 2022. What has led to Giménez's power surge? While in Cleveland, Giménez had a somewhat defensive swing, greatly reducing the power through his hips. His stance included a wider base than now, he was closer to the plate, oddly had his feet turned slightly out, and his stride included a toe-tap before stepping to the ball to begin his swing. This approach limited the rotation in the hips, where hitters generate their power. It is an approach hitters usually take with two strikes to shorten their swing to make contact and put the ball in play. This signified that the 26-year-old wanted a more contact swing than a power swing. Since Giménez joined the Blue Jays, hitting coach David Popkins has been working with the lefty to tweak his swing to offer more pop. Popkins was the hitting coach for the Minnesota Twins for three seasons before joining the Blue Jays this season, so he had experience watching the former division rival and knew there was untapped potential. Popkins wanted Giménez to bring back a version of his swing from his time with the New York Mets in 2020 and Cleveland's Triple-A in 2021. There, Giménez had an open stance with a high leg kick that produced a higher exit velocity, but he struggled in the big leagues that season when he got called up by the Guardians. He had five home runs and 16 runs batted in over 188 at-bats and slashed an abysmal .633 OPS. These struggles led him to transition to a more contact swing, which worked as he had his career year at the plate in 2022. However, Popkins knew Giménez could provide more production offensively. Thanks to Baseball Savant's new batting stance we can see the difference very clearly. Giménez's 2024 batting stance is on the left, and 2025 is on the right. The work with Popkins has narrowed Giménez's formerly wide stance by eight inches, opened it 16 degrees, and moved him three inches further back in the box. Giménez also looks more upright in the box and brought back a more subtle leg kick that helps his upper body stay closed before initiating his swing. These adjustments allow him to get more torque in his lower half, resulting in faster bat speed, contributing to his massive power increase early in the season. The change will likely result in more strikeouts, but the massive OPS difference is a solid trade. There's no way to be sure that the adjustments we can see are the reason behind Giménez's power surge. Players change their stances all the time and for all sorts of reasons without dramatic results. However, the Blue Jays seem to be reaping the rewards from these mechanical changes. It's early, but Giménez's average exit velocity is up by nearly 4 mph from last year, and his hard-hit rate is up nearly eight percentage points. These are enormous gains. Giménez is batting in the four-hole and has been the power producer early this season. He leads the team in runs scored, home runs, and runs batted in. George Springer and Tyler Heineman are the only other Blue Jays with a home run, but they have only one each. The power of stars like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Anthony Santander will eventually come, but for now, Blue Jays fans will enjoy watching Giménez's new-found power stroke. View full article

Erik Swanson felt some elbow discomfort last week, but an MRI showed no structural damage. How long will the reliever be sidelined, and how will his absence affect the bullpen? The Blue Jays got some encouraging news last week, as an MRI on reliever Erik Swanson's ailing right elbow revealed a median nerve entrapment, rather than structural damage. He received a cortisone shot and will be able to begin throwing in the next couple of days. With Opening Day on March 27, Swanson likely starts the season on the injured list. Nerve injuries are always tricky because there is no set timetable for a return, but the righty is not expected to miss an extended perid of time. If Swanson does begin the season on the IL, the back end of the Blue Jays bullpen will feel his absence. Swanson struggled and got demoted during the first half of the 2024 season, but he was a completely different pitcher in the second half of the season, throwing 24 2/3 innings, posting a 2.55 ERA and holding opponents to a batting average of .172. Swanson was outstanding on the mound in 2022 and 2023, posting 1.68 and 2.97 ERAs, respectively. Although it's certainly due for some positive regression after being the worst unit in baseball in 2024, the Blue Jays bullpen looks to be a massive weakness. Free agent signees Jeff Hoffman and Yimi García are the only projected relievers who finished 2024 with ERA under 3.85. García and Chad Green will fill the set-up roles. The Blue Jays will need to hope that Swanson's stint on the IL is short and that when he returns, he's not the early 2024 version. If (or more realistically, when) the team loses a reliever with a longer-term injury, they won't have many great options to fill in. According to FanGraphs' depth charts, Toronto is projected to get just 2.4 WAR from its bullpen, which ranks 20th in baseball. View full article