Anthony Santander finding his bat is the answer to the Blue Jays’ hitting problems

Photo credit: © Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

May 6, 2025, 16:00 EDTUpdated: May 6, 2025, 10:54 EDT

What if I told you the Blue Jays are about to go on a roll?

You’d probably raise an eyebrow and ask, “What does this guy know?” Fair question. It’s no secret that the Blue Jays have had their share of issues to start the season, chief among them being their inability to score runs. But that might be about to change in a big way.

And the turnaround? It hinges on one man.

No, not Vladimir Guerrero Jr., not Bo Bichette. The man who could ignite the Blue Jays’ offense is none other than Anthony Santander.

Santander is the missing piece of the puzzle

There’s an old baseball adage: you need protection in the lineup for your best hitters. That’s exactly what Santander was brought in for. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been doing much protecting so far, and that’s made life difficult for the Blue Jays’ stars hitting ahead of him.

Take a look at the pitch heat maps for Guerrero Jr. and Bichette below from Baseball Savant (all pitch types).

They’re getting pounded with fastballs up and in and breaking balls low and away when you play with the numbers. These are tough pitches in tough locations from some strong teams that the club has faced early this season. Pitchers are confidently attacking the corners because they’re not afraid of what comes next. They know if they walk one of the Jays’ top hitters, they can go right after Santander without much risk.

And that’s exactly what they’ve been doing.

This month, pitchers have been challenging Santander. Especially with fastballs right down the middle. That tells us everything. When pitchers need to steal a strike, they go right at him, knowing he’s not been a threat. In 2-0 counts, Santander has one hit (a home run) through six at-bats with a .167 OBP. The home run is solid, but he isn’t finding many good counts (just 42 at-bats out of 100 where he gets a ball to start the appearance).

Until Santander proves he can punish those mistakes, Guerrero Jr. and Bichette will keep seeing the toughest pitches in the book. It’s a domino effect. And the first piece to tip? Santander.

May might just be Santander’s month

Here’s where things get interesting.

If you’ve followed Santander’s career, you know he’s a notoriously slow starter. But once the calendar flips to May, something clicks. Historically, Santander’s offensive numbers surge in May, where he holds a slash line of .263/.337/.488/ with a .825 OPS (not including this month). Through the four games the Jays have played in May, Santander has collected three hits through 15 at-bats (.200) as well as three walks compared to two strikeouts. One of those hits was a double, so the homers aren’t here just yet, but it’s tracking in the right direction in terms of getting on base.

There are no guarantees in baseball, of course. But when a pattern holds up year after year, it’s hard to ignore. That consistency is a strong indicator that Santander is on the verge of turning things around.

Defense matters — More than you might think

There’s also another element at play here—one that’s flown under the radar: defense.

When you dig into Santander’s career splits based on the position he plays, a trend becomes clear. His offensive production is significantly better when he plays right field compared to when he’s in the DH spot.

Santander’s career numbers while in the DH spot are .203/.280/.397 with 30 home runs and a .676 OPS through 588 at-bats.

Compared to when he plays RF, the primary position for most of his career, they are much better: .248/.310/.478 with 108 home runs and a .788 OPS through 1923 at-bats.

This year, the Blue Jays have leaned heavier on Santander as a designated hitter than anticipated. Even John Schneider has acknowledged it.

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Happy May! Anthony Santander loves this month 👌 Career in May: .263/.337/.488 (.825 OPS) Don’t be surprised if he starts popping off very soon 🔥

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1:02 PM · May 1, 2025

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Santander himself isn’t a fan of being glued to the bench between at-bats.

“As an athlete, you always want to be involved in the game and have action, not being stuck on the bench,” he said to Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith. “The last few years, I was able to play 100-plus games in the outfield and I’m not ready to be a full-time DH. I’m still young. It’s something I’ve been talking about with the skipper—we have good communication about it. It’s going to be beneficial for the team and for me.”

He’s right. And if it were up to me, I’d be playing Santander in right field far more often, especially considering how much the Jays invested in him to help jumpstart the offense.

The spark the Blue Jays need

So, what happens if the Blue Jays put Santander back in right field more consistently and his bat heats up in May as it has in years past?

Then this might just be the spark the Blue Jays need.

Will it happen? Time will tell. But if Santander can deliver, it could set off a chain reaction through the lineup, giving Guerrero Jr. and Bichette better pitches to hit and finally unlocking the offense we’ve all been waiting to see.

And if that happens, don’t be surprised when the Jays’ offence starts rolling.

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