For a team missing key contributors like Kevin Gausman, Daulton Varsho, Jeff Hoffman, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., you’d think the 2026 Toronto Blue Jays would be playing their worst baseball of the season post-trade deadline.

And then the funniest thing happened. They got better.

A squad devoid of many of the household names who propelled this team to a World Series last season — and were also fixtures in the starting lineup, starting rotation, or bullpen — has somehow found a way to make it work.

In an ever-evolving cast of characters that now includes Brett Bateman, Josh Smith, and Daz Cameron, and a bullpen that seemingly changes day by day, many of these new weapons in the toy chest have earned their stripes in a short span.

If you’re unfamiliar with this Blue Jays team, you’re not alone.

It’s been a slow shift, but the M.O. of 2026 is somewhat different than the roster that began on Opening Day. Where last year’s team saw much of their success stem from getting on base and putting the ball in play, this year’s Blue Jays have taken a different approach.

They are leaning into being a pitching and defence team, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing, considering which players left via trade and which players have joined the roster.

The 2026 Blue Jays are averaging four runs scored per game, which is the sixth-lowest mark in franchise history (last year, they averaged 4.9 runs scored per game). It’s been a struggle for this team to score runs all season long, and they’ve missed contributions from Guerrero, along with George Springer turning back into a pumpkin.

Despite the lack of offence, they’re still getting the job done with some airtight defence (save for Jesús Sánchez’s recent example at Tropicana Field a few days ago). In the month of August alone, Blue Jays defenders are having their best month of the season.

That could be due to the personnel change, like adding Bateman as the everyday centre fielder over Varsho, and Myles Straw and Nathan Lukes getting the lion’s share of playing time in the corners as above-average defenders. But for whatever reason, Blue Jays defenders haven’t been kicking the ball around as of late, which has also benefited the pitching staff.

There was a time that Varsho was regarded as the best centre fielder in the game, but his sprint speed decreased this year, and subsequently, most of his defensive metrics followed suit. After his unreal power numbers in a short span of time in 2025, it felt like a breakout campaign was in the cards for Varsho this year, but it never materialized.

By essentially swapping Varsho for Bateman, the Blue Jays get a superior defensive outfielder with plus speed and someone who can put the ball in play and slap the ball around the diamond. The power numbers aren’t there by comparison, but Bateman behaves like a 24-year-old Luis Arraez, with the ability to put the bat on everything and hit for high average.

Due to injuries to many of the key starting pitchers, it feels like the 2026 Blue Jays have only paraded their ideal starting five out there for a few turns this season. But with Shane Bieber righting the ship and Max Scherzer going on a run since his return from the injured list, the pitching staff overall is vastly improved compared to earlier in the year.

While there are still a few warning signs (like a 4.66 xFIP in August), the Blue Jays’ pitching staff has posted its best ERA of the season this month, at 3.11, more than a full run lower than the previous month. It’s been a combined effort between the starting rotation and the bullpen, but you cannot deny the team’s turnaround is also linked to the pitchers.

Bieber is coming off his second-best regular season start in a Blue Jays uniform earlier this week, a seven-inning, four-hit affair against the Tampa Bay Rays. It’s unclear what value Bieber had at the trade deadline after that disastrous 0.2 inning, six-walk outing against the Washington Nationals, but in retrospect, the Blue Jays would have sold low on Bieber, depleting their starting rotation that much further.

Now, Bieber might be the third-most important starting pitcher in the Blue Jays’ rotation down the stretch, which is a massive turnaround for him compared to just over one month ago.

It was a sizable subtraction to lose a mainstay in the rotation like Gausman. However, José Soriano is locked up for two more years beyond 2026, and he’s younger, and despite coming back down to earth after an otherworldly start to the year, Soriano is having a better year than Gausman. Soriano has the potential to be even better during his Blue Jays tenure.

The jury is still out on Spencer Arrighetti, but he could be a useful piece for the Blue Jays as they fill out their rotation over the next few years. With three more years of team control, there’s an argument to be made that Arrighetti’s best years are ahead of him, as well.

When an offensive juggernaut like the 2025 Blue Jays fails to replicate itself in 2026, it can turn a lot of heads. But by leaning into their new identity, these Blue Jays might surprise themselves with how good they can be.

It’s not exactly how they drew this thing up, but success can come in many ways.