Leo Morgenstern

Before the season, my Jays Centre colleague Jesse Burrill asked all the writers here to make a bold prediction for 2026. At the time, I was very pleased with what I came up with: Two Blue Jays will make their first All-Star Game this summer. I knew it was statistically improbable, but I genuinely thought it was going to come true. That's the perfect bold prediction. Well, in theory. In practice, it's starting to look like my "perfect bold prediction" may not have been bold enough. Dylan Cease was my ace in the hole, and I acknowledged as much. Other names that made me confident in my prediction were Daulton Varsho, Kazuma Okamoto, Cody Ponce, and Louis Varland. With just over a month to go until the All-Star Game, Cease and Varland are strong contenders to earn a spot on the AL squad. But there's a third Blue Jay with a serious All-Star case, and it's one I didn't even consider before the season. Heck, it's one I didn't even consider when voting opened last week. It's Ernie Clement. (Pictured below: Me showing my emphatic support for Ern Dog.) Image courtesy of Daniel Kucin Jr. – Imagn Images via Reuters Connect Thanks to a red-hot stretch over the last three weeks, Clement ranks fifth in the AL with a .304 batting average. His 79 hits lead the American League (Jesse will have more to say on that topic tomorrow). The rest of his numbers don't jump off the page, but the competition at his position is so nonexistent that Toronto's second baseman really might be the strongest choice. Clement has 1.4 fWAR and bWAR through 67 games. That's well above average, although it isn't a number that screams 'All-Star' – and certainly not 'All-Star Starter.' Before injury replacements get the call, 20 position players will be named to the AL All-Star team. Clement doesn't even rank among the top 30 by either version of WAR. The thing is, there has to be a starting second baseman. There has to be a reserve second baseman, too, and they both actually have to play second base. Shortstops Kevin McGonigle and Colson Montgomery are more deserving All-Stars than Clement, and I'm sure either one of them could handle the keystone just fine, but that isn't how it works. One of the 15 second basemen on the ballot will get the starting nod, and another will be the backup. Of those 15, I don't see a better choice than Ernie. As you could have guessed, Clement leads AL second basemen in hits and batting average. He doesn't lead in any other major categories, but his .789 OPS and 119 wRC+ both rank second, behind Ezequiel Duran's .802 and 124 marks. Clement also has a 62 PA lead over Duran, which means he has provided more overall value at the plate. His 37 weighted runs created (the counting stat version of wRC+) lead the field. Strangely poor defensive numbers (-1 DRS, -1 FRV) are dragging down Clement's WAR totals, but I don't care about defensive metrics as much at this point in the season, especially when we all know how valuable Ernie can be in the field. I refuse to accept that Duran is a better fielder, even if the metrics give him the edge. [Related: Toronto Blue Jays Defensive Plays of the Month - May 2026] Let me be clear: I'm not saying Clement is far and away the best choice. What I'm saying is that no one else is obviously more deserving, at least right now. A vote for Ernie Clement wouldn't just be Blue Jays homerism; it would be a perfectly justifiable choice. Some fans will argue that star power should matter when it comes to All-Star voting. They might use that argument to justify a vote for star rookie Travis Bazzana or a multi-time All-Star like Gleyber Torres or Jazz Chisholm Jr. These fans would tell you the All-Star Game is about having a good time, and it's more fun when the biggest names are on the field. Personally, I'd respond that baseball is always more fun when Ernie Clement is on the field. Yes, I'm aware that I'm sliding into homerism territory now, but if fans outside of Toronto don't know the joy of watching Clement, it's only because they haven't watched him enough. Electing him to the All-Star Game could help change that. At the risk of sounding like a sponsored post for Major League Baseball, here is the link to the 2026 MLB All-Star ballot. Here it is again. (Remember, you can vote five times a day!) I don't believe in just voting for all the players on my favourite team, but I do believe in doing everything I can to support the ones who deserve it. So, here's that link one more time. If you're so inclined, please join me in voting, and let's get Ernie Clement to the All-Star Game. I couldn't be more excited for my bold prediction to be proven wrong. View full article

