The intention of New Year’s resolutions comes from a place of motivation and hope. Unfortunately, most New Year’s resolutions are doomed from the beginning because a true desire to change and being accountable can be a tall order.

But for the 2026 Blue Jays, skipping New Year’s resolutions isn’t a choice after getting close to winning the World Series last fall. Toronto has already gone back to the drawing board to contemplate how to make the team even better than the past season.

Here are four lofty but realistic goals the Blue Jays should keep in 2026, despite the inevitably fierce competition ahead.

The Blue Jays have done well on replenishing their pitching this offseason. What they now have to do is bring a big bat to round out the roster.

The 2025 Blue Jays weren’t known for their power as a team; they ranked 11th in home runs (191) while sitting at the top of numerous other statistical categories. Their low strikeout rate and high batting average were what helped the team become the phenomenon they were in the playoffs, but adding more power doesn’t hurt when mapping out for a tough road ahead.

Thankfully, this free-agent market is top-heavy with all-star options like Alex Bregman, Bo Bichette and Kyle Tucker.

As a team with a high payroll and a successful record in 2025, the Blue Jays’ front office has to sign at least one elite bat to solidify the team’s position as a contender. In an ideal world, the Blue Jays should sign both Bichette and Tucker to create one of the most feared lineups. Realistically, the team will most likely bring only one hitter either through a trade or in the free-agent market, and that should be just sufficient to build an offensively solid team.

Whoever the Blue Jays may choose as a bat, this decision will be critical in setting the team’s tone and trajectory in the new year.

If there was one factor that gnawed the Blue Jays all season long, it was the scary high home run rate the pitchers gave up throughout the year. The Blue Jays ranked sixth in home runs allowed last season, which was only behind the Washington Nationals, Baltimore Orioles, Athletics, Los Angeles Angels and Colorado Rockies.

In the end, the Blue Jays didn’t put themselves in a good position towards the tail end of the World Series because their pitchers couldn’t prevent home runs. That mistake shouldn’t be repeated in the 2026 season. Part of this effort has been bringing a reliever like Tyler Rogers, who is known for not giving up many home runs. The other part of this effort will be reconfiguring the starting rotation with new additions and reinforcing strengths, while minimizing the exposure of different pitchers’ weak spots.

The Blue Jays are still working to rejig their relief staff as well, and who will be in the circle of trust. Having more relievers who aren’t too homer-prone will be crucial next season, and given the volatile nature of relief pitching, this will be an ongoing task that the team will have to always work on throughout the season.

Behind the 2025 Blue Jays’ success, there was resurgent George Springer, defying his aging curve. Springer was supposed to have one of his worst seasons in 2025 after regressing in the past couple of seasons. However, the 36-year-old leaned into his strong suit at the plate and rewrote his narrative entirely last year with a .309/.399/.560 slashline and 32 home runs in 586 plate appearances.

The Blue Jays would love nothing more than Springer’s continued renaissance in 2026. Still, relying solely on his continued bounce-back isn’t the most sustainable way to approach the 2026 season. FanGraphs projects the designated hitter to slash .261/.342/.456 with 25 home runs in 595 plate appearances, which is already lower than what he accomplished in 2025.

Should Springer show some regression in 2026, Toronto will have to find at least one more batter who can have a rebound of his own. Putting all eggs in one basket can be a fool’s errand, which is why it’s even more vital for the Blue Jays to help Springer (hopefully) continue his journey while supporting other hitters to blossom into their best selves.

Imagine someone like Anthony Santander or Daulton Varsho having the rebound Springer had in 2025; that kind of development can help propel the Blue Jays to the playoffs again.

This is probably the most important one for the Blue Jays, heading into the new year. Toronto was one out away from winning the World Series, but couldn’t get the job done. The Kansas City Royals were in that position in 2014 and found their way back to the World Series and won it all in 2015. That’s the path the Blue Jays should aspire to be on in 2026.

Repeating the same success will be a tall order this time, with more teams trying to improve for the 2026 season. Punching the ticket to the playoffs will be the top priority for the former American League Champion. Historically, the Blue Jays got swept when they were relegated to securing a Wild Card Spot in the 2020s; it’s in their best interest to win the division to avoid this ordeal in 2026, even if the AL East as a division can be an unforgiving environment.

Toronto isn’t staying complacent. In fact, the front office has already invested a significant amount of money in bringing heavy-hitting free agents. Even after that spending spree, the team isn’t done reconstructing its roster yet. The Blue Jays are on the right path to earn a shot at winning it all. Now it’s a matter of how the front office envisions the roster, players and coaching staff show up and how much the fans believe in this team.

The Blue Jays have to control what’s in their control to become a serious contender again. The World Series shouldn’t be such an outlandish dream for a team that has proven itself and could only get better this winter.

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