The 2026 Blue Jays: Disappointing? Absolutely. A fluke in 2025? Hell no.

2026 Blue Jays Opening

Sue 0:00

I've heard it already. After what happened to the Blue Jays this year, apparently 2025 was a fluke. No, I don't buy that for a second. 2025 wasn't a fluke. And 2026 wasn't Vladimir Guerrero's Jr.'s fault. It wasn't John Snyder's fault. It wasn't the hitting coach's fault. And we can't blame everything on injuries either. A whole bunch of things went right at the same time in 2025. And this year, a whole bunch of things didn't. Sometimes everything comes together. Sometimes everything falls apart. That's not a fluke. That's sports. Welcome

2026 Blue Jays Intro

Sue 0:45

back to Two Fans True Opinions. I'm your host Sue, and as always, let's talk sports like fans do. So if you're expecting the next 40 minutes or so to be me ranting about how much the Blue Jays sucked this year, well, yeah, they did sometimes. And trust me, there were plenty of nights when I was sitting there thinking, what the hell am I watching? But that's not what I want this episode to be. I'm not gonna pile on Vladdy. That's been done enough. And I'm not here to demand that John Snyder gets fired. And I'm definitely not gonna sit here and read a bunch of stats to you. You can look those things up yourself. I watch pretty much every game this season. I'm a true Blue Jay fan. I'm a baseball fan. So this episode is gonna be simply how I saw the 2026 Toronto Blue Jays. What disappointed me, what frustrated the hell out of me, what I think went wrong, but also what I liked, because believe it or not, there were things I really liked about this team. There were players who surprised me, young guys who had me excited about what's coming next, moves at the trade deadline that I actually really liked. And on the final day of a season that didn't go anywhere close to the way we thought it would, more than 40,000 people showed up. And that reminded me of something. We're still Blue Jay fans. So yeah, we're gonna talk about the bad, we're also gonna talk about the good. And you might agree with me, and you might completely disagree with me, and that's okay. These are my thoughts, my opinions. One fan looking back on one very strange, very frustrating Blue Jay season. So

Were Our Expectations Too High?

Sue 2:31

let's start back in March. Because before we talk about everything that went wrong, I want to remember why so many of us thought this team was gonna be really damn good. And I'm not gonna speak for the whole fan base in this episode. Remember, this is about how I felt watching this team. So going into the season, were my expectations high, too high? Absolutely, and why wouldn't they be? The Blue Jays had just gone to game seven of the World Series. And in my opinion, they should have won game six. And they had their chances to win game seven too. Yeah, I'm still not over it. Man, it still pisses me off. Then the offseason starts, and almost immediately after the World Series, they go out and get Dylan Sees, then Cody Ponce. Two additions to help that start in rotation. And then they sign Kazuma Okamoto. I looked him up pretty much immediately because I love watching Japanese players. And I've already heard a lot about him, so I wanted to know exactly what we were getting. And I remember thinking, okay, alright, Jace, I see what you're trying to do here. We're trying to build on this team that just went to the World Series. They even brought Max Scherzer back for another year, and I know a lot of fans were crazy about that one, but I was okay with it. I always believe you can never have enough starting pitching. And sure enough, that season proved it. But having somebody like Max Scherzer in that clubhouse, come on. That's experience you can't get from just anybody. And over a long season, and especially if you're expecting another playoff run, that presence and experience is huge. And then look at the players coming back: Vladdy, Clement, Barger, Kirk, guys who had really good years. And the supporting cast was still there. And I was excited about the pitching staff, the starters, the bullpen, all of it. So yeah, my expectations were high. But I don't think they were unrealistic. Now, I'm not foolish. I've watched way too many sports for way too many years to believe that you can just recreate what happened the year before. That chemistry, that special feeling a team gets isn't something you can manufacture. And I think that's where maybe expectations can become unrealistic. As fans, we wanted that feeling from 2025 to continue. Of course we did. But you can't just bring everybody back, add a few players, and expect the exact same magic to automatically show up again. What you can hope for is that the chemistry you've already built continues to grow. That the players take what they learned from that run, take the experience of going through those huge games together and build on it. And then the Jays started the season 3-0. Come on. Suddenly that feeling is right back, and I know what I was thinking. Oh man, this is gonna be such a fun summer. Another great season, another playoff run. Because now you've got that experience from 2025 and you've added some really good players. Maybe this team is actually better. And then game four. Cody Pons goes after a soft little infield chopper, and just like that, done. His season is over. And man, that was just flipping awful. Felt terrible. Forget about the Blue Jays for a second. For Pons himself, this guy had worked his way back to the Major League Baseball, earned this opportunity, and four games into the season, it's just gone. But that's baseball. It's a long season, injuries happen, shit happens, every team deals with it. You lose somebody, somebody else steps in, and you keep going. Except for the Blue Jays, Ponce wasn't Dan of it. He was basically the beginning. Because pretty soon, what I'm gonna call the Blue Jays, three-headed monster showed up. Injuries, underperformance, and sloppy defense. And once those three things started feeding off each other, this season got complicated really damn fast.

