<p>We’re less than a week away from the launch of the 2025 Toronto Blue Jays regular season. The Jays are set to head their season on Thursday, with a day game against the Baltimore Orioles. No better time to focus on the Blue Jays&#8217; most significant pieces this year.</p>
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<p>While Blue Jays fans and followers were immersed in the offseason, disappointment surely prevailed as the months went by and multiple free agents spurned the club for other squads. Toronto did find some success on the free agent front and made a few trades as well, an improvement from last winter&#8217;s lacklustre state of affairs. But was it all enough?</p>
<p>Let&#8217;s take a look at three players who will play a key part in the Blue Jays 2025 campaign.</p>
<h2><strong>Vladimir Guerrero Jr. enters one of the biggest seasons of his career</strong></h2>
<p>Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is Toronto’s face of the franchise for at least one more season. The first baseman will be battling two separate campaigns this year,<a href="https://twitter.com/ShiDavidi/status/1902738150205555104"> both on and off the field</a>, and the priority for the slugger is to hold his own on the offensive end.</p>
<p>The Blue Jays first baseman is well-versed on the defensive side and could see himself playing the hot corner at some point. His biggest focus will be what he does with the bat. His team as a whole ranked under the top 15 in the league in the hitting categories.</p>
<p>With a collective .241 batting average last year, the Jays sat in the 26th rank of 30 teams in the league. Guerrero being in the top four spots in the lineup plays a huge role for offensive production. In 2024, he started extremely cold but heated up in the second half of the season.</p>
<p>Guerrero finished the year with a .323/.396/.544, which was night and day from the first half of the year. He hit 30 home runs and 103 RBIs. He walked 72 times, striking out 96 times, and coming around to score 98 times.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Vladimir Guerrero Jr Single Today:<br />117.6mph off bat<br />&gt; 2nd hardest tracked ball in play in MLB Spring Training this year<br />&gt; Hardest base hit by Guerrero since 2022 (t-6th hardest of his career)</p>
<p>It took 3 seconds to travel from bat to LF&#8230;. jeeeeeez. <a href="https://t.co/V6cUcB4HxD">pic.twitter.com/V6cUcB4HxD</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Chris Black (@DownToBlack) <a href="https://twitter.com/DownToBlack/status/1900372387905818871?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>This should be Guerrero Jr’s average baseline while maintaining at least a .289 average in each month of the season. Consistency is key to team success and personal success. Being routinely aggressive at the plate while getting on base, rather than a hot streak, would be beneficial for the club.</p>
<p>Vladdy is projected to finish the year with a slash of .291/.364/.497, 160 hits, 26 home runs, and 87 RBIs. Projections are usually lesser than the year previous, which gives room for success. His more particular hitting metrics will also need to be bolstered.</p>
<p>The right-handed hitting slugger looks ready to go, as he attended camp in the best shape he’s been in. So far he’s recorded 14 hits hits, five RBIs, one home run, 10 runs scored, and a .298 batting average through 47 at-bats and will be a key cog in the Blue Jays offensive machine.</p>
<h2><strong>Anthony Santander is expected to provide offensive support </strong></h2>
<p>Outfielder Anthony Santander was signed this offseason in the hunt for offence and was a big addition to the club. A one-two punch with Guerrero Jr, Santander has the opportunity to mimic a diluted version of David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez from back in the day.</p>
<p>The big switch-hitter was brought to Toronto for his offensive power and ability to generate hard contact and launch. Having Santander fit in the four spot sticks which should include Guerrero Jr and Bichette could cause anxiety to pitching staffs around the league.</p>
<p>Santander needs to produce for this concoction to work. He hits the ball hard with good contact and barrels mistakes by pitchers. In 2024, the switch hitter posted 140 hits, 44 home runs, 102 RBIs, and slashed .235/.308/.506. His 2025 projections are 30-plus home runs, sitting in the 80s for RBIs, 120-plus hits, and a batting average between .260-.280.</p>
