Skip to content 
The Blue Jays, needless to say, had a disappointing 2026 campaign.
One of the main reasons they struggle? Major power outage on the plate. The Blue Jays hit 152 home runs in the 2026 season, fewest in the Majors. In a power-play sport, Toronto will need to find some pop if it wants to compete in a tough 27-year-old division — one that has three teams making the playoffs this year.
But given a thin free agent market for power hitters, where will that pop come from?
The heartbeat of this team is also the man needed to solidify the lineup. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had the lowest offensive output of his Major League career last season, posting a .688 OPS with just nine home runs (eight of which came on the road) in 609 games.
Most of Guerrero’s problems at the plate seem to stem from a loss of rhythm. If the Blue Jays are going to see a revamped offense in 2027, they’ll need to get it back in a hurry.
As Vlad goes, so does the Blue Jays’ lineup, it seems. And outside of maybe Kazuma Okamoto, he has the most power potential of the bunch. Given his status as the club’s emotional leader, his bat igniting could be the spark needed to revive an offense that is at or near the bottom of baseball in many categories.
No sophomore slump for Okamoto
Okamoto had a strong rookie campaign for the Blue Jays in 2026, hitting a team-leading 33 home runs while leading the club with 92 RBI (no one had more than 59; Guerrero had 57).
One thing that can be problematic for players early in their Major League careers is the “sophomore slump” – an adjustment period where the pitcher realizes some of his weaknesses and the hitter struggles to counter-adjust.
Toronto can’t afford that with Okamoto, considering he was the team’s top producer last season. The Jays would love to see a third baseman repeat the 13.1% barrel rate he produced in 2026 (89th percentile among qualified batters, according to Statcast).
Get a power bat outside
The free agent market for different players is thin, but there are a couple of corner outfielders who could suit up for Toronto: Seiya Suzuki and Randy Arozarena.
The Blue Jays didn’t get much power out of the lineup as a whole, and the outfield was no exception — especially in right. The club’s right fielders combined for a .247/.298/.356 slash line and 13 homers.
Enter Suzuki, who has proven his bat can add some slugging to the batting line-up. The 27-year-old Japanese star has hit 20 homers for the Cubs in each of the last four seasons, including a career-best 32 in 2025.
Suzuki is also an excellent defender in right field, and the dollars involved in signing him seem feasible for Toronto. Rumors suggest the Blue Jays are interested in Suzuki and are willing to spend money to bolster the lineup.
Arozarena ends her career at the age of 31. He posted an .865 OPS with 26 homers, 26 steals and an AL-best 113 runs scored for the Mariners. With his legendary postseason exploits and ability to produce consistent results throughout his eight-year Major League career, Arozarena could be a good matchup for the Blue Jays in left field.
Both Suzuki and Arozarena have offers to match in free agency, but given Toronto’s obvious need for a power bat, that could be a moot point.
Thin FA market? Let’s agree
When the free agent pool is shallow, sometimes you have to consider a trade route. While Toronto is more likely to bolster the lineup via free agency given their financial flexibility and a farm system ranked in the bottom 10 in MLB, the Blue Jays was there are some interesting opportunities there to go in this direction – especially the variety of the midfield.
Over the past four seasons, Marte has batted .496 and averaged 28 homers. There are, of course, downsides to the notion of acquiring him — he’s entering his 33-year-old campaign, has a fairly long injury history, and is under contract through 2031 (though he’s owed $87.5 million for the remainder of his contract, which is pretty reasonable for a player of his caliber).
And the Angels’ new regime could deal with shortstop Zach Neto, who has hit 23 or more homers in each of the past three seasons for the Halos and has three more years of club control heading into next season.
Something has to change
For the Blue Jays, though, something will have to change if Toronto is to bounce back and continue its quest to win its first World Series championship since 1993.
Depending on several factors — primarily on the offensive end — the 2026 campaign could be viewed as a brief hiccup or the start of a longer rise to status among the AL’s top teams.