The Three-Headed Monster

Sue 6:53

So what the hell happened to this past season of 2026 Blue Jays? And I'm gonna say this right now. Injuries were not the only reason this season was disappointing. But to me, they were probably the biggest factor. Because with injuries, they don't just affect the player who gets hurt. They start affecting everything around them. And look, injuries happen. I get it. Every team deals with them over a 162 game season. Good players get hurt, star players get hurt. And sometimes they get seriously injured where they're gone for the season. And I understand that. But honestly, this year it felt like the injury bug was just walking around the Blue Jays clubhouse going, okay, who's next? Who can I sting now? Because it got ridiculous. I already mentioned Cody Pons. He was basically the first domino to fall. But it wasn't just the pitching. Kirky missed about around two months. Allison Barger, we basically didn't have him. I think he played like nine games. Those are two players who can change a game. At the plate and defensively, we saw that. Then you had guys like Nathan Lucas and George Springer dealing with things during the whole season. And there's others. And Vladdy and Ernie Clement, especially in the second half, to me, they just didn't look completely healthy. And then there's the starting rotation. Come on. That started before the season even started. And that started with Jose Barreros. Then Cody Pons in game four. And throughout the year, Bieber, Usavage, Talon, Cease. And I'm sure I'm missing others. It just kept happening. I honestly don't remember watching a Blue Jays season where the starting rotation was hit by this many injuries from basically the beginning of the year right through the end. And here's one number I am going to give you because this one says everything. The Blue Jays never had the same five starting pitchers make more than two consecutive turns through the rotation. Think about that. That's insane. Although, if you watch this team all year, you probably didn't need me to tell you that. Like, how many bullpen days did we watch? How many times were we wondering, okay, who the hell is pitching tomorrow? It's really hard for a team to get into a rhythm when the rotation itself can barely get into one. But injuries alone didn't put the blue jays where they ended up. Because then the other two heads of my three-headed monster showed up. Let's start with the obvious one, Vladdy. The power wasn't there. There were so many times guys were sitting on base and you're thinking, all right, Vladdy, this is the moment, this is your time. And it just didn't happen enough. Too many double plays, too many opportunities runners left out there. Nobody needs me to pull a bunch of numbers to prove that Vladimir Guerrero Jr. didn't have the offensive season we expected. We have eyes, we've watched it, but and I'm gonna keep saying this throughout this episode, this is not the Vladdy Dump Show. There has been enough of that all damn year. He was part of the problem offensively. Yeah, he was. But he wasn't the only problem. Varshow really struggled during that first half before the trade. Clement wasn't the same player in the second half at all. And we didn't have enough consistent power from the left side. And when some of the guys you're counting on aren't producing, suddenly everybody else's job gets harder, too. Then there's the third head of the monster, defense. And this was a big difference for me between 2025 and 2026. Last year, I trusted this team's defense. This year, especially during the first half, average sometimes, and other nights, just bad, sloppy. And maybe this is the hockey fan in me talking, but I've always believed defense wins championship. An error might technically cost you one run, but sometimes it feels like it costs you three. You get the ground ball that should end the inning. You don't make the play. Now the pitcher has to throw more pitches. Another batter comes up. Maybe there's a walk. And we know there was a lot this summer. Then somebody gets a hit and suddenly a run that never should have existed is on the board. And when your offense already isn't scoring, man, every one of those runs feels huge. Game after game, you're fighting an uphill. But here's where I think the three-headed monster really started becoming a problem. Because I don't think injuries, underperformance, and sloppy defense were three completely separate things. I think they started feeding each other. Players got hurt, other players were pushed into different roles. The offense stopped producing, and then guys started to do more. Trying to be the hero, trying to hit the home run instead of just moving the runner over, trying to make the wild defensive play instead of making the simple one. And that's when something that's already incredibly difficult starts again way too complicated.

