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Myles Straw’s strong Spring Training gives him a leg up to earn a bench spot for the Blue Jays
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Photo credit: © Chris Tilley-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Mar 12, 2025, 20:00 EDTUpdated: Mar 17, 2025, 06:53 EDT
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Who saw Myles Straw having this good of a Spring Training?
When the Toronto Blue Jays acquired Straw in a trade with the Cleveland Guardians, it was a salary dump for the Jays to get International Free Agency bonus pool money in an attempt to sign Rōki Sasaki. That didn’t pan out and the Jays were left with Straw’s five-year, $25 million deal with a luxury tax hit of $6.375 million until the end of the 2026 season.
But what if Straw provides the Blue Jays with value? The outfielder only had four plate appearances in 2024 and in his last full season in 2023, Straw slashed .238/.301/.297 with one home run in 518 plate appearances for a 68 wRC+, slightly better than his 65 wRC+ the season prior.
His best season came back in 2021, splitting time between the Houston Astros and the Cleveland Guardians where he slashed .271/.349/.348 with four home runs in 638 plate appearances for a 98 wRC+ and a 3 fWAR. Add strong defence and good speed and you have the makings of a fifth outfielder.
And through 23 plate appearances in Spring Training, Straw is slashing .476/.478/.667 with a home run and a double. Of Blue Jays players with 20 or more plate appearances, Straw has the highest batting average and the sixth-highest OPS.
It isn’t uncommon for Straw to find success in Spring Training. Last season with the Guardians, he slashed .345/.406/.448 with no home runs in 32 plate appearances. The season before that, he slashed .364/.432/.606 with a home run in 39 plate appearances for a 1.038 OPS. In both seasons, he had a wRC+ below 70.
Still, there’s a pathway for Straw to earn not just a 40-man roster spot but also a 26-man roster spot. It depends solely on Daulton Varsho’s health. Varsho has had a terrific Spring Training, hitting a team-leading three home runs in 19 plate appearances. However, the best defensive outfielder hasn’t played in the field yet as he’s recovering from shoulder surgery in September.
If Varsho isn’t ready for defensive duties, Straw has put himself in a good position to earn a spot on the roster. Other players in contention for the centre field spot are Joey Loperfido (47 wRC+), Joantan Clase (5 wRC+), and Nathan Lukes (131 wRC+).
Realistically, the Jays could use Nathan Lukes as the starting centre fielder until Varsho is ready, with Straw filling in as the fourth outfielder. If the time comes when this team is in contention, Straw is the perfect fifth outfielder to recall when the roster expands to 28 players.
All in all, Straw is looking good early in his Blue Jays career and he has a legitimate shot of returning to the 40-man roster at some point this season.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. They can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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