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Don’t worry about the Blue Jays’ Spring Training results
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Photo credit: © Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Ben Wrixon
Mar 19, 2026, 08:00 EDTUpdated: Mar 18, 2026, 20:47 EDT
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The World Baseball Classic is over, and Opening Day is officially around the corner. The last time there was this much excitement leading into a Toronto Blue Jays season was in 2016 after José Bautista and company came up just short in the ALCS the year before. 
The 2025 Blue Jays captured the hearts of baseball fans around the country. They played hard, shared an awesome bond, and, most importantly, won a lot of games. It all started in Spring Training, where they won the Grapefruit League with an 18-10 record.
Things look a little different a year later. The Blue Jays are 9-13 with little chance of retaining the Golden Grapefruit—and it doesn’t matter whatsoever. 
First, it’s important to remember that the Blue Jays played baseball games in November. Their season was a month longer than just about every other team. A slow start was to be expected, with rest and gradual ramp-ups taking precedence over immediate results in meaningless exhibition games. 
Last year’s Blue Jays were in a much different position. They were desperate to get back on track after a last-place season. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had yet to sign his contract extension, Bo Bichette was looking to rebound ahead of free agency, and young players like Addison Barger and Davis Schneider were trying to show they belonged. 
This Spring Training for the Blue Jays is more about the little battles for the final spots on the roster.
Who wins the last bullpen job? How will the Jays battle their rotation injuries? Can Eloy Jiménez steal a bench job?
Answering these questions is the priority right now, not winning as many games as possible. 
2025 was also a great reminder that Spring Training statistics don’t matter. People were calling for George Springer’s release after he slashed an abysmal .108/.298/.216 last spring, then he went on to post the best season of his career. The .751 OPS he’s recorded in 28 at-bats thus far means nothing — worry about him if he’s scuffling in June. 
There’s also the World Baseball Classic to consider. The Blue Jays have hardly had their main guys this spring, with the likes of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Alejandro Kirk, Kazuma Okamoto, Ernie Clement, Tyler Rogers, and more having been away representing their countries. The lineups they’ve rolled out this spring haven’t been a true representation of their team. 
The Blue Jays also aren’t the only playoff team from last year struggling right now. The Seattle Mariners, who played in the ALCS last year, have sputtered to an 8-17 record. The Detroit Tigers are 7-11. The Red Sox are 11-12. The Milwaukee Brewers are 10-14. The Jays are hardly alone. 
Spring Training is practice at the end of the day. It’s for players to get back into the swing of things, literally and figuratively. It’s not the time to stress about results—there are six months of regular season for that. 

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