When Baseball Gets Complicated

Sue 12:17

Because baseball really should be pretty simple. See the ball, hit the ball, catch the ball, throw the ball. Except when everybody starts trying too damn hard, suddenly none of it looks simple anymore. And that's really what I felt happened to this team. Baseball got complicated. With all those injuries, suddenly you got players who aren't always in the best position to succeed. And if they're not in the best position to succeed individually, eventually that's going to affect the team. I know the mentality in sports is next man up. Somebody gets hurt, somebody else steps in. And yeah, that works when it's one guy, maybe two, but when you got multiple injuries and players who are already underperforming, eventually things start getting messy. And that's what I saw with the Jays. Messy baseball, sloppy baseball. Players trying to compensate for the guys who aren't there. Guys trying to be the hero, trying to be that guy who fixes everything with one swing, one great play. And sometimes you don't need to be the hero. Sometimes you just need to be good at what you do, playing your role. I'm not saying everybody has to be perfect. You're not going to make every play. Sometimes the runner is going to beat that throw. Sometimes you're going to strike out. Sometimes you hit the ball right on the screws and somebody catches it. That's baseball. But play smart baseball. Catch the ball. And if you don't have a play on the runner, keep the damn ball. Don't throw it away trying to make something happen that isn't there. You hit a ball hard into the gap and you're thinking, shit, we're down by two. I need to get to second. No. You need to be on base because now you push it and you get thrown out at second. Why? Or you're at the plate with a runner on and you're trying to hit the ball 500 feet because you think you need to tie the game. Maybe you don't. Maybe you just need to fucking move the runner over. Have a good at bat. Pass the baton to the next guy. That's what this team did so well in 2025. And when players start playing outside their roles, trying to compensate for what's missing around them, trying to do too much, baseball gets complicated. And I think that's what happened to this team at times.

Schneider, the Coaches...and Player Accountability

Sue 14:42

But then there's the obvious question: why were some of these guys playing outside their roles in the first place? Who makes the lineup? Who decides who's playing left field? Who decides when the starter comes out? Who decides who's coming out of the bullpen? The manager. So if we're gonna talk about accountability for this season, then yeah, we're gonna be talking about John Snyder too. And listen, we can question Schneider's decisions all day long. I know I did. Why didn't he move Vladdy down in the lineup when he was struggling? I get it. At first, you're thinking he's in a slump, he's your guy, face of the franchise. But come on, and why not give him a fucking day off? There were definitely times I thought he left a pitcher in one batter too long, or maybe one inning too long. But it's really easy for me sitting on the couch or for any of us sitting in the stands to say, yep, he left him in there too long, after we just watched the guy give up a home run. Or why the hell is Sanchez playing left field after he doesn't make a play? Okay, but sometimes my next question has to be, who else does Schneider have? Because the manager's decisions are based on a lot more than what we see from the bleachers. He's making decisions before the game. He's making decisions during a game that might affect the ninth inning. He's making decisions that might affect tomorrow's game. Maybe that reliever everybody is screaming for pitched to last two nights. Maybe your starter needs to give you another inning because the bullpen is already exhausted. And we saw that. Maybe the guys you're wondering why the hell he's playing left field is playing there because who else do you have? And some of that isn't even Schneider. Rosters decisions, call-ups, waivers, injuries. Sometimes the manager's hands are tied. Does that mean Schneider never makes a bad decision? Of course not. He does. Every manager does. But here's the funny thing about being a manager. Make a decision and the player screws it up? Terrible decision. What the hell was Schneider thinking? Make the exact same decision and the player comes through? John Schneider is a genius. That's sports. And for me, at the end of the day, the player still has to perform. The manager puts you in the position. You have to do your job. And Schneider isn't the only coach we're talking about here either. There's the pitching staff, the hidden coaches. And I'll start with Pete Walker. Leave Pete Walker alone. Seriously, don't touch him. He is one of the best pitching coaches in baseball. He's extremely well respected around the league. And I want him right back there next season. The hidden coaches, I know there's going to be criticism because the offense underperformed. And I get that. But again, how much responsibility belongs to the coach and how much belongs to the player? A hitter needs a plan at the plate. If he struggle with the high fastball and team keeps attacking you there, you have to adjust. If a pitcher has been putting guys away all night with a breaking ball, you better know it's probably coming. That's part of the preparation. And I know the hidden coaches are working with these guys on that stuff. They're looking at the tendencies. They're helping hitters understand what pitchers are going to try to do to them. They're working on weaknesses and trying to build around each hitter's strength. But once that hitter steps into the box, the coach can't swing the bat for him. Eventually the player has to execute. And that's probably where I defer from some people when it comes to the blame for this season. For me, most of the accountability ultimately falls on the players. So, do I think John Schneider should be back next season? Yes. Do I think he should get the full season? Yes. Do I think he's actually gonna have the luxury of a full season if this team struggles out of the gate? Probably not. I think he's gonna be on a pretty short leash. Do I think that's completely fair? No, not really. But do I understand it? Yeah, I do. Because there's the fan side of this, and then there's the business side of professional sports. Eventually results matter. But me, I'm giving John Snyder 2027. Not April, not until the All-Star break, not until somebody decides a 10-game losing streak means it's time to fire the manager. I'm giving him the season, all 162 games. And if we get to the end of 2027 and this team still isn't getting results, okay, then we have a different conversation. Then maybe it's time for a change. But even then, before I put everything on John Schneider, I'm looking at the players too. Because this year, this wasn't just on the manager, not even close. And in my opinion, most of the accountability belongs to the guys actually playing the game. Which brings me to the player who's probably taken more blame than anybody else for what happened this season, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Vladdy: I'm Disappointed, But I'm Not Piling On

