After another lengthy off-season, the highly anticipated 2025 Major League Baseball (MLB) season is fast approaching. Toronto Blue Jays fans and players alike feel a combination of excitement and uncertainty after the lacklustre 2024 season. Several key players face high expectations they need to meet, especially franchise stars Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, who both enter the final year of their contracts this season.
Franchise favourites
One of the most encouraging stories coming out of spring training is Bo Bichette’s resurgence. After struggling early last season, Bichette fractured his right middle finger, which cut his season short.
Now, he looks primed for a big comeback.
After observing Bichette’s at-bats, seasoned MLB reporter Keegan Matheson said in an interview with The Varsity that coming into the new season, Bichette is “quickly going to remind people of how good a player he is.” This is great news for fans, who typically count on Bichette to deliver a significant portion of the team’s home runs each season.
Alejandro Kirk also stood out this spring after some inconsistent seasons at the plate. Matheson said Kirk arrived at camp in “very good shape” and has made clear improvements in his offensive abilities.
The front office made a controversial decision during last season’s trade deadline, sending fan-favourite catcher Danny Jansen to the Boston Red Sox. However, Matheson described Kirk as a “wonderful catcher” and “great defender,” so we will see if the Blue Jays are in good hands behind the plate.
Blue Jays fans can breathe a sigh of relief, knowing they still have a talented everyday catcher to rely on.
Off-season reinforcements
The Blue Jays made their biggest off-season splash by signing future Hall of Fame pitcher Max Scherzer — a move that helped the team regain confidence after struggles to convince players to sign on.
After missing out on signing huge names for the team, like Roki Sasaki and Juan Soto, the front office was thankfully able to secure Scherzer. Matheson vividly described Scherzer’s presence on the team, saying, “While money is always the driving factor of anything, he didn’t come to Toronto to hang out. He’s got better places to be. So he’s extremely serious about winning and about what it takes to get ready for a season.”
Scherzer’s influence on both young players and veterans would be a stand-out feature of his role in the team. Matheson emphasized that “you don’t want to do something stupid if Max Scherzer’s standing next to you, because he’s a really serious dude.” Along with his commanding presence, Scherzer can back up his notoriety on the pitch, posting an impressive 2.00 ERA with 14 strikeouts across three starts in spring training.
Among those following Schrezer is Cy Young finalist Alek Manoah. Manoah’s struggles have been followed closely by fans and the front office, as injuries and regression turned him from an ace into a question mark over the past two seasons.
In the middle of 2024, Manoah disappeared from the team after undergoing Tommy John surgery — a procedure to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in the elbow. However, Matheson sees a reason for optimism. He noted that Manoah “looks a lot better” and that the surgery can be “an opportunity to step back and fully restart.”
The Blue Jays hope that Manoah will return later this season after rebuilding his strength. Matheson observed that Manoah “seems very happy” and appears “to be in a really good place mentally,” which is exactly what fans and the organization are hoping to see heading into the new season.
What’s next?
After the Blue Jays’ last-place finish in the AL East in 2024, fans feel discouraged and are wondering if the team has what it takes to win their third World Series title.
When asked if the opportunity to win is still possible, Matheson said, “This year, no matter what, they’ve got to go all in. Because if this is — and it probably is — [Guerrero Jr.’s and Bichette’s] last year in Toronto, you gotta do everything possible.”
Blue Jays General Manager Ross Atkins has no room for error or time to sit back and relax.
Matheson isn’t that optimistic if the Blue Jays can’t find a way to renegotiate with Guerrero Jr. and Bichette, saying that “I don’t think they’re exactly the World Series favourite right now, but beyond this season, I think the window can slam shut extremely quickly, and that could even happen in July at the trade deadline if things don’t go well.”
This isn’t what anyone wants to hear, but it reflects the reality of the team’s situation if they fail to pull together wins.
Matheson’s ideal goal is to find “a way to bridge a gap to the next era of Blue Jays baseball.” This era ideally still includes Guerrero Jr., Bichette, or even both, but the team must consider all possibilities for the future.
The road ahead for the Blue Jays won’t be easy. This upcoming season carries high stakes, and the team must push to return to playoff form and find success before time runs out. The 2025 season will reveal a lot about their future — if the Blue Jays want to compete, they need to take action now.
