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The Blue Jays added some power to their lineup this winter but there’s always a need for more
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Photo credit: © Tommy Gilligan - USA Today
Ryley Delaney
Feb 27, 2025, 09:00 ESTUpdated: Feb 27, 2025, 06:53 EST
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The Toronto Blue Jays’ 2025 season is just around the corner but one question remains: Did they add enough power?
In the off-season, the Blue Jays traded for Andrés Giménez while giving up Spencer Horwitz. They also ended up signing Anthony Santander, whose 44 home runs in the 2024 season with the Baltimore Orioles were the third-most in the league, behind just Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani. Of course, the Blue Jays were reportedly in on Pete Alonso as well before he re-signed with the New York Mets, so there’s a desire to add more pop.
It’s good that the Blue Jays focused on adding power, as it was one of many facets of the game they struggled in last season. In total, the Blue Jays hit 156 home runs, the fifth-fewest in the league and a far cry from what they were once able to do.
Take for example the 2021 season, the last season they missed the post-season. That year, they hit an incredible 262 home runs, first in the league and it wasn’t particularly close, as the San Francisco Giants hit 241 home runs. 
That season saw two 40+ home run hitters in Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Marcus Semien, while Teoscar Hernández hit 32 home runs. Add in a career year for Bo Bichette (29 home runs), as well as 20+ home runs from Randal Grichuk, George Springer, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr., and the Blue Jays had one of the best power-hitting teams in their franchise’s history.
Although their home run total plummeted to 200 the following season, the Blue Jays still hit the seventh-most home runs in the league. In 2023, their 188 home runs were in the middle of the pack at 16th.
So when looking at that in context, the decline in home runs is worrisome and some of that has to do with the regression of some players, take Bichette for example. His 29 home runs in 2021 were a career-best, but that has dropped to 24, then to 20, to just four in an injury-filled 2024 season. Even Guerrero Jr., who has led the team in home runs every season since 2021, has seen a drop in his home run total. From a league-leading 48 home runs in 2021, to 32 in 2022, to 26 in 2023, before rebounding in 2024 with 30 home runs in what was a 2021-esque season.
Add Springer and Alejandro Kirk’s power regression into the mix, as well as players like Semien, Grichuk, Gurriel Jr., and Hernández into the mix, and the drop in power numbers starts to make sense.
But that was years ago, what about the 2025 season? Looking at Fangraphs’ Steamer projections, Guerrero Jr. is expected to be at the top of the Blue Jays leaderboards with 34 home runs. However, he’s projected to share the crown with Santander. 
Another interesting fact is that five players are projected to hit 20 or more home runs. The last time that happened was in 2022. Steamer projects Springer will hit 23, followed by Daulton Varsho at 21 and Bichette at 20. Other projected double-digit home run hitters are Giménez and Kirk.
Assuming all goes well with players rebounding, did the Blue Jays add enough power? Honestly, probably not. Steamer projects that they’ll hit 201 home runs, slightly better than the 2022 season. However, the Blue Jays had a desire to add Alonso to the lineup and he would’ve given them an additional 30+ home runs.
General manager Ross Atkins noted that if the Jays add another player, it will be through trade and it’s worth noting that the Jays have a ton of players vying for just a handful of starts. Moving a couple of them in a trade for a position of need, say a third baseman, could add some additional pop to the lineup while not needing to lean on young players.
There is still an option in free agency as well, J.D. Martinez who hit 16 home runs with the New York Mets in 2024, but hit 33 the season before. It would add extra money to the payroll, but the additional 15+ home runs could be the difference maker.
All in all, the Blue Jays added some pop to the lineup this off-season and while it’s a good start, they still need to add another bat before the season begins. Will they? That’s to be seen.
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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