It’s officially bold predictions season, as the Toronto Blue Jays return home ahead of Friday’s Opening Day matchup against the Athletics.

This is the part of the baseball calendar when everyone and their neighbour makes off-the-cuff, repercussion-free statements about the upcoming season. So, engaging in this annual tradition, let’s do our best to add to the pile here.

Most bold predictions tend to age rather poorly, though that’s also part of the fun with these. They aren’t made to be taken all that seriously. However, at least for my sanity, it’d be nice if at least a few of these could remain intact beyond the opening month of the season. But alas, here we go.

Momentum has been building towards this outcome ever since Guerrero placed second in American League MVP voting behind now-four-time winner Shohei Ohtani in 2021. After falling short over the last four seasons, it’s now his time to sit atop the mountain.

The freshly turned 27-year-old slugger has everything it takes to, at long last, get over that MVP hump this year. Granted, achieving that feat — which would match his father’s lone MVP honour from 2004 — will be extremely challenging as long as Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh, the winner and runner-up, respectively, from last season’s AL MVP race, remain healthy. But anything is possible with this current version of Guerrero.

It truly feels like this is his moment to break through. He’s been the best version of himself ever since he led this franchise to its first World Series appearance in 32 years last fall. Whether it’s been excelling in Grapefruit League competition or being one of the best hitters at the World Baseball Classic — only Jarren Duran (1.000) and Ohtani (1.231) posted a higher slugging percentage than Guerrero (.944) among qualified hitters (min. 10 at-bats) — for a Dominican Republic lineup loaded with superstars, he’s been the same player throughout it all.

Guerrero appears poised for a monster season in 2026, even as he adjusts to the post-Bo Bichette era without the added middle-of-the-order protection from Anthony Santander, who’ll likely remain unavailable until much later this season. Those factors won’t be enough to slow him down, which, of course, would put Toronto’s offence in a great spot now that it squarely runs through No. 27.

Baseball isn’t ready for Cy Young-worthy Dylan Cease to return.

The 30-year-old Cease, named an AL Cy Young finalist in 2022 and a fourth-place finisher in ’24 over in the NL, has everything he needs to stomp his boot in the ground as the new sheriff in town this season. That includes one of the sport’s best, all-around catchers in Alejandro Kirk, an elite defensive tandem between Ernie Clement and Andrés Giménez up the middle, as well as the game’s most dependable centre-fielder in Daulton Varsho, and the longest-tenured pitching coach in the business, Pete Walker.

Everyone included above, along with those working behind the scenes, will have a hand in Cease’s Cy Young-winning performance as he begins the first chapter of his Blue Jays career.

One of the biggest leaps that Cease will take in Year 1 involves his sharp-breaking slider, which has produced a pair of top-tier seasons in 2022 and ’24 — coinciding with the right-hander’s Cy Young-calibre performances — around two not-so-great showings in ’23 and ’25. Having it return to baseball’s elite will help pave the way for his award-winning campaign.

When it’s where it needs to be, everything else falls into place — mostly his high-90s fastball. Maximizing the most out of those top two offerings will be crucial, as it’ll mean the difference between right-handed batters slugging above .400 against him, as they did last season, or finishing below .300, similar to his ’22 and ’24 performances.

This will be the year when Cease puts it all together, finally reaching his full potential as a front-of-the-rotation starter — and there’s no better time to achieve that status, with co-ace Kevin Gausman due to hit free agency next winter.

“Last year was the trailer, this year is the movie.” Guerrero’s infamous quote, which is somehow already four years old, is probably the best description for Barger’s potential growth this season.

As Bichette embarks on his next chapter in Queens and Santander recovers from shoulder surgery, the Blue Jays’ offence needs someone to emerge as a budding star alongside Guerrero, and Barger is the perfect man for the job following last post-season’s heroics.

The hard-hitting 26-year-old displayed flashes of this ceiling throughout his ’25 campaign, which included 21 home runs, 74 RBIs, a .454 SLG and a 107 wRC+ across 135 games despite enduring a fatigue-related performance skid down the stretch. But now that he knows what to expect and how to manage his body over a six-plus month schedule, he’ll be better prepared the second time around.

Last year’s experience will be hugely beneficial for Barger and his production against left-handed pitchers as he’s vaulted into an everyday role in right field and occasionally at third base. Those additional at-bats will further boost his overall results, clearing a path towards a 30-home-run season with a wRC+ 15 per cent above league average.

Make what you will out of spring training results, but few players deserved the honour of winning this year’s Grapefruit League MVP (if such an award existed) more than Varsho. Now, he’s set to prove that last season’s offensive surge was more than just a fluke.

Varsho desires to become a more complete, well-rounded hitter this year rather than someone who relies solely on his power. With the mechanical adjustments he showcased this spring, there’s little reason to think he can’t hit for a higher average without sacrificing too much thump by creating damage to all three fields, transforming from his previous pull-heavy approach — even against left-handed pitching.

The power will always be there for Varsho, though, and if he’s able to get on base more consistently in 2026, that should also allow him to make a larger impact on the basepaths. As such, there’s serious potential for a 40-20 (home runs-stolen bases) season here, of which there have only been two ever recorded in franchise history — first by Jose Canseco in 1998, followed by Shawn Green during the ensuing year.

But even if Varsho comes up shy, producing career highs across the board, including his first 30-homer campaign, is definitely on the table — albeit if he can stay healthy.

Finishing this season atop the AL in strikeouts will be no easy feat, considering Ponce’s primary competition will include the likes of Garrett Crochet, who led the majors with 255 strikeouts last season, Tarik Skubal, Hunter Brown and Bryan Woo. Those are some of the best punchout artists that baseball offers, though they’re about to be joined by the reigning KBO strikeout king.

Ponce’s arsenal, headlined by his kick-change and high-riding fastball, will likely overwhelm opposing batters in his MLB return this season, especially early on, considering he’s projected to open with favourable starts against the Colorado Rockies, Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins.

That should propel the 31-year-old righty to a strong start out of the gate, setting the tone for what’ll be an impressive inaugural campaign with the Blue Jays that earns him down-the-ballot Cy Young votes.

After climbing three minor-league levels (Single-A, High-A, Double-A) in ’25, Stanifer will pitch his way to Triple-A Buffalo later this season before arriving in the majors come September, following a similar trajectory as his former piggyback mate, Trey Yesavage.

But rather than working as a starter, as Yesavage did last season, Stanifer will move to the bullpen upon his late-season arrival and throw meaningful innings as a swing-and-miss reliever in high-leverage situations. The short-delivery righty, whose 161 strikeouts ranked fifth-most throughout affiliated minor-league ball a year ago, would offer plenty of versatility after 11 of his 27 games came as a multi-inning reliever.

The jury is still out on whether Stanifer remains a starter long-term or fully transitions to the ‘pen at some point. As it pertains to this season, however, his best pathway to the majors is likely as a two-pitch reliever, with his deceptive mid-90s fastball and high-whiff slider.