HOUSTON – Between the lines, the Toronto Blue Jays are still trying to compete.
Even after a busy trade deadline that depleted parts of their roster, the 54-61 Blue Jays will push for a win every night and see if they can work their way back into the wild-card race.
Yet alongside those nightly efforts, some overarching questions surround the Blue Jays, who will certainly be aiming to contend in 2027 even if the 2026 season will likely end without a playoff appearance. With that in mind, here’s a closer look at what they’ll be aiming to answer over the course of their 47 remaining regular-season games:
Can Vladimir Guerrero Jr. find himself?
By far the biggest question hovering over the Blue Jays is whether Vladimir Guerrero Jr. can find his form down the stretch.
Entering play Thursday, only 11 qualified hitters had a lower slugging percentage than Guerrero Jr.'s .349 while only six qualified hitters had fewer than six home runs. It’s a shocking absence of power from a 27-year-old hitter who has hit as many as 48 in a season.
Guerrero Jr. has dealt with back and hamstring soreness in recent weeks, creating a balancing act for the Blue Jays: play Guerrero Jr. to give him further chances to get right, or rest him to make sure he’s as strong as possible for the final two months?
“This is a big boy league,” said manager John Schneider. “So if you're feeling good enough to go, and you can go help us, we want you to do that. But I'll continue to talk to him and see how he's doing.”
A strong finish for Guerrero Jr. would offer a reminder of his potential and create some relief heading into the off-season. If he continues producing at his current level, reversing this trend will become job No. 1 for many in the organization this winter.
What about the rest of the offence?
While Guerrero Jr.’s poor performance is the biggest reason for the Blue Jays’ offensive struggles, he’s far from the only player who’s falling short of expectations. As a result, the Blue Jays rank 30th among the 30 MLB teams in runs scored.
“It's been consistently inconsistent,” Schneider said. “Not just individuals, but as a group too.”
As the season plays out, it’ll be imperative to identify some solutions there, providing the front office with valuable information about where upgrades are needed and where the organization has enough depth to pursue trades.
Case in point, Josh Smith and Jesús Sánchez will both have chances to prove themselves and earn a role on the 2027 Blue Jays. Yet both are arbitration eligible with raises coming over their current salaries ($6.8 million for Sanchez and $3.23 million for Smith). If they don’t perform, they’ll likely be non-tender candidates in the fall.
Both players are part of a crowded outfield mix that also includes Myles Straw, Yohendrick Piñango, Davis Schneider, Nathan Lukes and Jonatan Clase plus the currently injured Addison Barger and Anthony Santander. All are in place for 2027 and beyond except Straw, who could have his $8 million club option picked up if he continues his recent hot streak.
On a more positive note, the Blue Jays would love to see Luis Urías sustain his .806 OPS and prove he’s a player worth building around.
How much help does the rotation need?
By acquiring José Soriano, the Blue Jays gave themselves a front three of Dylan Cease, Trey Yesavage and Soriano for the next two and a half years.
That’s a strong group and with the likes of Cody Ponce, Jose Berrios and Bowden Francis due back from injury in 2027 there’s further support within the organization. Even so, the Blue Jays will need more options here. As Yesavage’s recent injury shows, no one ever has enough quality starting pitching.
With that in mind, it’ll be interesting to see how the likes of Shane Bieber, Spencer Arrighetti and even Spencer Miles perform down the stretch. Bieber could be re-signed as a free agent while Arrighetti has had success as a big-league starter and Miles has impressed in multiple roles since joining the team as a Rule 5 pick.
What about the bullpen?
If the Blue Jays had been contending, they would have added experience to their bullpen, pushing younger relievers back to the minor leagues. Instead, they traded Jeff Hoffman to Minnesota, which has the opposite effect.
Now there’s an opportunity for the likes of Brendon Little, Chase Lee, Lazaro Estrada and perhaps even Ricky Tiedemann to prove that they can contribute to next year’s bullpen. And if this group underperforms, it’s a clear signal to the front office to go out and acquire relief help this winter.
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