According to The Athletic's Mitch Bannon, Sean Keys has earned a promotion. Thanks to his hot start for the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats, Jays Centre's No. 10 prospect will soon join the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. Keys, 23, leads all Blue Jays minor leaguers with 14 home runs and 43 runs scored in 2026. He's hitting .285 with 23 extra-base hits, a 13.4% walk rate, a .993 OPS, and a 158 wRC+. No Double-A batter (min. 200 PA) has a higher OPS or wRC+. The corner infielder has also stolen six bases through 49 games; he only stole eight in 119 contests last season. Jays Centre chose Keys as our Minor League Hitter of the Month in April. He slowed down a bit in mid-May, but over the past two weeks, he's hit .317 with a 1.111 OPS and 185 wRC+. While he's only been with New Hampshire for two months, it already looks like he's ready to face the next level of competition. The Blue Jays selected Keys in the fourth round of the 2024 draft. You can read more about him on Jays Centre's top prospects page. View full article

Even without Alejandro Kirk, the Blue Jays have the best defensive catchers in baseball, at least according to Statcast's metrics. For the second month in a row, Blue Jays catchers led the majors with a +7 fielding run value (FRV) in May, thanks to stellar performances from Brandon Valenzuela and Tyler Heinman. The rest of their fielders, however, were surprisingly poor, finishing the month with -8 Outs Above Average (OAA). We can all think of some moments in the field that should have gone differently. Be that as it may, the Jays still made their fair share of highlight-reel plays in May, and I'm here to celebrate the best (or at least the most enjoyable) of them. You can find my picks for March/April's defensive plays of the month here. That's the Varsho We Know and Love Last month, I wrote about this Addison Barger grab, noting it was Toronto's first five-star catch of the season. Apparently, it has since been downgraded to four stars, but the Blue Jays still have one five-star catch in 2026 thanks to Daulton Varsho. The center fielder hasn't always been the elite defender we're used to seeing this year, but he covered a ton of ground in a couple of seconds to make this diving grab. Two for the Price of One... But Was It Worth It? Addison Barger is so cool. In his first game back from the injured list, he made a run-saving double play, and he made it look as easy as throwing to first on a routine groundball. I don't even think Jorge Soler considered the fact that he could be doubled up as he tried to tag and score on this play. Unfortunately, Barger landed back on the injured list the next day with elbow inflammation in his powerful right arm. Andrés Giménez Is So Damn Smooth As accomplished a defender as he is, it's important not to forget that Andrés Giménez is still settling in at shortstop. By the test eye, he looked more comfortable at his new position in May, and the numbers back that up: He led the Blue Jays with 4 OAA in the month. I could have picked several of his highlights to feature here, but this bang-bang play against the Orioles was my favourite. Varsho Holds On What's impressive here isn't so much the catch itself, but the fact that Varsho holds on after smacking into the wall at full speed, falling over, and doing a backward somersault. They say if you look closely, you can still see the imprint of his face on the center field wall. What, Like It's Hard? I'm so impressed by the nonchalance with which Patrick Corbin made this behind-the-back grab. It almost looks like he just happened to put his glove in the perfect spot, and the ball bounced in. Either that or there was some magnet trickery going on here. Don't Run on Heiny Heineman caught nine runners stealing in May, including four in one game against the Marlins. He's now tied for third in MLB on the season with 11 caught stealing. I chose the clip above from that game against Miami (a) because Heineman caught the blistering-fast Esteury Ruiz, and (b) because of how cool Giménez looks laying down the tag. Have I mentioned I love watching Andrés Giménez? They Call Him a Catcher for a Reason Brandon Valenzuela provides most of his defensive value with excellent pitch-framing, which rarely makes the highlight reels. However, there was no way I wasn't going to include Toronto's most important defensive player in a piece about the team's defense. Valenzuela made a pair of excellent catches on tough pop-ups in May. I already wrote about one of them, so I included the other one here. At first, it looked like he lost this one in the sun, and he easily could have just given up. Instead, he located the ball and made a mad dash for the backstop and pulled off the sliding catch. Kudos to the camera crew for capturing this so well. Ladies and Gentlemen, Trey Yesavage You knew this was coming. How else could I end this piece but with one of the greatest examples of pitcher defense I've ever seen? Let's break it down. Act I: Trey Yesavage leaps for a high bouncer, but the ball clips off the top of his glove. Act II: He can't locate the ball until it hits the brim of his cap on the way down. Act III: He goes to snap it up, and once again, it pops out of his glove. Act IV: In a last-ditch effort to make the play, he uses his glove like something in between a shovel and a tennis racket to half-scoop, half-slap the ball to first base. Act V: Somehow, it works. Any Blue Jays defensive moments from May that you think I missed? Please share them in the comments below! View full article

