The Blue Jays enjoyed an incredible amount of success in 2025 with contributions from every corner of their roster. While there will be new additions to the team this winter, there will be existing players who will have more opportunities to extend the Blue Jays’ contention window next season.

Toronto found many wild cards that ultimately helped the team shine in some of the biggest moments during the regular season and the playoffs. Out of these players, these three players are set to take on even bigger spotlights in the coming season.

Although he hasn’t reached his Cy Young-winning form, Shane Bieber has been everything the Blue Jays have asked for when they traded for him from the Cleveland Guardians this past trade deadline. With the Blue Jays, Bieber recorded a 3.57 ERA, 4.47 FIP and 23.3K% rate in 40 1/3 innings pitched, which eventually helped the team to double down on a weaker starting rotation in the fall.

The 30-year-old’s 2025 stats were rather similar to his career record of 3.24 ERA, 3.15 FIP and 27.8K% rate, proving that he is most likely going to become one of the more essential parts of the Blue Jays’ starting core in 2026. The fact that Bieber exercised his $16-million player option shows his willingness to stay with a strong contender, while showing his determination to prove his worth again in a full season.

The California native will naturally become the team’s second or third starter, and his full-year’s worth of performance will have to bring steadiness to the rotation that has experienced a whirlwind of volatility in the past year. Bieber’s consistency will be one of the most important factors that will determine the 2026 Blue Jays’ fortune, and this time around, the Jays have him on the roster for a full season.

Anthony Santander was a disappointment in 2025, which wasn’t an ideal start after signing one of the more hefty contracts with the Blue Jays. His value came from his potent pop in his bat, but he didn’t get a chance to show off his power due to sustained injuries throughout the year.

To prove his worth, Santander will have to find a way to maximize his power while significantly cutting down on his strikeout rate. Signing Santander on a big free-agent contract, the Blue Jays were aware that the Venezuelan was more suited for power than his on-base abilities. Even if the 31-year-old can’t replicate his record season in 2024 with 44 home runs, replicating his records from 2022 and 2023 (33 home runs and 28 home runs, respectively) would already help the Blue Jays boost their power levels in 2026.

Santander’s real purpose heading into the 2026 season is lengthening and diversifying the Blue Jays’ lineup. His ability to change the game in one swing is what Toronto is counting on, especially to compete against power-heavy teams like the New York Yankees. Whether Santander brings that consistently or not could determine the offensive trajectory of the team next season.

Trey Yesavage has nothing but sensational for the Blue Jays after making his late-season debut in 2025. He dominated the league and the playoffs with the enigma of his high-pitched release point, and that bet paid off for the Blue Jays, even if the team ultimately fell short of their goal in November.

In 14 innings pitched during the 2025 season, the Pennsylvania native recorded a 3.21 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 25.8 K% rate, which was an impressive debut despite his limited appearance. This track record translated to the postseason as well, where he recorded a 3.58 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 35.8 K% rate, which led to the Blue Jays winning three games when Yesavage started in the playoff stage.

But this former first-round pick will carry on more responsibility in the starting rotation for 2026 and will have to adapt and develop in the course of a 162-game season. The rookie sensation is set to face more challenges. His endurance will be tested, and he will have to prove that he still deserves to be in the mainstay for the Blue Jays’ rotation.

The league will most definitely figure out Yesavage next year. The question the 22-year-old now has to answer is whether he can learn from his outings, adjust, and continue to push himself. Baseball is a game of failure; responding to that failure will determine how much role Yesavage will play in Toronto’s starting rotation.