Sue 19:50

Oh Vlady, it feels like I spent most of the summer defending you. And apparently I'm gonna do it a little bit more right now on this episode. I know some Blue Jay fans are probably tired of Vladdy. And I get it. I'm frustrated too. But there's no way I can do an episode looking back at the 2026 Blue Jays without talking about Vladdy. I'm not gonna talk about the amount of his contract. We know it. It's a shitload of money. I'm not gonna give you his batting average, his home runs, his RBIs. We know. It wasn't anywhere close to what anybody expected from him. What I want to talk about is what I saw, how I felt watching him this year. Coming into this season, I was hoping the Vladdy we saw in the World Series, and then again in a WBC was the Vladdy we were gonna get in 2026. And for a couple weeks, at the beginning of the year, he was good. Actually, he was pretty damn good. Then something changed, and watching him, I kept thinking something doesn't look right. At first I thought, okay, long playoff run, the WBC, maybe he's tired, maybe he's struggling. Players struggle, it happens. And we all know what happened after that. I'm not gonna make us relive the entire season because frankly, it's painful. But I kept defending him. He's our guy, he's in the slump. His defense is outstanding, and it was. Whatever I thought about his offense this season defensively, I still think Vladdy is one of the best first basemen in baseball. And I even kept saying during the summer, I think he's playing hurt. We did eventually learn that he'd been dealing with back problems going back to June. Now, Vladdy himself didn't use that as an excuse for his season, and neither am I. But there was still times when I was saying, John, give the guy a day off. And God forbid, fucking move him down in the lineup. But still, defend, defend, defend. And then that damn interview. Oh my god, Vladdy, come on, man. I can't even defend that. Now, can I understand the concept of what I think he was trying to say? Yeah, I think I can. I can understand the idea that a massive long-term contract is partly based on what a player has already demonstrated he can do. Fine. But I sure as hell didn't like the way he said it. And after the season he had, the timing made it even worse. And I'll admit it, I was pissed, just like a lot of Blue Chase fans were. Then came the apology. And for me, that mattered. Vladdy asked to speak to the media, he apologized to the fans, he apologized to his teammates, he also addressed it inside the clubhouse. And he said he was going to keep working to make that contract a great one. Okay, good. Now prove it. That's where I'm at with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. I'm not saying everything is magically forgiven, but I'm sure as hell not saying get rid of him either. What I am saying is, okay, Vladdy, you apologized. Now show us. Have a great off season, get healthy, come back prepared, and be the player that you know you can be. Because those last couple of games told me something too. There were booze. Of course there were. But there were cheers too, and eventually you can hear Vladdy, Vladdy. And maybe that's the perfect description of the relationship between Vladdy and the Blue Jays fans right now. It's complicated. We're frustrated with him, we're disappointed in him. Sometimes we're pissed at him, but a lot of us are still rooting like hell for him. So when I look back at this season, was Vladdy part of the problem? Absolutely. Was Vladdy the problem? Hell no. And I'm not putting an entire disappointing season on one player. Because if I did that, I'll be ignoring everything else I just spent five chapters talking about.

Then Something Changed

Sue 23:54

So yeah, there was a lot of different things that were so frustrating going on this season. But then something changed for me. The trade deadline. The week leading up to it, there was obviously a lot of talk about the Blue Jays being sellers. They're not making the playoffs. And some of these players might be gone at the end of the season anyway. And honestly, I got that. It's a business. If Kevin Gossman, Dalton, Farshaw, and even Jeff Hoffman aren't going to be part of this team going forward, then I'd rather get something for them now than watch them leave for nothing later. And I was okay with that. But what I really liked about the deadline was that the Jays didn't just sell. To me, it was almost like a hybrid deadline. Sell some pieces, but also bring in players who might actually help you going forward. Jose Soriano, I really like that trade. You're moving Gaussman, but you're bringing back another starting pitcher who can be part of this rotation going forward in Soriano. And in that same deal, you get Brett Bateman. Then Dalton Varsho gets traded. And look, Varsho was a great outfielder, fan favorite, great defender. I really liked Varshow. But signing this kid you just got in the Gossman trade, Brett Bateman, gets an opportunity in the outfield. And that, my friends, turned into a very, very nice surprise. Not only did he help fill the hole left by Varsho, I'm starting to think, wait a minute, did we just find our leadoff hitter for next year? Then Hoffman is gone. Our closer. And yes, I'm putting that in quotation marks. But Louis Varling gets an opportunity in that role and basically says, okay, I'll do it. Then some of the kids from Buffalo start showing up. Sean Keyes, Charles McAdoo. And now I'm watching these young guys, and instead of thinking about everything that went wrong this first half this season, I'm starting to think about the future. Maybe even a pretty bright future. And suddenly I'm having fun watching the Blue Jays again. That's probably the biggest thing I could say about the trade deadline. I was having fun again. They were playing cleaner defense, they were competing, they went on a bit of a surge. And by early September, somehow this team that looked completely out of it had worked its way back to within half a game of the wild card spot. And come on, you know what happened to me, and you were doing it too. Now you're doing the standing math again. Like if we win tonight and they lose, here we go again. So much fun. And ultimately, it just wasn't sustainable. Too much had already happened. The injuries didn't suddenly disappear, the underperformance didn't completely disappear. Some of the same problems we watched all season were still there. They dug themselves a pretty big hole. But you know what? They didn't quit. They had some grit those last few games, those last few weeks. And that fucking matters to me. Because in a disappointing season, when it would have been really easy for everybody to just play out the schedule and go home, they made me care again. And some of the players who did that, they're a big reason I'm really excited to see what this team looks like in 2027. So after spending most of this episode telling you what frustrated the hell out of me, let me tell you about some of the players I absolutely love watching this year.