The Blue Jays have acquired pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson in a trade with the Twins, according to Mitch Bannon of The Athletic. Minnesota will send cash considerations back to Toronto. Woods Richardson, 25, was a prospect in the Blue Jays' system from 2019-21. Toronto acquired him from the Mets in the Marcus Stroman trade and later sent him to the Twins in the José Berríos deal. The righty was designated for assignment over the weekend. He pitched well for the Twins from 2024-25, putting up a 4.11 ERA over 51 games (50 starts). However, he has struggled in 2026, with a 7.74 ERA in 47.2 innings. Jays Centre's Jim Scott recently wrote about Woods Richardson as a potential target for the Blue Jays. View full rumor

The Toronto Blue Jays have acquired more right-handed depth in the form of veteran reliever Justin Topa. Topa, 35, has seven seasons of MLB experience with the Brewers, Mariners, and Twins. He owns a 4.27 ERA in 172 career appearances, with nine saves and 32 holds. The righty struggled badly for Minnesota earlier this year (8.05 ERA, 5.97 xERA in 19 IP), prompting his release. However, he was solid for the Twins in 2025, pitching to a 3.90 ERA (4.42 xERA) in 60 frames. The Blue Jays have 10 pitchers on their major league injured list, and they're currently counting on bullpen games to fill two of the five slots in their rotation. So, it makes sense that they're stockpiling pitching depth, and it wouldn't be surprising to see Topa get a shot with Toronto in the coming weeks. View full rumor

