Doesn’t it feel like the 2025 World Series just ended?
Seriously, the high-stakes drama of Game 7 between the Blue Jays and Dodgers feels like it just happened. But it has been more than four months – even if it seems like yesterday.
Even the amazing World Baseball Classic hasn’t reduced the memory of how the 2025 season ended.
After visiting the Blue Jays players and staff in Dunedin, Fla., during spring training, it is clear they have moved on. They haven’t forgotten, but they are using the energy and emotion of their World Series loss as motivation for 2026. They are looking ahead, not over their shoulders.
The off-season acquisitions helped the Jays to look forward to 2026. The front office didn’t rest on their laurels. Instead, they made big moves.
The Jays learned from the Dodgers last year about the value of depth of talent. The Dodgers were able to navigate the regular season and win their division while making sure their most important players were healthy and rested for October baseball.
So, the Jays stocked up on pitching this off-season.
Shane Bieber didn’t opt out, mainly because his arm was bothering him, and he assumed he wouldn’t pass a physical. But that works for the Jays as he is only making $16 million and will be a valuable pitcher at some point this season. Then the Jays signed Dylan Cease to a seven-year $210 million deal and Cody Ponce to a three-year $30 million deal. In March, the Jays made a deal to return veteran Max Scherzer to the rotation.
Those four pitchers join a staff that already included Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage, Jose Berrios, and Eric Lauer. That is a total of eight starting pitchers.
The depth is being tested early in the year with the fact that Berrios (stress fracture in elbow), Yesavage (shoulder impingement) and Bieber (elbow inflammation) are all on the injured list. But the good news is they still have five healthy, capable starters who should keep the Jays in every game until they are fully armed.
The offence will be dynamic for the Jays again this season. They have a lineup of professional hitters who make contact and can drive the baseball.
The biggest change to the lineup is Kazuma Okamoto replacing Bo Bichette. Bichette is a good hitter who will be missed, but I believe Okamoto will reach base more than Bichette did with more power. Bichette did not walk much. Okamoto will have fewer hits, but he will have plenty more walks. Plus, when Okamoto puts the ball in play, he will have more power than Bichette.
Toronto will need George Springer to be close to what he was last year when he hit .309 with 32 homers and 84 RBI out of the leadoff spot.
Vlad Jr. has room to grow and I believe the run to the World Series unleashed the beast inside of him. We are going to see an offensive powerhouse moving forward.
Addison Barger has emerged as a legitimate run producer in the lineup. Alejandro Kirk has found his stroke and approach at the plate. Daulton Varsho has continued this spring to display the power he found last year. Ernie Clement doesn’t have much power or speed, but he puts together as professional an at-bat as anyone in the game.
Between Nathan Lukes, Jesus Sanchez, Myles Straw and Davis Schneider, the Jays have an assortment of offensive styles and looks in left field. Sanchez has huge upside if his raw approach can be harnessed. The Jays’ offence became the envy of every major-league team last October.
Defensively, the Jays will be better in the infield with Andres Gimenez at shortstop and Clement at second base. Okamoto and Barger will share some time at third base and will be more than adequate in doing so. Guerrero is a solid defender at first base. Kirk is an elite defender behind the plate. The outfield defence is excellent as well led by Gold Glover Varsho.
The bullpen is deeper now too. The pen was good last year, and now will get a full season from Louis Varland, plus the return of Yimi Garcia from injury and the addition of Tyler Rogers. Jays’ manager John Schneider has all he needs for any situation.
This version of the Blue Jays is better than the team that went to the World Series last year. The experience they gained will be valuable as well for both the regular season and postseason.
World Series or bust?
After going all the way to extra innings in Game 7 last season, it sure feels like 2026 is World Series or bust for the Jays.
I accuse Yankee fans of being arrogant when they judge success of a season based only on whether or not the Brox Bombers won the World Series. I always remind them that there are other good teams beside theirs.
So, success for the Jays in 2026, for me, will be the Jays getting back to the ALCS. Remember, they went to Game 7 against the Seattle Mariners last season, where the Jays won the series after a dramatic seventh-inning go-ahead three-run homer by Springer.
At that stage of the playoffs, there is a very slim margin between the best teams. The Jays don’t have to win the AL East, but they do need to be a playoff team that advances beyond the first Division Series.
Predictions for the 2026 season:
AL East: Toronto Blue Jays
AL Central: Detroit Tigers
AL West: Seattle Mariners
AL Wild-Cards: New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Kansas City Royals
AL Pennant: Toronto Blue Jays
AL Cy Young: Garrett Crochet, Red Sox
AL MVP: Julio Rodriguez, Mariners
NL East: Philadelphia Phillies
NL Central: Chicago Cubs
NL West: Los Angeles Dodgers
NL Wild-Cards: Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, San Diego Padres
NL Pennant: Los Angeles Dodgers
NL Cy Young: Paul Skenes, Pirates
NL MVP: Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers
My 2026 World Series prediction is a rematch of 2025: The Toronto Blue Jays versus the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Jays were the best team in the American League last season and they aggressively upgraded this winter.
The Dodgers are the best team in baseball on paper. The back-to-back World Series winners identified two weaknesses this off-season: closer and right field. So, they went out and signed the best closer in baseball, Edwin Diaz, to the largest annual average value ever for a closer and then signed the best free-agent position player, Kyle Tucker, to the largest annual average value contract ever ($60/million per year for four years) for any player.
We are in store for a heavyweight rematch in the Fall Classic.
