In 2025, the Toronto Blue Jays are looking for a huge bounce back season. In 2024, it was a down year for the entire club, from pitching to offence, they were significantly underwhelming. In preparation for the 2025 MLB season, there are several factors that will contribute to whether the Jays will be competitive or not.

Offseason Acquisitions

Anthony Santander is the main attraction here for Blue Jays fans, as he was one of the best power hitters available in the free agent market. Having signed a 5-year deal worth just over $92M, Santander’s services are proudly welcomed to Toronto. Santander is fresh off a 44-homer season, where he hit .235/.308/.506 and batted in 102 runners. Santander hit 28 and 33 home runs respectively in the prior two seasons, and Jays fans already know what he brings, as he was a member of the Orioles where he would work wonders against Toronto.

Andres Gimenez and Nick Sandlin were the Jays’ biggest trade this offseason, shipping off Spencer Horwitz and minor leaguer Nick Mitchell. In 2024, Gimenez batted .252 and hit nine home runs while also stealing 30 bases in 152 games for the Guardians. Sandlin had eight wins over 60 games with the Guardians last season, posting a 3.75 ERA. Gimenez will be the Jays everyday second baseman and Sandlin will be a great addition in the middle of the bullpen, one of the Jays biggest problems last season.

Max Scherzer was the most recent notable addition. Scherzer is coming off an injury riddled few seasons, but still brings a mental side of the game that our pitchers can learn from. A champion with the 2019 Nationals and the 2023 Rangers, Scherzer holds a career 3.16ERA with over 3400 strikeouts. Scherzer should slot in the back end of the rotation, and he will be a welcomed addition to a team that could use his expertise and world series experience.

Key Storylines for 2025

Contract troubles are something that the Blue Jays went through this offseason with Bo Bichette and Vlad Guerrero Jr. Both players are in the final year of their respective contracts, and the Jays should look to resign both of them. Bichette might be looking for different scenery, but Guerrero is ready to win and ready to play for the Blue Jays. Throughout the season the Jays should have active dialogue with both talents to gauge how they’re feeling on returning to Toronto.

In 2024, the Jays ranked 23rd in runs scored, and with a team that featured some elite offensive players, that just isn’t good enough. In 2025 the Jays look for an offensive rebound from their entire roster, namely George Springer, Daulton Varsho, and Bo Bichette. With the additions of Santander and company, the Jays are in a better position to score more runs, and to be able to bring their runners home more often.

Challenge in Toronto

Pitching is a problem for the majority of major league teams, whether it be through injuries, or inconsistency, it’s always a topic of conversation. Toronto had their fair share of inconsistent pitching in 2024, with Kevin Gausman taking a huge hit in his production. In 2025, Toronto hopes for a bounce back season from Gausman and Chriss Bassitt, and for Jose Berrios to stay effective and eat innings for this team. Previously mentioned, the bullpen was a problem last year, and with the additions of Sandlin, Yimi Garcia and Jeff Hoffman, the bullpen is immediately better than it was last season. For success, Toronto needs their entire pitching staff to be consistent and to be effective.

Regardless of what happened in 2024, 2025 is a new year. The Toronto Blue Jays are one of the premier teams in the American League, and look to compete in the tough AL East. Ross Atkins and Mark Shapiro believe they’ve made their efforts to compete in the MLB, and they believe that this team they will field is a good team to make a deep postseason run. These new acquisitions are pivotal to the team’s success, and they are ready to make an impact in the blue and white.