Two months into 2026, the Blue Jays have had to dip into their farm system several times to address injuries to position players like Alejandro Kirk, Addison Barger, and Lenyn Sosa. That isn't ideal, but things have gone about as well as anyone could have possibly hoped for the rookie hitters. Brandon Valenzuela has the poise of a veteran behind the plate, Yohendrick Piñango has the highest OPS and wRC+ on the team (min. 50 PA), and Charles McAdoo hit a huge home run in his very first big league game. Even better, the success stories of the Blue Jays' farm system go beyond just what we've seen at the big league level. Many of Toronto's position player prospects are enjoying strong seasons. Let's talk about the best of those hitters from May. Honourable Mention: Franklin Rojas (FCL) May Stats: 16 G, 68 PA, 1 HR, .316/.426/.439, 130 wRC+ Franklin Rojas was Toronto's top international signing in 2024, and he made his pro debut in the Dominican Summer League later that year. After two seasons in the DSL, the catcher made his stateside debut in 2026 and started off strong, batting .316 with a .426 OBP in May. Honourable Mention: Sam White (FCL) May Stats: 20 G, 72 PA, 4 HR, .328/.444/.603, 161 wRC+ Ontario native Sam White signed with the Blue Jays as an undrafted free agent last summer. He moved all around the field in college, from catcher to third base to left field, but he has primarily played first base in his first professional season. The odds might be stacked against him as a 22-year-old first baseman in the Complex League, but White couldn't have asked for a better start to his career. He slugged four home runs and four doubles in his first 20 games. Honourable Mention: Je'Von Ward May Stats: 17 G, 53 PA, 5 HR, .319/.396/.681, 176 wRC+ Je'Von Ward earned a promotion to Triple-A Buffalo in mid-April, and after taking a couple of weeks to adjust to the new level, he started mashing for the Bisons. Ward hit five home runs in the month, despite only taking 53 trips to the plate. At 26, he's on the older side for a player making his Triple-A debut, and as a lefty-batting outfielder, he doesn't exactly have a clear path to the majors. That said, if he can maintain his power and cut down on the strikeouts, the Jays will have to take notice eventually. No. 3: Alexis Hernandez May Stats: 24 G, 105 PA, 7 HR, .318/.398/.648, 174 wRC+ Alexis Hernandez is a name to watch. Never a top-ranked prospect, he joined the Blue Jays a few years back in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 draft. The young outfielder didn't make a name for himself immediately, but in 68 games for High-A Vancouver over the last two seasons, he is hitting .290 with 10 home runs, 27 extra-base hits, eight stolen bases, and a 132 wRC+. He looked better than ever this past May, clubbing seven of those 10 home runs and finishing the month with a 174 wRC+. No. 2: Jay Harry May Stats: 25 G, 96 PA, 7 HR, .323/.333/.667, 152 wRC+ If you're wondering where this version of Jay Harry came from, you aren't alone. Over his first 127 games in the Blue Jays system, the utility man hit .202 with a .598 OPS and a 71 wRC+. He looked particularly lost after his promotion to Double-A New Hampshire last year (46 wRC+ in 44 games), and the Jays sent him back down to High-A Vancouver to finish the season. To say his second stint with the Fisher Cats has gone better would be the understatement of the century. Harry hit .357 with a 130 wRC+ in April, although only three of his 15 hits went for extra bases and none went over the fence. He remedied that issue in May with seven home runs and 16 extra-base hits. He also cut his strikeout rate down from 32.6% to 21.9%. The sample is still small, but all of a sudden, Harry is looking like a prospect you need to know. No. 1: RJ Schreck May Stats: 27 G, 115 PA, 4 HR, .297/.435/.516, 156 wRC+ Plenty of Blue Jays prospects looked good in May, but RJ Schreck gets the top spot because he's the most likely to make his way to the majors at some point this year. Early this spring, there were even rumblings that Schreck could compete for a spot on the Opening Day roster. That was before the Jays traded for Jesús Sánchez, and before Schreck went 3-for-21 in spring training. Yet, after what we saw from Schreck in May, it's clear why those rumblings were there in the first place. The outfielder hit .297 on the month with four home runs, eight doubles, and 18 walks. The Blue Jays already have a surplus of lefty-batting outfielders on their active roster, but Schreck's ability to play center field could earn him a shot if he keeps hitting like this. View full article

It's more bad news for yet another Toronto Blue Jays pitcher. Left-hander Joe Mantiply, who has already been on the IL for the past two weeks, needs surgery to repair the damage in his left knee. It will be an arthroscopic procedure. The good news is that the Jays expect to have Mantiply back at some point later this year, although it might be toward the end of the season. The 35-year-old pitched well for Toronto before he hit the shelf, tossing 17.2 innings with a 2.04 ERA. He struck out 16 and walked four, generating groundballs at a 48.9% rate. While Mantiply is out, the Blue Jays will continue to lean heavily on fellow left-hander Mason Fluharty. Rookie southpaw Adam Macko will also have a chance to carve out a more permanent role in Toronto's bullpen if he continues to succeed. View full rumor

It's more bad news for yet another Toronto Blue Jays pitcher. Left-hander Joe Mantiply, who has already been on the IL for the past two weeks, needs surgery to repair the damage in his left knee. It will be an arthroscopic procedure. The good news is that the Jays expect to have Mantiply back at some point later this year, although it might be toward the end of the season. The 35-year-old pitched well for Toronto before he hit the shelf, tossing 17.2 innings with a 2.04 ERA. He struck out 16 and walked four, generating groundballs at a 48.9% rate. While Mantiply is out, the Blue Jays will continue to lean heavily on fellow left-hander Mason Fluharty. Rookie southpaw Adam Macko will also have a chance to carve out a more permanent role in Toronto's bullpen if he continues to succeed. View full rumor