Things I Actually LOVED About 2026

Sue 27:32

Now, I'm not saying these guys were perfect. Were they always great? Of course not. They're human. We all have bad moments, bad days at work, slumps when we play sports. But after 162 games and a disappointing season, these were some of the bright spots for me. And I'm sure I'm gonna forget some players on this list. So feel free to tell me who you love watching this year. Or tell me I'm completely out to lunch with some of mine. So let's start with the ace. To me, that's Dylan Cease. Every time this guy took the mount, I felt like the Blue Jays had a chance to win. A 2.4 ERA, 239 strikeouts. And I know I said I wasn't gonna throw a bunch of stats at you, but come on, those are ace numbers. I knew Cece would be our number one starter when he signed here. I knew he'll be good. But this good? I'll take that every damn year. He came close to a no-hitter a couple of times. He pitched deep into games. When things aren't going perfectly, he battled through it. And I love his personality. He just seems like a laid-back guy. I love the way he pitches. And we got him for another six years. Could he be in a Cy Young conversation again? Why the hell not? I can't say enough about Dylan Sees. He's just an ace. And from a great starter to a great closer, Louis Flippin' Varlin. He's a bulldog. That's the word I use all the time. 1.27 ERA, 71 appearances, 35 saves. Enough said. I bet Minnesota is kicking themselves for trading this guy to us at the 2025 deadline. We all know the problems the Jays had with Hoffman this year. And I remember a buddy of mine saying, shit, Hoffman can't get it done. We don't have a closer. And I thought, well, we got Rogers, we got Varlan. Schneider even talked about closing by committee. I guess Varlan basically said, Yeah, I'm the committee. He took that role and never looked back. Again, just a bulldog. Then there's Spencer Miles. My first reaction to him was basically, where the hell did this guy come from? Well, me and all the Blue Jays fans certainly know now. It was the Rule 5 draft. And if you're not familiar with that, the short version is Toronto selected him from San Francisco and had to keep him on the MLB roster all year or risk losing him back to the Giants. And this guy hadn't even pitch above single A. Then look what he did. Starter, reliever, high leverage, length, short rest, whatever they needed, he did it. And yes, they had to be careful with him because of his injury history and how little professional experience he had. So he was on a strict pitch count. But I think the Blue Jays pitching staff did wonders with this guy. Right now, I got Spencer Miles in my starting five next year, hands down. And speaking of pitchers, they had to manage carefully, let's go to the complete opposite. Mason Flewhardy. Give him the damn ball anytime. And apparently they did 83 times. It felt like this kid was on the mound constantly. And I loved it. He looked confident. The stage never seemed too big. I mean, let's go back to game one of the World Series and what he did against Shohei Otani. You strike that guy out in that environment? Yeah, I think you earn a little confidence. He's a lefty. He can come into a mess with runners on base. They even use him to start some games. This guy is in my bullpen next year, hands down, no question. And then there's another pitcher I'm very excited about for the next couple years. Jose Soriano. Now Toronto traded Gosman and then went out and acquired Soriano to fill that hole in the rotation. And I hate saying this, but I'm giving Ross Atkins some big kudos for this one. Was it a small sample size after the trade? Absolutely. But I really like what I saw. He's got great stuff. Velocity, fastball, sinker. Yeah, the command can get away from him. And when he misses, yep, he's gonna give up more home runs than I like. But if Pete Walker can work with that arm for a full season, oh man, he can be really good. Get him using that sinker. Trust the defense behind him. Get those ground ball outs and keep those pitch counts down. He's gonna be so good. And he's a really good fielder too. Right now, you give me C Soriano, U Savage, and Spencer Miles as four pieces of that rotation next year. I'll take that anytime. Okay, enough of the pitchers. Let's get to the bats. And I'm starting with a guy I honestly just fell in love with. I don't usually buy jerseys with players' name on them. I have two, Crosby and Guerrero. And I know who's my next one is Kazuma Okamoto. And yes, I'm patting myself on the back for this one. When the Jays signed him, I told everybody this guy's going to make the