Penton: Blue Jays’ season disappoints their fans
By Bruce Penton
Toronto Blue Jays’ 2026 season was as forgetful as the 2025 campaign was memorable.
What went wrong?
The Jays went to an extra inning in Game 7 of the 2025 World Series before falling to Los Angeles Dodgers, leaving their fans in despair but expecting nothing but another run toward the championship in 2026.
But then the 2026 season started and if you were to ask for a definition of mediocrity, the Jays would be front and centre. On May 1, they were two games under .500, at 15-17. By Aug. 1, they were seven games under .500 (52-59) but amazingly still alive in the chase for one of the three American League wildcard positions. Basically, however, the Jays treaded water for most of the second half of the season, coming close to that wildcard spot, but eventually falling short.
So who or what was to blame?
Certainly not rookie Kazuma Okamoto, the sensational Japanese third baseman who led the Jays in home runs with 33 (but struck out every third at-bat). Certainly not pitcher Dylan Cease, a strong contender for the A.L. Cy Young Award who won 11 games, posted an earned-run average among the league leaders, struck out almost 13 per nine innings and gave the Jays a chance to win every time he took the mound. Certainly not reliever Louis Varland, the team’s solid closer. Certainly not young hitters who blossomed in 2026, Nathan Lukes, Bret Bateman and Ernie Clement.
A large chunk of the blame must fall on the $500 million man, Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., who had a sensational post-season last year and had fans salivating about a huge, huge, huge 2026. Instead, Vladdy’s season popped like a balloon meeting a needle. He didn’t hit a home run in Toronto until mid-September, finishing with nine overall, a far cry from the combined 52 he hit during the previous two seasons. Addison Barger, who hit 21 homers as a rookie in 2025, had only 22 at-bats in 2026 while dealing with a series of injuries. Slugger Anthony Santander missed the whole year.
Bo Bichette’s departure didn’t help either. The infielder, who signed with the Mets, batted .311 with an .840 OPS in 2025.
Cease and Jose Soriano, who was acquired at the trade deadline, were the only dependable Jays’ starters. Injuries played a big role, sidelining Trey Yesavage, Patrick Corbin, Cody Ponce, Shane Bieber and Max Scherzer for all or parts of the season. Overall, Schneider used 39 pitchers (not counting position players thrown to the wolves during blowouts) and Jays’ fans covered their eyes when most of them trekked to the mound.
Things have to be better in 2027. Guerrero, Jr., can’t possibly be as anemic at the plate as he was in 2026. Barger will be back, but George Springer may be lost to free agency. Soriano and Cease give the Jays a strong starting pitching core.
Jays' fans hope ‘memorable’ is the adjective describing 2027.
Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun: “The Blue Jays have finished first in the American League East seven times in 50 seasons. The Atlanta Braves have finished first in the National League East seven times since Alex Anthopoulos went there from Toronto in 2018.”
Super 70s Sports: “Remember when Edwin Moses was a sweet hurdling star? He won 122 races in a row, jumping over barriers while looking like a founding member of Earth, Wind & Fire.”
Another one from Super 70s Sports: “Robert Wadlow, the world's tallest man, was sadly born 40 years too soon to achieve his true destiny of averaging three points a game off the bench for the Clippers.”
Late manager Earl Weaver of the Baltimore Orioles: “The key to winning baseball games is pitching, fundamentals, and three-run homers.”
Cathal Kelly of the Globe and Mail, on players like Connor Hellebuyck ‘whining their way out of’ Winnipeg’: “Maybe they could entice recruits by offering winter hardship bonuses. (Kevin) Cheveldayoff can swing by every morning and clear the snow off the players’ cars.”
Janice Hough of leftcoastsportsbabe.com: “Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal's yearly salary: $32 million. The entire combined salaries (if they were on the roster all year) of the SF Giants starting lineup, including their starting pitcher? $7.5 million.”
Janice Hough again: “Watching Congressional Women's Softball Game, now 12-7 in the 5th. This feels too much like watching the SF Giants bullpen.”
Cathal Kelly again, on Vladimir Guerrero, Jr.'s horrendous 2026 season: "He’s transformed in the space of a year from Babe Ruth to Mario Mendoza.”
Headline at theonion.com: “Desperate Taylor Swift Asking Everyone In Parking Lot For Spare Ticket To Chiefs Game”
fark.com headline: “Team with the second highest payroll in baseball clinches last place in the NL East. Way to go Mets.”
Steve Simmons again “Why are the Mets the Mets? They traded a 19-year-old (Pete) Crow-Armstrong (NL MVP favourite) to the Cubs at the deadline in 2021 and got next to nothing for him.”
Care to comment? Email brucepenton2003@yahoo.ca
