2025 Blue Jays Season: A Defining Year for the Franchise

One could argue that the 2025 season is the most pivotal for the Toronto Blue Jays in recent memory, or at least since their consecutive ALCS appearances a decade ago. (Jose Bautista, how time flies!) With Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette approaching free agency next winter, and both GM Ross Atkins and president Mark Shapiro in the final year of their contracts, the stakes are incredibly high. If the Blue Jays fail to be legitimate contenders, there’s a very real possibility that the organization undergoes a massive overhaul.

That brings us to their Opening Day lineup against the Baltimore Orioles, which, to put it mildly, doesn’t exactly scream “serious contender.” If this is the best Atkins could assemble in a crucial season, then perhaps a leadership change wouldn’t be the worst outcome.

Blue Jays’ Opening Day Roster Raises Concerns for 2025

The top three spots in Toronto’s batting order are as expected and should be a strong trio: Bichette and Guerrero Jr. lead the charge, followed by their key offseason acquisition, Anthony Santander, in left field. However, beyond that, the uncertainties begin to pile up, revealing just how inadequately Atkins has constructed this roster in a critical year.

Andres Gimenez is an elite defender and likely a better hitter than his numbers in Cleveland last season suggest, but placing him in the cleanup spot is questionable. From there, the doubts only grow: Can Alejandro Kirk rediscover his 2022 All-Star form? Is 35-year-old George Springer, who struggled in spring training, a reliable option in center field until Daulton Varsho returns? Can any of Will Wagner, Ernie Clement, or Alan Roden emerge as unexpected contributors?

Perhaps one or two of these concerns will be resolved positively. But realistically, not all of them will be—because that’s the nature of uncertainty. If most of these question marks remain issues, it’s difficult to see how the Blue Jays significantly improve upon last year’s offense, which ranked just 17th in team OPS.

Yes, there are reasons to be optimistic about Toronto’s pitching staff, particularly if Max Scherzer can stay healthy for at least 120-140 innings. But their rotation isn’t dominant enough to compensate for a mediocre offense, especially in a highly competitive division. Atkins had opportunities to upgrade the lineup, with stars like Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto, Alex Bregman, and Pete Alonso available. Instead, he largely failed to make meaningful improvements, leaving Toronto’s 2025 hopes hanging by a thread.