The 2025 Toronto Blue Jays were an incredible story. Mixed with strong hitting and pitching, the Blue Jays won the franchise\u2019s third pennant in franchise history. And for much of November 1, it appeared that the Blue Jays had a third World Series in their grasp. That didn\u2019t come to fruition \u2014 but it doesn\u2019t change just how dominant a year it was for the Jays.<\/p>\n
The Offense<\/p>\n
StatNumberRankRuns Scored7984thHome Runs191t-11thOPS.7603rdWhiff%21.6%1stHard Hit%41.2%11th<\/p>\n
The Pitching<\/p>\n
StatNumberRankStarters\u2019 ERA4.3420thRelievers\u2019 ERA3.9816thStrikeouts1,4306thWhiff%26.5%5thChase%28.4%14th<\/p>\n
The Good<\/p>\n
The peripheral numbers on the Blue Jays\u2019 pitching staff for 2025 underscored how good their group was.<\/p>\n
Yes, Bowden Francis<\/a> regressed in an injury-shortened season. And yes, Max Scherzer<\/a> didn\u2019t pitch well in the regular season. Both pitchers had HR\/9 rates north of 2.0 and ERAs north of 5.00.<\/p>\n However, the Blue Jays\u2019 rotation was in sharp form for much of the year. Kevin Gausman<\/a> posted one of the top ten wOBA figures in the second half, a stretch that saw him strike out 85 over 83 innings, along with a sub-3.00 ERA. He was also a workhouse in the playoffs, as he tossed 30.2 IP.<\/p>\n Chris Bassitt<\/a> had a strong year, while Jose Berrios<\/a> posted a sub-4.00 ERA in the first half before he hit a wall after the break.<\/p>\n That rotation, though, came to form late in the year. Shane Bieber<\/a> struck out 37 over 40 innings, had his velocity<\/a> in tune, and looked very good in his return to the Majors after a lengthy recovery from elbow surgery.<\/p>\n Then, there was Trey Yesavage<\/a>. Yesavage was the Jays\u2019 2024 first-round pick who jumped<\/a> from Low-A to the Majors in less than a year. The former ECU star became a bedrock of the rotation, as he diced up the Yankees and Dodgers en route to finishing second in total strikeouts (39) in the playoffs.<\/p>\n And, it\u2019s worth noting that Yesavage still has six years of team control.<\/p>\n The offense, meanwhile, had a strong mix of contact, power, and speed. It was the kind of combination made for a World Series champion. Unfortunately for Toronto, they came just shy.<\/p>\n Toronto had four 20+ home run hitters, headlined by a resurgant George Springer<\/a>. His second half was nothing short of incredible: 16 home runs, along with a 1.121 OPS. He finished with a 32-home run season, and added to that with four home runs. One of those four was the dagger in Game 7 of the ALCS.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Vladimir Guerrero Jr.<\/a> led all hitters in home runs (8) and OPS (1.289). Bo Bichette<\/a>, healthy for most of 2025, finished second in the AL in total hits (81) despite missing almost all of September.<\/p>\n The Bad<\/p>\n Game 7 of the 2025 World Series may be the game that haunts Blue Jays fans for several reasons. One, the play in the bottom of the ninth inning where Isiah Kiner-Falefa<\/a> was caught on a force out after a great defensive stop by Miguel Rojas<\/a> in the infield-in shift. Kiner-Falefa played close to the third base bag to prevent a pickoff, a move that made sense from a baserunning standpoint.<\/p>\n However, hindsight is 20\/20. Ex-bench coach Don Mattingly stated<\/a> in November that he thinks the team could have handled that situation differently.<\/p>\n But before then, Rojas hit a game-tying home run off Jeff Hoffman<\/a>, the closer who was signed this past January to be a stopper. It capped off what was a very streaky season for Hoffman.<\/p>\n Hoffman blew seven regular-season games in his first season with the Blue Jays. Keeping the ball was a big problem for the power pitcher, as he finished in the bottom 20 of the league among relievers in HR\/9 (2.0). Those numbers were a problem, even though Hoffman was an elite strikeout pitcher.<\/p>\n Oddly enough, Hoffman wasn\u2019t the most notable home run problem for Toronto. Chad Green<\/a> was, as he had the worst HR\/9 rate (2.9). Green, at one point Toronto\u2019s closer, conceded 14 home runs over 43.2 IP before the Jays cut him.<\/p>\n Moving to the lineup, Hoffman wasn\u2019t the only addition from last winter to have problems in his first season with the Jays. So did Andres Gimenez<\/a> and Anthony Santander<\/a>.<\/p>\n Gimenez had a wild 2025. The infielder started the year in the middle of the Blue Jays\u2019 lineup \u2014 and that experiment worked at the start. Gimenez hit three home runs before March even ended. However, he slashed .132\/.216\/.154 and fell in the Jays\u2019 lineup.<\/p>\n Then, injuries hit. Gimenez had<\/a> multiple IL stints, one for a quad strain and another for an ankle injury. He only played 101 games in a season in which he slashed .210\/.285\/.313.<\/p>\n As for Santander, he only plaed 54 games. Santander missed<\/a> four months on the IL, thanks to a partial shoulder separation. He came back late in the regular season and did see postseason action.<\/p>\n Back tightness forced<\/a> Santander off the Jays\u2019 playoff roster.<\/p>\n Early Projected Lineup for 2026<\/p>\n C: Alejandro Kirk<\/a><\/p>\n 1B: Vladimir Guerrero Jr.<\/p>\n 2B: Leo Jimenez<\/a><\/p>\n 3B: Ernie Clement<\/a><\/p>\n SS: Andres Gimenez<\/p>\n OF: Anthony Santander (LF), Daulton Varsho<\/a> (CF), Addison Barger<\/a> (RF)<\/p>\n DH: George Springer<\/p>\n SP: Kevin Gausman, Dylan Cease<\/a>, Trey Yesavage, Shane Bieber, Jose Berrios<\/p>\n RP: Jeff Hoffman, Louis Varland<\/a>, Yimi Garcia<\/a>, Braydon Fisher<\/a>, Mason Fluharty<\/a>, Yariel Rodriguez<\/a>, Brendon Little<\/a>, Eric Lauer<\/a><\/p>\n The Blue Jays fired<\/a> the first salvo in the free agent market this winter, signing Dylan Cease to a massive seven-year deal on November 26. The move fills out a rotation that has depth; remember, the Blue Jays still have Eric Lauer on the roster, plus some depth in the system.<\/p>\n As for the bullpen, it\u2019s mostly set on paper.<\/p>\n Moving to the lineup, the focus now shifts to the middle infielder. If the Blue Jays can\u2019t bring back Bo Bichette, it may very well mean Andres Gimenez becomes the full-time shortstop. Gimenez played second base for years after originally coming up as a shortstop with the Mets. In his short sample size at the position when Bichette was injurued, Gimenez was awfully good.<\/p>\n Toronto doesn\u2019t have a big middle prospect in the Minors who could be ready for 2026. For right now, that leaves Leo Jimenez as the only notable middle infielder on the 40-man, not counting utilityman Ernie Clement.<\/p>\n Check out more of our MLB<\/a> coverage.<\/p>\n Like this:<\/p>\n Like Loading\u2026<\/p>\n