Players who would possibly give Blue Jays some offensive juice

Several components will decide the Toronto Blue Jays’ destiny within the advanced multi-team playoff race they discover themselves in getting into September, however the easiest one could be crucial.

If the Blue Jays are going to make a run to snag a post-season berth, their offence will should be higher than the Twenty ninth-ranked group it has been. The prime of the rotation is powerful, and Max Scherzer’s electrical efficiency on Sunday would possibly point out he’s acquired an excellent ending kick in him. The again of the bullpen constructed on the Luis Varland-Tyler Rogers duo is great. This crew is able to giving its pitchers glorious defensive help. Despite these positives, the lineup merely should produce extra if Toronto goes to succeed in the playoffs.

There are a number of methods that may occur, from higher efficiency with males on base to discovering a bit of extra of the house run energy that’s been elusive all season. One of the extra direct routes to extra runs is to have a person participant (or two) produce a particular September. That’s a simplistic recipe for improved offensive efficiency, nevertheless it’s arguably what the Blue Jays have missed greater than something in 2026. Toronto has 11 gamers with 200 or extra plate appearances this season, and never one in every of them has a wRC+ above Alejandro Kirk’s 115. 

Dividing up the group, there’s a small cohort of hitters notably above common, however not elite when it comes to total manufacturing with wRC+ marks between 109 and 115 (Kirk, George Springer, Kazuma Okamoto and Jesús Sánchez), Nathan Lukes on an island with a 101 wRC+, 4 gamers between 92 and 94 (the departed Daulton Varsho, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Brandon Valenzuela and Ernie Clement) and the defensive specialists citing the rear (Andrés Giménez and Myles Straw). No one is having a really disastrous season in comparison with cheap expectations exterior of Vladdy, however nobody has performed practically sufficient to be the most effective hitter in a strong lineup. There are 327 hitters with 200-plus plate appearances this season, and 83 have a better wRC+ than Kirk.

A September surge will doubtless require not less than one Blue Jays hitter to ship the kind of elite manufacturing no person has managed from April by means of August. Below is a take a look at the candidates divided into tiers based mostly on their probability of turning into the offensive hero the membership wants.

The Blue Jays probably to ship star-level performances are the hitters who’ve performed it earlier than and have been doing it not too long ago. 

Alejandro Kirk: Kirk isn’t a prototypical offensive star, as he’s by no means topped 15 residence runs in a season and his career-high wRC+ (129) is extra glorious for his place than team-carrying total. But he’s nonetheless the Blue Jays’ finest hope for a particular month. The star catcher has not solely been Toronto’s finest hitter in 2026 on a per-plate-appearance foundation, however he’s additionally turned it on in current weeks.

Since the all-star break, his 153 wRC+ ranks twelfth amongst all certified hitters. The Blue Jays don’t have to dream of him discovering a important adjustment down the stretch; he simply must maintain doing what he’s doing, notably within the energy division. His 5 residence runs in August had been probably the most he’s hit in a month since June 2022. 

Kirk has a wonderful offensive ground because of his means to attract walks and keep away from strikeouts. To attain his ceiling, he has to persistently drive the ball.  Right now, he’s discovering success with that, and whereas he could decelerate in September, he’s simply supplied proof of idea for precisely the kind of stretch the Blue Jays want. 

George Springer: Springer is correct under Kirk on the wRC+ leaderboards within the second half, together with his 152 mark rating 14th. The greatest distinction is that the designated hitter’s manufacturing during the last six weeks or so has been backloaded, as he’s hit a scorching .487/.524/.769 in his final 12 video games.

The 36-year-old was among the many finest hitters in baseball final yr, has reached considerably increased heights than Kirk offensively in his profession and has been higher recently. That ought to theoretically put him atop this checklist, however Springer’s current sizzling streak appears extremely luck-aided. Most stretches of otherworldly manufacturing are aided by luck to a point, however there’s an enormous hole between Springer’s wOBA (.552) and xwOBA (.347) in that 12-game heater with a .567 BABIP, and no notable bounce in exit velocity or bat pace.