lineup better. And Blue Jays fans are gonna love him. And he did not disappoint. But 33 home runs and 88 RBIs, both team highs? Come on, even I didn't predict that. Honestly, I don't even want to imagine what this lineup would have looked like without Okamoto. Defensively, he's solid. There were nights at third where I thought he was really good, and he handled first when they needed him there too. Do I see a gold glove in his future? Probably not. But he's a solid defender, and I'll take that bat in the lineup every damn day. And what impressed me maybe even more was how well he adjusted. Coming from Japan to Major League Baseball isn't easy. Different pitching, different league, different country, different culture, language barrier. And he comes over here and does that. I thought he had a fantastic first year, and we got three more years of him. Yeah, I might just need to get that jersey. Then there's a guy I was just really happy for, Nathan Lucas. Not flashy, just a really good, dependable baseball player. He struggled early coming out of the gate. Then they figure out that he had this Virgo issue. Then he got hurt. But when he got healthy, I really thought he was one of the Blue Jays' most consistent players. Good defense, really good at bats, and to me, one of the most disciplined hitters on this team. And I know some of you are probably saying, Sue, what the hell are you talking about? So I'm breaking my no stats rule again because Nathan Lucas deserves some love. Ten defensive runs saved, nine outfield assists. He hit 333 with runners in scoring position. And with two strikes, his contact rate was 87.8%. Third best in the American League. So you got defense, clutch hitting, discipline. Superstar? No. Really solid, hardworking ball player? Hell yeah. And quickly, let's talk about some of the kids. Starting with one who I think took a huge step this year, Brandon Valenzuela. I was really impressed. There's some power there, and you know I love a good switch hitter. And that arm, what a cannon. But the most impressive part to me was he had to do it as a rookie catcher. Kirky goes down and suddenly this kid has to handle a major league pitching staff. And I don't think fans always appreciate how difficult the job is. You're learning major league hitters and you're trying to learn your own pitchers. And let's face it, C. E. Scossman, Bieber, Mad Max, that's not exactly the easiest group to walk in and catch. Did he make mistakes? Of course he did. And the ABS challenges weren't always pretty. Although, in all fairness, that definitely wasn't just him. The Jays as a whole drove me nuts with those sometimes. But that's another whole episode. For a rookie to step into that situation and become an everyday catcher, that's one of the brighter spots of the summer for me. I really do think he's going to be a number one catcher someday. Maybe that's eventually in Toronto. Maybe one day he becomes a really valuable trade piece. We'll see. But having Kirk in Vallezuela, I really like that combination. And the Jays had a lot of young guys from Buffalo Bisons coming through Toronto this year. Probably too many if we're being honest. But I'm gonna quickly mention Charles McIndoo and Sean Keyes. I like what I saw from both of them. I like their power. And are there gonna be some growing pains? Of course they are. But give these guys more major league at bats and more playing time and let's see what we've got. I'm very curious to see what happens with both of them next year. And finally, I save the guy I probably the most optimistic and surprise, and just let's say giddy about Brett Bateman. I'm saying it right now, Brett Bateman is my leadoff hitter next year. I know, I know, small sample size, I get it, but he hit 327 with 394 on base percentage after reaching Toronto. Come on, and forget the numbers for a second. Good at bats, good defense, good arm, good base running. He's just a ball player, period. And if his play wasn't enough to make the Blue Jays fans fall in love with him, then there was that wink. He aggressively goes from second all the way home against Seattle when the Mariners basically fall asleep after a wild pitch, and then he gives Makadu that little wink. Brett, you had me at that wink. But seriously, I want this guy playing every day next year. And right now, he's my leadoff hitter. I like Dalton Varsho. I really did. But if you're asking me today, I'll take Brett Bateman. And when I look at Cease, Soriano, Miles, Varland, Okamoto, Lucas, Venezuela, McAdoo, Keys, Bateman, that's why after everything that went wrong in 2026, I'm already getting excited about 2027.

