After six games at home to start the season, the Toronto Blue Jays embark on a ten-game road trip this weekend, starting with the New York Mets this afternoon. After the three-game set in Flushing, the Jays will play four games at Fenway Park before finishing off the trip with three in Baltimore.

The Blue Jays will have to deal with star players like Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor, Garret Crochet, and Gunnar Henderson, the latter of whom will be making his season debut this weekend after starting the year on the injured list.

Let’s look at five less heralded players who could challenge Blue Jays hitters and pitchers on the road trip.

Brazoban may not be a household name, but he has quietly been a productive major league reliever for the last three seasons. He posted a 3.56 ERA across 97 games with the Marlins from 2022 to 2024 before being dealt to the Mets at last year’s trade deadline.

He has been the Mets’ best reliever so far, allowing just two hits and one walk across five innings while striking out five. The 35-year-old right-hander also picked up his first career save on Wednesday night against his former team, after the game went into extra innings and regular closer Edwin Diaz had already come out of the game. Walks have been an issue for Brazoban in his career (4.8 BB/9), but he could be in for a career-best season if he can continue to stay around the plate.

It’s been a meteoric rise for the 22-year-old infielder over the last year. Drafted in the fourth round of the 2023 draft, Campbell was not listed among MLB Pipeline’s top 30 Red Sox prospects last year, only to vault up to the number two spot this year on the heels of being named Baseball America’s Minor League Player of the Year.

He produced a .997 OPS with 20 home runs and 24 steals after starting the year in high-A and ending it in triple-A. He had a bit of a quiet spring training, but made the Red Sox Opening Day roster nonetheless, and hasn’t disappointed in the early going. He is currently tied for the team lead in hits (11) and leads the squad with his four doubles, while also bopping two homeruns across seven games. Many knew that he would contribute in Boston this year, but he may already be on the verge of stardom.

Whitlock has appeared in games for the Red Sox in each of the previous four seasons, being used interchangeably as a starter and reliever. He has been a quality pitcher in either role, possessing a 3.34 ERA and 1.13 WHIP across 106 games (23 starts). After undergoing an internal brace procedure to repair his torn UCL last May, he has once again returned to the major leagues in a relief role.

The early results have been encouraging, producing a 1.50 ERA and 0.66 WHIP across three appearances. It appears like he will be used as a multi-inning weapon this season, with each of his outings lasting two innings apiece out of the gate. There’s a strong chance that the Blue Jays will see him pitch twice over their four-game series next week.

Westburg made his presence felt in the season opening series in Toronto last week, smashing three home runs and collecting six total hits across 13 at-bats. A former top prospect, the 26-year-old posted a solid .793 OPS through 107 games with Baltimore in 2024. He may have had an even better season if it weren’t for a fractured hand that sidelined him for two months between July and September last year.

The Blue Jays’ pitching staff will have to be much more careful with how they pitch to Westburg next week, as he looks poised to put it all together and become one of the team’s best hitters in 2025.

The 30-year-old Baker has emerged as a shutdown relief option for the Orioles in the early part of the season. He pitched one single inning with the Blue Jays in 2021 before being placed on waivers and claimed by Baltimore. He owns a career ERA of 3.63 across 136 appearances, maintaining a FIP below 4.00 in each campaign between 2022-2024.

His 2025 season is off to a roaring start, as he’s given up just three baserunners (and no runs) across 4 2/3 innings while striking out seven. His dominance gives him a hilarious -0.15 FIP across his four outings. He already pitched against Toronto in the first and last game of their opening series, so perhaps the Blue Jays will fare better against the right-hander this time around.