Springer’s current manufacturing nonetheless counts, nevertheless it doesn’t look too predictive of what’s to come back in September. However, it does seem to be an excellent indication that his shoulder considerations are behind him. He’s additionally coming off a stretch the place he began on 5 consecutive days, one thing he hadn’t performed for the reason that starting of August. Springer must be wholesome to have an opportunity at being a distinction maker, and it looks as if he’s in a comparatively great place bodily. That would possibly matter greater than his numbers during the last two weeks.

The best strategy to be an elite hitter is to place the ball over the wall at a powerful charge. Only one Blue Jay has performed that in 2026.

Kazuma Okamoto: With a strikeout charge nearing 30 per cent and an OBP simply over .300, the rookie third baseman hasn’t been probably the most full hitter, nevertheless it’s troublesome to argue together with his 28 residence runs. 

As Okamoto has adjusted to life within the majors, his manufacturing has had quite a few peaks and valleys, and he might simply conclude 2026 with the kind of sizzling streak he went on in mid-May, late-June or mid-July.

A microtrend price watching with Okamoto is whether or not he’s beginning to command the strike zone a bit of bit higher. Over his final seven video games, he has each the best stroll charge (22.2 per cent) and lowest strikeout charge (11.1 per cent) he’s produced in a seven-game stretch as a big-leaguer. Unsurprisingly, that’s helped him produce a strong slash line (.250/.407/.650).

Toronto’s star first baseman would possibly writer a powerful end to his unimpressive yr on the plate, nevertheless it’s robust to depend on.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: A Guerrero turnaround can’t be dominated out, and he has the best ceiling of any Blue Jays hitter by a big margin. He’s taking his walks, avoiding strikeouts, demonstrating the identical bat pace he confirmed off in his glorious current seasons and infrequently demonstrating that he can hit the ball tougher than nearly anybody on the planet — as he did on Saturday.

At the identical time, he’s handled minor again and hamstring points, isn’t far faraway from a concussion and wasn’t performing effectively earlier than encountering any of these illnesses. Guerrero Jr. wields a particular bat, and he’s extraordinarily prone to return to kind as a middle-of-the-lineup pressure in some unspecified time in the future. In the brief time period, it’s robust to think about him discovering his means again when a lot has gone fallacious for him in 2026. He’s nonetheless a greater wager than the overwhelming majority of his teammates, however the truth that he’s not within the prime tier for a crew with restricted firepower speaks to only how little confidence his season has impressed.

There’s at all times a wide range of outcomes for rookies with restricted MLB expertise. The Blue Jays have a pair who’re hitting effectively now, who might have sizzling Septembers in them.

Brett Bateman: Bateman has been the whole lot the Blue Jays might’ve probably anticipated since coming over from the Chicago Cubs. His pace has supplied worth within the area and on the bases whereas his .333/.384/.410 slash line has been a welcome addition to the highest of the lineup. 

Because the rookie has such restricted energy — he’s by no means topped three residence runs in a professional season — it’s robust to think about him delivering really elite manufacturing. At triple-A in 2026, the outfielder has a .106 Isolated Power. In the majors, simply 47 certified hitters within the final 5 seasons had an ISO that low or decrease. Only three had a wRC+ of 120 or above (Steven Kwan, Andrew Benintendi and Luis Arraez, all in 2022). The finest model of Bateman might be the model we’re seeing now.

Charles McAdoo: McAdoo hasn’t been as productive as Bateman, however he could have a better offensive ceiling. The versatile right-handed hitter is hitting .271/.333/.375 in his second stint with the Blue Jays, good for a 101 wRC+. 

The greatest challenge with that line is an absence of energy manufacturing, however the rookie had 16 residence runs at triple-A this season with a powerful max exit velocity (112.6 m.p.h.) hinting at effectively above-average uncooked thump. His bat pace with Blue Jays (73.7 m.p.h.) can be effectively above the league common (71.7 m.p.h.). McAdoo hasn’t gone deep in 14 video games, however he’s a risk to ramp up the ability based mostly on his device set and observe document. Before he acquired his August call-up, he’d homered in 4 straight video games with the Buffalo Bisons and slugged .604 in his earlier 13 contests. It’s unlikely he’s getting ready to an influence surge, nevertheless it’s conceivable. 

