Twenty-four games into the 2026 season, things haven’t exactly gone as planned for the Toronto Blue Jays as they embark on a defence of the American League pennant.
With a roster marred by injuries and uneven performance, Toronto finds itself approaching the campaign’s one-month mark four games under .500 and searching for stability as April winds down. But as this new iteration of the Blue Jays looks to get on a roll, a glimpse around the league shows that a number of Toronto’s “exes” are off to slow starts, as well.
Of course, that all starts with Bo Bichette and his new club in Queens.
Even with the Mets stringing together two wins after a 12-game losing streak, and Bichette delivering a clutch bases-clearing double on Thursday, New York and the two-time all-star find themselves in a major hole to open 2026.
While there is plenty of time for Bichette, Toronto and some of its other old flames to turn things around, some of the early returns haven't been especially promising. So, here’s a closer look at how some notable former Blue Jays are faring with their new partners.
Bo Bichette, New York Mets
25 GP | 1 HR | 12 RBI | .238/.270/.314 | 66 wRC+
Thursday’s win over Minnesota was the peak of Bichette’s Mets tenure thus far, as he picked up three hits, the last of which brought home the eventual winning runs and drew a rare on-field display of emotion from the 28-year-old at second base.
But after joining New York on a three-year, $126-million deal with multiple opt-outs, you can only imagine the weight that came off Bichette’s shoulders as a roaring Citi Field celebrated his big swing — especially after those same fans booed their big off-season splash amid a quiet opening weekend.
After racking up 181 hits in 139 regular-season games for the Blue Jays in 2025, Bichette just hasn’t been hitting the ball as well as he’s accustomed to over his first 25 games with the Mets. This season, he’s seen his hard-hit rate drop by 7.2 per cent and his barrel rate fall by 5.3 per cent while he’s striking out more than he has since his rookie 2019 season.
Although Bichette’s offensive numbers have left something to be desired, the early returns of his defensive work have been respectable as he makes the move to third base. In 210.1 innings at the hot corner, Bichette has made two errors, but has graded out around league average at the position by fielding run value, albeit in a tiny sample of work.
Chris Bassitt, Baltimore Orioles
5 starts | 6.75 ERA | 21.1 innings | 10 strikeouts | 13 walks
Five starts into his Orioles career, Bassitt has looked out of sync.
The veteran right-hander has walked more hitters than he has struck out and has pitched into the sixth inning only once. It’s a significant shift from the consistency that he showed over his three-year Blue Jays tenure.
Bassitt’s struggles prompted him to tell reporters after his most recent outing, “I’m usually an asset, and right now I’m a liability. I’ve got to figure out how to be more consistent and how to eat innings — and not just eat innings, but eat quality innings.”
After clearing the 170-inning mark in each of his three seasons with Toronto, it’s clear that Bassitt is trying to bring the same level of reliability to a young Orioles team, which hasn’t quite delivered on the promise of its busy off-season.
Joey Loperfido, Houston Astros
20 GP | 0 HR | 7 RBI | .276/.348/.362 | 104 wRC+
Moved back to Houston in a spring-training deal for Jesús Sánchez, Loperfido was off to a nice start with the Astros before being forced onto the injured list with a strained quad on Sunday.
The 26-year-old had eight hits in his first eight games of the year, including a three-knock performance against the Athletics on April 4, building off his strong showing with the Blue Jays in 2025.
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While he spent most of last season in triple-A Buffalo, Loperfido got 104 plate appearances with the big-league club and posted an .879 OPS down the stretch.
Seranthony Domínguez, Chicago White Sox
10 appearances | 5.00 ERA | 5 saves | 9.0 innings | 12 strikeouts | 8 walks
One of Toronto's most often-used relievers during the 2025 post-season, Domínguez is handling closing duties this season on the South Side.
The hard-throwing righty has gone 5-for-7 on save opportunities, with two meltdowns holding back his overall line. Domínguez has allowed five earned runs on the season, two of them coming on March 29 against Milwaukee and the other three coming on April 16 against Tampa Bay.
He got hit around in those outings, but beyond those two losses, Domínguez has struggled with his command this season and is sporting a career-high 18.2 per cent walk rate.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Boston Red Sox
12 GP | 0 HR | 2 RBI | .179/.233/.179 | 14 wRC+
Both the Red Sox and Kiner-Falefa are looking for ways to turn their seasons around. Boston is last in the AL East at 9-16 and can’t find a way to get its offence going.
Kiner-Falefa, meanwhile, has just five hits while serving as a depth infield piece behind the likes of Caleb Durbin and Marcelo Mayer. He did have a big moment on Monday against the Tigers, padding a Red Sox lead by lining a two-run single into the gap one pitch after squaring to bunt.
The 31-year-old and the Red Sox will make their first trip of the season to Toronto early next week, with a three-game series set to get underway on Monday.
Jordan Romano, Los Angeles Angels
10 appearances | 6.14 ERA | 4 saves | 7.1 innings | 12 strikeouts | 5 walks
After struggling mightily with Philadelphia in 2025, Romano is getting another crack at a ninth-inning role this season in Anaheim.
The Markham, Ont., native was cruising to start the year, allowing just two baserunners, striking out seven and collecting four saves over his first six appearances.
But a trip to the Bronx spoiled his early bounceback. The Yankees tagged Romano for five runs in two outings during their four-game set, with the 33-year-old able to record only one out.
Romano appears to have recovered nicely, working two straight scoreless outings against Toronto and San Diego. If he can continue to pitch well, Romano should have a firm grip on the Angels’ closing duties, which would allow him to climb the all-time saves list by Canadian-born pitchers — he currently sits fourth with 117, eight behind John Hiller.
Spencer Horwitz, Pittsburgh Pirates
22 GP | 2 HR | 5 RBI | .258/.382/.387 | 120 wRC+
Dealt to Cleveland as part of the trade for Andrés Giménez in December 2025 and then re-routed to Pittsburgh, Horwitz has continued to hit during his time with the Pirates.
The 28-year-old missed some time to open 2025 with a wrist injury, but ended up posting a .787 OPS and 11 homers in 108 games. This year, he’s off to a quick start once again, providing Pittsburgh with a high on-base option lower in its order.
Although the offensive explosions from Brandon Lowe, Oneil Cruz and Ryan O’Hearn have stolen early headlines, Horwitz has played a key role in helping the Pirates to a 14-11 record in the surprisingly competitive NL Central.
Horwitz seems to be heating up, too, with six hits and four walks in his last five games.
