Five Things: American League champion Blue Jays aim to clear World Series hurdle

By Canadian Press on March 25, 2026.

TORONTO —

The Toronto Blue Jays will kick off the 2026 regular season on Friday against the visiting Athletics.

Here’s a look at five talking points ahead of the new campaign:

CONTRACT EXTENSIONS

Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro, general manager Ross Atkins and skipper John Schneider were all rewarded with contract extensions after helping the team reach the World Series last year.

Now they hope to get over the final hurdle in 2026.

The Blue Jays won the East Division title last season and defeated the New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners in the playoffs before falling to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Fall Classic.

Toronto had a one-run lead in the ninth inning of Game 7 but ended up dropping a 5-4 decision in 11 innings.

DEPTH TESTED

A deep pool of starting pitchers has already paid off for the Blue Jays after several injuries in recent weeks.

Right-handers Jose Berrios (elbow), Trey Yesavage (shoulder) and Shane Bieber (forearm) aren’t ready for the start of the season. 

Kevin Gausman will get the Opening Day start. He’ll be followed by Dylan Cease and Eric Lauer over the weekend. 

Cody Ponce and Max Scherzer are tabbed to start next week against the Colorado Rockies. 

BYE BYE BO 

The Blue Jays will have a new-look infield this year after the departure of Bo Bichette to free agency. 

Face of the franchise Vladimir Guerrero Jr. returns as an anchor at first base while defensive whiz Andres Gimenez moves to shortstop from second base. 

Ernie Clement is tabbed to be the regular second baseman, and Kazuma Okamoto, who signed in the off-season after an impressive run in Japan, will play third base.  

SPRING SENSATION 

Centre-fielder Daulton Varsho enters a contract year with some momentum after a strong spring.

He hit .380 and had a 1.246 OPS over 19 pre-season games with five homers and 14 RBIs.

Considered one of the finest defensive outfielders in the game, Varsho also showed some pop at the plate last year with 20 homers and 55 RBIs over 71 games.

The 29-year-old was limited due to injuries, but if he can stay healthy this season, he could see regular time in the top half of the batting order and help replace some of the offence lost after Bichette’s departure. 

BULLPEN ARMS 

Jeff Hoffman will serve as closer despite an uneven campaign in 2025. 

The Blue Jays signed submariner Tyler Rogers to a three-year deal in the off-season. His unique arm angle should play nicely in conjunction with hard-throwing high-leverage options like Hoffman and Louis Varland. 

Injured reliever Yimi Garcia (elbow) is also expected to contribute in a setup role when he returns to the lineup. 