<p>Santander understands the American League East and the various pitching staffs within the division. Pitchers may also know not to stay in his wheelhouse, which is middle-middle or low on any side of the plate. He loves working the low part of the zone, shovelling the bat head and launching low pitches in the air.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Anthony Santander drives in two more with a double 💥 <a href="https://t.co/kVBoxUDkVB">pic.twitter.com/kVBoxUDkVB</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sportsnet/status/1902789690278736261?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>His fly-out percentage in 2024 was 33.8%, while his ground-out percentage stuck at 30.6%. How do pitchers beat Santander? Keep pitches elevated with bite, worked hard on the inside or the outer part of the plate. His ability to adjust his approach will be key to his success.</p>
<p>Overall, Santander will require similar numbers as last season while succeeding with runners in scoring position. His bat is pertinent in this Blue Jays lineup.</p>
<h2><strong>Max Scherzer’s contributions to the Blue Jays rely on his health</strong></h2>
<p>Toronto’s starting pitching rotation has been extremely competitive over the last year. The rotation was not a concern in comparison to the offence and the bullpen, but the organization understands the generational struggles with pitching.</p>
<p>Therefore, the Blue Jays swayed away from complacency and decided to land one of the greatest pitchers of this era, Max Scherzer. The right-hander is on a rental contract, a one-year deal, as insurance for the rotation.</p>
<p>Surrounded by Jose Berrios, Kevin Gausman, and Chris Bassitt, Scherzer will be the fourth man in the rotation, while awaiting the fifth in what likely will be Bowden Francis. The Jays have options for a fifth and sixth man, Scherzer’s acquisition assists the club in providing rotation depth.</p>
<p>There’s no doubt that Scherzer will be the artist that he is on the mound and perform. His work ethic is like no other and his ability to be effective is proven. The right-hander has a 1.38 ERA currently in spring training action. In four starts he’s thrown 13 innings with 18 strikeouts. Effectiveness in offspeed won’t be an issue, and neither will command with the fastball. His fastball velocity has reduced recently from an average of 93.7 mph in 2023 to 92.5 mph in 2024. The hope is that his offseason work has rebuilt that arm strength as he comes back from an injury-riddled 2024 season.</p>
<p>The key to success for Scherzer will be longevity in the fourth starter role. The Blue Jays will depend on innings from the veteran, and the club will need to see at least 110 innings of work, keeping away from bullpen supplementations.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Max Scherzer&#39;s right thumb responded well to yesterday&#39;s 62-pitch start. Assuming he&#39;s ready for start of the season, Blue Jays will line up their rotation like so:</p>
<p>3/27 vs BAL — Berrios<br />3/28 vs BAL — Gausman<br />3/29 vs BAL — Scherzer<br />3/30 vs BAL — Bassitt<br />3/31 vs WSH — Francis</p>
<p>&mdash; Arden Zwelling (@ArdenZwelling) <a href="https://twitter.com/ArdenZwelling/status/1903843103489872091?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>In his last two seasons, he finished within the 40 range for innings. Load management may be the answer to keeping him healthy and long-lasting, however, this is tough being the fourth man in the rotation, especially since Scherzer is already dealing with<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-max-scherzer-to-be-ready-for-start-of-2025-season-thumb-recovering-well-from-saturdays-start"> some thumb issues</a> before Opening Day.</p>
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We’re less than a week away from the launch of the 2025 Toronto Blue Jays regular season. The Jays are set to head their season on Thursday, with a day game against the Baltimore Orioles. No better time to focus on the Blue Jays' most significant pieces this year.
<div class="bam-inline-promotion" data-property-id="330" data-promotion-id="18983" data-context="“web-content-promocard&quot;"></div>
While Blue Jays fans and followers were immersed in the offseason, disappointment surely prevailed as the months went by and multiple free agents spurned the club for other squads. Toronto did find some success on the free agent front and made a few trades as well, an improvement from last winter's lacklustre state of affairs. But was it all enough?

