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3 bright spots on the Blue Jays’ roster through April
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Photo credit: © John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Michael Coyle
May 1, 2026, 08:00 EDTUpdated: May 1, 2026, 07:55 EDT
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The Toronto Blue Jays are officially through Major League Baseball’s opening month, finishing with a record of 14-17, good for fourth place in the American League East. 
While much of the year to this point has been defined by the myriad of injuries the Blue Jays have dealt with, the club still has had a few players stand out to keep them afloat as they hunt for a second straight A.L. East crown. 
Here is a look at three players who were bright spots over the opening 31 games. 

Kevin Gausman 

No better place to start than the man who got the ball for the Blue Jays on Opening Day.
Gausman’s season started on a high note, setting a franchise Opening Day strikeout record by punching out 11 Athletics batters over six innings, surpassing the previous record of nine held by both Roy Halladay and Esteban Loaiza. The right-hander also became the seventh pitcher in MLB history to record 11 strikeouts and zero walks on Opening Day. 
Through six starts, Gausman is 2-2 with a 3.10 ERA and 0.96 WHIP, dazzling almost every time the 35-year-old takes the ball. Gausman has only allowed three earned runs twice in his six starts, and has struck out 40 batters across his 40 2/3 innings pitched. 
Originally signed to a five-year, $110 million contract in December of 2021, Gausman has been everything the Blue Jays envisioned in what could go down as one of the best free agent signings in franchise history. Through his Blue Jays tenure, Gausman is 50-43 with a 3.46 ERA and 1.16 WHIP over the course of his 132 starts. 
Currently ranked with the 12th most starts in Blue Jays history, a healthy season could allow Gausman to jump into the top-10 all-time, and with the way this year is beginning, this could be a special year in what is the final year of Gausman’s contract. 

Ernie Clement 

Clement has picked up where he left off during the Blue Jays’ run to the World Series.
After setting an MLB record for the most hits during a single postseason with 30, Clement has been on fire, posting a .302 average with one home run and nine RBIs through his first 126 at-bats. 
Clement is tied with Atlanta’s Matt Olson and Baltimore’s Taylor Ward for the league lead in doubles. All three players have recorded 13 to this point in the 2026 regular season. 
As the Blue Jays have dealt with their fair share of injuries through the opening month, Clement has been a staple in the Blue Jays’ lineup, appearing in every game to this point, all while taking over the leadoff spot as George Springer missed 15 games with a fracture in his toe. 
Clement’s bat-to-ball skills have been highlighted early on, striking out only nine times, which translates to a 7.1 strikeout percentage, placing Clement in the top percentile of big leaguers. The Blue Jays’ middle infielder swatted his first home run of the season during Wednesday’s 8-1 win over the Boston Red Sox, lining a Greg Weissert fastball over the left field wall, to give the Blue Jays a 5-1 lead at the time. 

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 

Guerrero Jr. also had a 2025 postseason for the ages, batting .397 with eight home runs and 15 RBIs, while also getting on base at a .438 clip. The Blue Jays’ first baseman has taken that momentum and carried it over to the 2026 season, batting .354, good for the third-highest average in the majors. The  27-year-old’s 40 hits place him in a tie for third in the bigs. 
While Guerrero’s power numbers are down, having only hit two home runs through his first 113 at-bats, he has still been able to drive in 15 runs, tied for the second most on the Blue Jays’ roster. Even with limited power, Guerrero has hit the 17th most hard-hit balls in MLB with 45 to this point. 
As the Blue Jays continue to work their way through the early-season struggles at the plate, Guerrero represents the best chance for a player to carry the team through prolonged stretches of the 162-game season. 

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