George Springer and Max Scherzer: Thank you

Sue 38:35

Before we start looking ahead of 2027, I want to take a moment to say thank you to two pretty special players. First, George Springer. When Toronto signed Springer for six years at 150 million in January in 2021, it was the largest contract in franchise history at the time. And to me, and I'm sure to a lot of Blue Jay fans, that signing basically announced we're done rebuilding, we're ready to win. I remember when they signed him, I was ecstatic. It had been a few years since Batista, Donaldson, Incarnacion. And now this was the kids' team, Vladdy, Bo. And I'm thinking, oh my god, they just brought in a World Series winner, a World Series MVP. These kids are gonna learn so much from this guy. And I really do think Springer helped open the door to some of the bigger signings that eventually came to Toronto. But that's probably for another episode. Because what I really want to talk about here is George Springer, the person. He didn't simply play six seasons here, and I don't think he only taught those young players something. I think in his own way, he showed us as fans, and maybe even showed some people around baseball that Toronto is a great place to play. They compete, they have fun, and George, he always seemed to be right in the middle of it. All the commercials, all the giveaways with his name on them. And come on, if you're a Blue Jay fan, you know exactly what I'm about to say. Upper deck. I don't know why, but that TD commercial with the girl young upper deck and George just sitting there still makes me laugh. And yes, I got one of those Springer's giveaways too. My red George Springer Canada Day jersey. I wear that thing every Canada Day. And not just while I'm watching the game, all day. The smile. I love that smile. The hugs with his teammates in the dugout. His interviews with Hazel May always felt genuine and sincere. He became one of our guys. And then there's George Springer, the player. Man, there's so many memories, and I'm sure every Blue Jay fan has their own. The diving catches, the hustle, the way he flies around those bases to score, the hits, Canada Day, 2025 against the Yankees, two home runs, a grand slam, seven RBIs. I remember watching that game like it was yesterday, and for me, that was one of those moments where I thought this is real. This team can compete. This team can win. And then, of course, Seattle. Game seven of the ALCS. That three-run home run, the swing that sent the Toronto Blue Jays to the World Series, that's a Blue Jay moment we're going to remember forever. But now, I think one of my favorite George Springer moments might actually be his last one. Final game of the season. Springer doubles. And Snyder sends in a runner so George can make that long walk back to the dugout and receive that ovation from 42,131 fans in Toronto and everybody watching across Canada. And here's the part that gets me. George talked about fans thanking him after the World Series, and his response was basically that he should be thanking us. Well, George, we can both say it. Thank you. And apparently there is crying in baseball. Yeah, yeah, I know. There's no crying in baseball. Bullshit. There were definitely a few tears that day, and I'm pretty sure they weren't all George's. And then Mad Max. Just like Springer, I'm not gonna sit here and recite Scherzer's resume. We know who Max Scherzer is. He's a future Hall of Famer. And when the Jays signed him, I remember thinking, okay, this guy has a lot of mileage. I have no clue how many starts we're actually gonna get out of him. But just like George, I thought this guy is a winner in every sense, a competitor. And if all Toronto gets is that presence in the clubhouse and the dugout, I'm good with that. Because I truly believe every winning team needs somebody like that. And our young pitchers got to watch a future hall of famer at work. Preparation, workouts, talking, pitching, competing, being a professional. What is that worth to me? Priceless. But what I didn't expect was get in moments where years from now I can say, remember when Mad Max was our guy? And I know the one you're thinking about, the playoffs last year. Schneider tries to take him out, and oh my god, the fire in his eyes, barking at the manager. No, I loved it. And think about what that showed his teammates. Forget us as fans for a second. That guy wants the ball. That guy wants to compete. And then, just like George, we get one more moment on that final day of the season. Max wanted to pitch one. One more time in front of those Toronto fans. He's 42 years old. He's pitching on short rests. And what does Mad Max do? He doesn't just give them a few innings, he pitches into the eighth. 114 pitches, one run, seven strikeouts at 42 years old. Come on. And that's Max Scherzer. And again, whatever those young pitchers learned from having that guy around them, whatever they picked up watching, how he prepared, how he competed, how seriously he took his craft, you can't put a stat on that. So if that was the last time we see Max Scherzer on a major league mound, I'm really glad we got to see it in a Blue Jays uniform. Priceless. Thank you, Max.

Okay... What About 2027?