This pair of fan favourites have had sizzling stretches at instances, however they’ve persistently been competent complementary hitters slightly than 

Nathan Lukes: Lukes has been sizzling not too long ago, with 4 residence runs and a .321/.387/.750 line in his final 9 video games, however his 101 wRC+ this yr carefully matched his 104 mark in 2025. All the proof accessible means that he’s roughly a league-average hitter. With below-average bat pace (67.0 m.p.h.) and exit velocity (86.9 m.p.h.), it’s unfair to count on him to maintain his present energy spike going. Lukes might be relied upon for strong, skilled at-bats, but when he’s Toronto’s finest hitter in September, they’ll be in hassle.

Ernie Clement: Clement has been a barely worse hitter than Lukes in his Blue Jays profession, together with his wRC+ hovering between 93 and 98 in his three seasons with constant taking part in time. However, he’s most likely a greater wager to do one thing particular over a brief interval as a result of his means to make contact at an elite charge may end up in stretches the place the whole lot is falling in for a success. 

The infielder’s unbelievable 2025 playoff run the place he hit .411/.416/.562 is an ideal instance of the form of heater he’s able to, however he doesn’t get a tier of his personal as a result of he hasn’t impressed confidence in current months. While Clement was glorious in May and June, he’s been in a funk not too long ago and has a 53 wRC+ for the reason that all-star break. 

While the blokes on this group have fascinating offensive instruments, they don’t have a street to the form of taking part in time required to be a key engine of Toronto’s offence.

Jesús Sánchez: Sánchez deserves credit score for his 123 wRC+ towards right-handed pitchers, the most effective quantity amongst eight Blue Jays with 200 plate appearances towards them. At the identical time, he’s unplayable towards southpaws and, even towards righties, he hasn’t been a lock to make the lineup not too long ago due to defensive considerations, and Springer getting more healthy and taking practically each DH at-bat accessible.  

Brandon Valenzuela: Backup catchers don’t have a tendency to hold their groups offensively, even when they’ve a bit of pop like Valenzuela does. Theoretically, he might play some first base if he takes off offensively, however he’s slowed down with the bat within the second half, slashing simply .173/.246/.288.

Daz Cameron: It’s unclear how for much longer Cameron might be on the Blue Jays roster. Even if he sticks round, he’s primarily a platoon choice towards southpaws, and as spectacular as his work in Korea and at triple-A has been this season, offensive excellence isn’t a good expectation from a participant with a profession 64 wRC+ and a worse quantity in restricted MLB taking part in time this yr (49). 

This pair are paid to play Gold-Glove calibre defence. Even league-average offence is a stretch objective.

Andrés Giménez: Over the final three seasons, Giménez has a wRC+ (78) that ranks seventh-worst amongst 213 certified hitters. He deserves credit score for his manufacturing in large spots and has a strong .281/.324/.438 line in high-leverage conditions as a Blue Jay, however he’s not going to hold Toronto’s offence. 

Myles Straw: Straw has his moments on offence, usually placing his pace to work, however he’s sitting on a 78 wRC+ this season and hasn’t topped 100 since 2019, when he had simply 128 plate appearances. He’s robust in his position, however that position doesn’t centre round producing runs.

The present roster will change between now and the top of September. A few guys who didn’t seem over the weekend would possibly be capable to give you a sizzling stretch. 

Sean Keys: Keys isn’t assured to return to the Blue Jays or carve out a big position, even when he cracks the roster in September. He additionally didn’t produce in his first style of MLB motion in late June and July. Even with these concerns in thoughts, it is robust to disregard his 165 wRC+ at triple-A, the actual fact he’s slashed .352 /.464/.648 in August, and his profile as a lefty power-hitter, a sort of participant Toronto lacks.

Josh Smith: Smith has performed in rehab video games in current days with the Buffalo Bisons and will return to the Blue Jays roster any day now. He was additionally an above-average hitter between 2024 and 2025 (107 wRC+), profitable a utility Silver Slugger in 2024. He’s by no means been a prime producer, although. He’s extra of a jack of all trades with the bat who’s by no means hit greater than 13 residence runs or posted an OBP above .337 in a season. 

Anthony Santander: It appears unlikely we’ll see Santander in any respect, however he’s nonetheless working towards a return. Unlike a lot of the gamers on this checklist, he’s been a particularly harmful energy hitter on the MLB stage for a number of years. He hasn’t come near that stage, or been wholesome a lot, as a Blue Jay. An excessive lengthy shot to offer significant assist in 2026.