Let's take a look at three players who will play a key part in the Blue Jays 2025 campaign.
<h2><strong>Vladimir Guerrero Jr. enters one of the biggest seasons of his career</strong></h2>
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is Toronto’s face of the franchise for at least one more season. The first baseman will be battling two separate campaigns this year,<a href="https://twitter.com/ShiDavidi/status/1902738150205555104"> both on and off the field</a>, and the priority for the slugger is to hold his own on the offensive end.

The Blue Jays first baseman is well-versed on the defensive side and could see himself playing the hot corner at some point. His biggest focus will be what he does with the bat. His team as a whole ranked under the top 15 in the league in the hitting categories.

With a collective .241 batting average last year, the Jays sat in the 26th rank of 30 teams in the league. Guerrero being in the top four spots in the lineup plays a huge role for offensive production. In 2024, he started extremely cold but heated up in the second half of the season.

Guerrero finished the year with a .323/.396/.544, which was night and day from the first half of the year. He hit 30 home runs and 103 RBIs. He walked 72 times, striking out 96 times, and coming around to score 98 times.

https://twitter.com/DownToBlack/status/1900372387905818871

This should be Guerrero Jr’s average baseline while maintaining at least a .289 average in each month of the season. Consistency is key to team success and personal success. Being routinely aggressive at the plate while getting on base, rather than a hot streak, would be beneficial for the club.

Vladdy is projected to finish the year with a slash of .291/.364/.497, 160 hits, 26 home runs, and 87 RBIs. Projections are usually lesser than the year previous, which gives room for success. His more particular hitting metrics will also need to be bolstered.

The right-handed hitting slugger looks ready to go, as he attended camp in the best shape he’s been in. So far he’s recorded 14 hits hits, five RBIs, one home run, 10 runs scored, and a .298 batting average through 47 at-bats and will be a key cog in the Blue Jays offensive machine.
<h2><strong>Anthony Santander is expected to provide offensive support </strong></h2>
Outfielder Anthony Santander was signed this offseason in the hunt for offence and was a big addition to the club. A one-two punch with Guerrero Jr, Santander has the opportunity to mimic a diluted version of David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez from back in the day.

The big switch-hitter was brought to Toronto for his offensive power and ability to generate hard contact and launch. Having Santander fit in the four spot sticks which should include Guerrero Jr and Bichette could cause anxiety to pitching staffs around the league.

Santander needs to produce for this concoction to work. He hits the ball hard with good contact and barrels mistakes by pitchers. In 2024, the switch hitter posted 140 hits, 44 home runs, 102 RBIs, and slashed .235/.308/.506. His 2025 projections are 30-plus home runs, sitting in the 80s for RBIs, 120-plus hits, and a batting average between .260-.280.

Santander understands the American League East and the various pitching staffs within the division. Pitchers may also know not to stay in his wheelhouse, which is middle-middle or low on any side of the plate. He loves working the low part of the zone, shovelling the bat head and launching low pitches in the air.

https://twitter.com/Sportsnet/status/1902789690278736261

His fly-out percentage in 2024 was 33.8%, while his ground-out percentage stuck at 30.6%. How do pitchers beat Santander? Keep pitches elevated with bite, worked hard on the inside or the outer part of the plate. His ability to adjust his approach will be key to his success.

Overall, Santander will require similar numbers as last season while succeeding with runners in scoring position. His bat is pertinent in this Blue Jays lineup.
<h2><strong>Max Scherzer’s contributions to the Blue Jays rely on his health</strong></h2>
Toronto’s starting pitching rotation has been extremely competitive over the last year. The rotation was not a concern in comparison to the offence and the bullpen, but the organization understands the generational struggles with pitching.

Therefore, the Blue Jays swayed away from complacency and decided to land one of the greatest pitchers of this era, Max Scherzer. The right-hander is on a rental contract, a one-year deal, as insurance for the rotation.

Surrounded by Jose Berrios, Kevin Gausman, and Chris Bassitt, Scherzer will be the fourth man in the rotation, while awaiting the fifth in what likely will be Bowden Francis. The Jays have options for a fifth and sixth man, Scherzer’s acquisition assists the club in providing rotation depth.

There’s no doubt that Scherzer will be the artist that he is on the mound and perform. His work ethic is like no other and his ability to be effective is proven. The right-hander has a 1.38 ERA currently in spring training action. In four starts he’s thrown 13 innings with 18 strikeouts. Effectiveness in offspeed won’t be an issue, and neither will command with the fastball. His fastball velocity has reduced recently from an average of 93.7 mph in 2023 to 92.5 mph in 2024. The hope is that his offseason work has rebuilt that arm strength as he comes back from an injury-riddled 2024 season.

The key to success for Scherzer will be longevity in the fourth starter role. The Blue Jays will depend on innings from the veteran, and the club will need to see at least 110 innings of work, keeping away from bullpen supplementations.

https://twitter.com/ArdenZwelling/status/1903843103489872091

In his last two seasons, he finished within the 40 range for innings. Load management may be the answer to keeping him healthy and long-lasting, however, this is tough being the fourth man in the rotation, especially since Scherzer is already dealing with<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-max-scherzer-to-be-ready-for-start-of-2025-season-thumb-recovering-well-from-saturdays-start"> some thumb issues</a> before Opening Day.

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