Imago
Credit: IMAGO
Imago
Credit: IMAGO
The Blue Jays have surely not started their 2026 campaign like a World Series contender. They are currently second-last in the AL East with a 5-7 record. And the worst part is that their injury list is ever-expanding. The starting rotation looks battered with injuries. The Jays have used 18 pitchers through the first 10 games of this season. But just as the fans were giving up, the Jays’ outfielder George Springer tried to instill some confidence in the fans, hoping to rally the troops.
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“Tough times don’t last, tough people do,” Springer shared his timeless wisdom via Sportsnet.
Yes, the Jays have a history of coming out of tough times. In 2015, they started slowly with a 23-29 record after May. But the Jays won a franchise-record-tying 11 straight games from August 2 to August 13 and finished the last two months of the season 40-18. They won the division by six games and entered the postseason as one of the popular picks to win it all.
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However, this year, they have yet to make such a turnaround.
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June 6, 2025, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States: Toronto Blue Jays player GEORGE SPRINGER watches the ball leave the field for a home run. The Minnesota Twins and the Toronto Blue Jays faced off at Target Field on June 6th. The Toronto Blue Jays were victorious by a score of 6-4. Minneapolis United States – ZUMAt166 20250606_zsp_t166_018 Copyright: xMichaelxTurnerx
GM Ross Atkins promised the fans that the team would do everything to complete the run in 2026. He promised to continue “bolstering” the roster, particularly through the free-agent and trade markets, to ensure the team remains “one of the best lineups in baseball.”
And the Jays’ aggressiveness was evident when they landed names like Dylan Cease, Kazuma Okamoto, and Cody Ponce. But they have gotten off to a less-than-ideal start in their quest to defend their 2025 American League Pennant. However, more than their on-field performance, injuries are taking a toll on John Schneider’s roster. “Tough times,” as stated by Springer.
Trey Yesavage, Shane Bieber, and Jose Berrios are all sidelined with injuries. Eric Lauer was named as the replacement for Yesavage, but his start was pushed back from April 4 to April 5 due to the flu. When he pitched in the Sunday game, he was pulled after just two innings because the illness was still visibly affecting him.
Cody Ponce also got injured and is no longer in the active rotation. This is the reason why the Jays have already used 18 pitchers in their first 10 games of 2026. That’s not all, their offense is also battered with injuries. Alejandro Kirk and Addison Barger were the latest to hit the injured list.
Result? The Blue Jays are currently ranked 24th in terms of ERA (4.43). They are tied 27th in terms of total runs scored (41).
So, despite such challenging scenes, Springer is confident that their clubhouse is tough enough to make a comeback, as there are still about 150 games left this year. “There’s nobody who wants us to win more than the guys in that locker room. So, I know that everyone’s going to do everything that we can to make sure we get this thing right and to be where everybody wants to be at the end of the day,” Springer added.
Still, the Jays’ offense has yet to assure the fans this year.
The Blue Jays’ offense has gone cold in 2026
Undoubtedly, the Jays are suffering from Kirk and Barger’s absence, but the other top guns are still far from their best.
For example, Springer has gotten off to a tough start, posting a .184 batting average with 14 SOs. It stings more because the same name scored .286 this time last year. He also finished the 2025 season with an elite .309 average.
Then the Jays’ biggest name, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., is also struggling. He has not been able to find his power stroke to this point in the season. To this point in the season, he has just one double and one homer. Those are not the kind of numbers that Guerrero expects from himself. He is slashing .268/.412/.366, and he has collected nine bases on balls. But he has not gotten the kind of big hits fans were expecting.
The Blue Jays also need to see more production from Ernie Clement and Daulton Varsho. Even though Clement is averaging .295, Varsho, on the other hand, will definitely need to step up. He is struggling with an average of .193 and has just 6 hits.
The same team that averaged 6.5 runs per game last postseason. Their lineup scored 28 homers at .285, which was expected to repeat in 2026. March and April went slowly, but as Springer said, they are tough enough to deal with the tough situations, and fans can remain hopeful.
Considering the Blue Jays made it to the World Series last year after a 74-88 record in 2024, there are still enough games left to believe in Springer.
Written by
Edited by
Arunaditya Aima