"The Toronto Blue Jays had a successful 2025 season, except for one glaring weakness. They finished in the top five offensively in MLB for runs, RBIs, batting average, on-base percentage, and OPS. Their one offensive weakness was home runs, where they finished tied for 11th in MLB with 191. The apparent reason for the lack of long balls was Anthony Santander's struggles."
"He was signed last offseason after hitting 44 home runs with the Baltimore Orioles. However, he had a disappointing debut in Toronto, when he only hit six home runs over an injury-plagued season. He suffered a shoulder injury in May after a crash into the outfield wall. This injury held him out until late September. Santander was able to return for the last few weeks of the regular season. He made the postseason roster."
"For the Blue Jays to reach this expectation, they'll need help from a few sources. They lost Bo Bichette to free agency and, eventually, to the New York Mets, but they signed Japanese slugger Kazuma Okamoto to fill Bichette's void. Okamoto brings a massive power bat over from Japan, where he hit 30 home runs in each season from 2018 to 2023."
Toronto produced a top-five offense in runs, RBIs, batting average, on-base percentage and OPS in 2025, but ranked only tied for 11th in home runs with 191. Anthony Santander, signed after a 44-home-run season in Baltimore, managed just six homers amid an injury-plagued debut that included a May shoulder injury and a late-September return; he made the postseason roster. Projections averaging five platforms foresee improvement to about 213 team home runs in 2026. The club lost Bo Bichette to free agency but added Kazuma Okamoto, a proven power hitter from Japan who consistently hit 30+ homers.
Read at Jays Journal
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