Sue 44:51

So 2025 was incredible. 2026 was disappointing. What the hell is 2027 going to be? Where do we go from here? Well, assuming we actually have a normal off-season, and I'll get to that in a minute, I'm really interested to see what this front office does. Because right now, I'm actually pretty optimistic about what they already have. I've already talked about the rotation, Cease, Soriano, Usavage, Miles. I'll take those four going into the season. Then whether the fifth guy is Shane Bieber, Bowden Francis, or somebody they bring in, I think you're starting from a pretty good place. Personally, I still like Toronto to add another starting pitcher. You can never have enough pitching. And if they can find another good left-handed bat, I'll like that too. But I don't look at this roster and think, oh my god, they have to rebuild this entire thing. Not even close. There's a core here that I'm actually really excited about. And I still believe John Snyder is the guy to manage it. I've already said it, I want him back, and I want him for the full season. I've seen something change with this team around the trade deadline the last couple of years. And yes, I understand professional sports. If things go badly, the manager is usually the easiest person to blame. You can't fire 26 players. But unless all hell breaks loose in that clubhouse, give Schneider 162 games. Then decide. And speaking of a full season, Brett Bateman, leave him at the top of the lineup. I know, small sample size. We covered this, but right now he's my leadoff hitter. And I love the tandem of Kirky and Vallazuela behind the plate. I think those two have the potential to be a really good catching combination, offensively and defensively. And let some of these kids play. I don't mind what I saw from McAdoo, what I saw from Keys. Give them the opportunities. Let's find out what they are. And here's something I like to see with Okamoto and Guerrero. Occasionally rotate one of them through DH. Keep both bats in the lineup, give them a day away from the field once in a while, and maybe that opens first or third for one of these kids. If Springer comes back, alright. If Anthony Santander can finally get healthy and actually be a blue jay, there's another possibility. And obviously the offseason can change all of this. Maybe they sign somebody we aren't even thinking about right now. But there's one thing that matters more to me than almost anything else going into next season. And I know this is gonna shock everybody after listening to this episode. Vlady comes back healthy. And he comes back with something to prove. And in my heart, I think he will. I just think Vladimir is too damn good of a hitter to have another season like the one we just watched. He apologized, he said he's gonna work. Okay, now go and do it. And I can't wait to see what happens. Normally, this is one of my favorite times of the years in sports. The off-season. I love the off-season. Who's a free agent? Who's Toronto interested in? Who's signing where? Who's getting traded? But this offseason could be a little different because there's a little thing called the CBA. And there are a lot of questions. Does the possibility of labor uncertainty make teams more aggressive early? Does it make them more cautious? Will there be a lockout? How long could this whole thing drag on? I don't know. And I'm not turning this into a labor relations episode. I just really hope the people making a hell of a lot more money than I do figure this shit out. Because I want baseball next year. And more than that, after everything that happened in 2026, I actually can't wait to see what this group does next. And now it's time for Sue's true moment.

Sue's True Moment

Sue 49:11

While I was preparing this episode and thinking about why 2026 felt so different from 2025, all the negatives, all the frustration from the players and the fans, but also the positives and the things that actually had me pretty optimistic going into 2027. I kept coming back to that final series. And especially the final game. The Blue Jays have already been eliminated. Vladdy had made those damn comments. A lot of fans were pissed at Guerrero. I get it, I felt it too. And yeah, there were some boos that last weekend. But here's what I kept remembering. It wasn't just boos, there were cheers too. And I could hear it through my TV. Vladdy, Vladdy, Vladdy. And honestly, that made me so happy. I remember looking at my wife and saying, he still has fans supporting him. And part of me wish I was there. I wanted to feel that. The frustration, but also the love that the Blue Jays fans still had for Vladdy and for this team. And I really hope Vladdy carries some of that with him into the offseason. Then Sunday comes, the last game of the season. The place is basically sold out. Just over 42,000 people showed. And over the entire season, more than 3.3 million people went through those gates. Third most in MLB for a team that finished last in this division. Yeah, a lot of people were there Sunday because it might have been goodbye to George Springer and Max Scherzer. Of course there were. But I kept thinking, why do you come? Was it part of simply because you're still your Blue Jays? Because that's what being a fan is. You can be pissed off at your team, you can criticize Vladdy, you can scream at Schneider, you can complain about an error, you can swear at your television, and the next night you turn the damn game on again. Earlier this year, I did an episode asking, can you love your team and criticize them? Well, I think 2026 answered my own question. Hell yes. Criticize didn't cancel the love. Disappointment didn't cancel the love. Last place didn't cancel the love. And then there's George Springer. Before that final game, fighting back tears himself, George talked about wanting to leave this organization better than he found it. George, you did. And yeah, I'm not crying, you're crying. Okay, maybe I'm crying a little. But after everything we watched this season, I keep coming back to where I started this episode. 2025 wasn't a fluke. 2026 wasn't one person's fault. Sometimes everything comes together. Sometimes everything falls apart. That's sports. And no matter how frustrating the season was, no matter how disappointed we were, opening day comes again.

TFTO Closing & Signoff

Sue 52:18

Thanks so much for listening to another episode of TrueFan True Opinion. If you enjoyed today's conversation, I really appreciate it if you follow the show, leave a review, and share it with another sports fan. And don't forget, I want to hear your thoughts. Did you agree with my takes? Did I miss something? Let me know in the comments or on social media. Until next time, keep sharing, keep believing, and remember chin up, don't give up. I'm rooting for you.