TORONTO — Toronto Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said “everything needs to be assessed” in the wake of the team’s performance this past season.
The Blue Jays reached the World Series last fall but missed the playoffs this year, finishing last in the American League East Division standings at 79-83.
“A lot of focus has been on the offence, and we understand that and agree with that to some extent, but it’s never one thing,” Atkins said at a season-ending media availability on Wednesday at Rogers Centre. “We have to drill down in every area and understand every possible opportunity for improvement. I think offensively, we never gained any momentum. We never put the ball in the seats. We were not walking. We’re not getting on base nearly enough. When that happens, you’re relying on line drives and gaps, and the contact just wasn’t enough.”
Toronto capped its disappointing campaign last Sunday with a 5-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds.
Underperformance and injuries were big factors in the team’s tumble from first to worst in the division.
Team chemistry didn’t seem quite the same as a year earlier. There were some notable departures as homegrown shortstop Bo Bichette, veteran starter Chris Bassitt and bench coach Don Mattingly moved on in the last off-season.
That positive feel-good energy is of course easier to generate when the results are there. But Toronto struggled to gain traction from last April onward and never looked like the team that came achingly close to a World Series crown less than 12 months earlier.
“As much as we talk about whether it’s run scoring, run prevention, defence, base running (that went wrong), there’s one person to look at for the reasons for that, and that’s me,” Atkins said. “And I’m sorry we’re here today.”
The Blue Jays did seem rejuvenated after the trade deadline and briefly held the final wild-card spot a few weeks ago. A run of seven losses in nine games down the stretch sealed their fate.
The biggest question mark this year was the performance of first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. A key offensive linchpin throughout his career, he hit just nine home runs and never found his rhythm at the plate.
“We’ve obviously been talking about that all year,” Atkins said when asked about Guerrero’s season. “I’m encouraged now that we will have a better canvas to work with without the pressures of having to compete on a nightly basis, not only against his competition, but with the pressure of performance and what it means to win and lose in front of a fan base and an industry.”
Injuries to several starting pitchers stretched the rotation thin and heavily taxed the bullpen – one of the team’s few strong points – and it caught up to the Blue Jays when it mattered most.
Toronto led the major leagues in several hitting categories last year but finished last this season in home runs and near the bottom in OPS and slugging percentage. Team defence also regressed after a stellar year in 2025.
There were some positives on the campaign. Dylan Cease became the team’s bona fide ace and Rule 5 pick Spencer Miles had a strong rookie season on the mound.
Brett Bateman could be the team’s centre-fielder of the future and Louis Varland shone when he took over the closer’s role. Kazuma Okamoto had a big offensive season with 33 homers and 92 RBIs.
It was the third time in seven seasons that Toronto has missed the playoffs.
The Blue Jays should get a boost next year when a number of key offensive players return after extended injury absences. Slugger Anthony Santander missed the entire 2026 season and fellow outfielder Addison Barger played just nine games.
“We’re in a good spot,” Atkins said of where the team may look to add going forward. “We can roll out what we view to be a good team with some return health with a full season of (Alejandro) Kirk and getting Barger back and a return to our performance defensively. Offensively, we feel good about our starting point and feel that because of our versatility, we could add to several areas.”
The Blue Jays are scheduled to kick off their pre-season schedule on Feb. 19. However, there is uncertainty on the labour front with the collective bargaining agreement between Major League Baseball and its players’ association set to expire on Dec. 1.
Toronto’s regular-season opener is set for March 25 at New York.
— with files from Sportsnet Staff