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Blue Jays: Who will lead the team in every major stat for the 2026 season?
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Photo credit: © Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Ben Wrixon
Mar 22, 2026, 19:00 EDTUpdated: Mar 22, 2026, 15:41 EDT
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The 2026 Toronto Blue Jays have the look of a well-rounded team on paper. Power, contact, speed, command, velocity—there’s a little bit of everything on this roster. 
Here are some predictions as to who will lead the team in every major statistic. 
Home runs: Addison Barger
Barger is the most prototypical power hitter on the team and has spent most of spring training launching balls out of the ballpark. He has the raw power necessary to make a run at 40 home runs this year if he continues his upward trajectory and could take another step forward in 2026 after a strong 2025 season/postseason. 
RBIs: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 
Guerrero should once again be this team’s primary run producer. Slotting in at the third spot in the batting order will present him with plenty of opportunities to drive in runners as the heart of what should be a productive offence. 
fWAR: Daulton Varsho
Varsho racked up 2.2 fWAR in just 71 games played in 2025 thanks to his power production at the plate and his usual elite outfield defence. A 5 or 6 fWAR season is absolutely possible if he can stay healthy for a full season. 
Batting average: Alejandro Kirk
Kirk hit .282 last year, but hovered around .300 for much of the season before cooling off down the stretch as fatigue set in. He’s got the superhuman bat-to-ball skills needed to reach that mark over a full season and lead the team. 
OPS: Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Guerrero is a unicorn who hits for power, draws walks, and doesn’t strike out much. His career OPS is .861 for a reason—don’t be shocked if he clears .900 in 2026 with his new focus on doing damage. The postseason and his continued success at the World Baseball Classic may be a preview of what’s to come. 
Stolen bases: Andrés Giménez 
Giménez stole 30 bases in 2023 and 2024 before lower-body injuries limited him to 12 swipes last year. He should be the most dangerous baserunner on a team that doesn’t have many of them if he can stay healthy this season. 
ERA: Dylan Cease
Cease recorded an unsightly 4.55 ERA last year despite an expected ERA of 3.46. All signs point to positive regression in a new environment with a much better defence helping out behind him, plus some added motivation to impress his new teammates. 
WHIP: Kevin Gausman
Gausman’s 1.062 WHIP in 2025 was his lowest as a Blue Jay, and there’s no reason to think he can’t keep it up. His command is as good as it’s ever been, and his fastball-splitter combination still misses bats. Expect another great year from the Opening Day starter. 
Strikeouts: Dylan Cease 
If Cease can be counted on to do anything, it’s to rack up strikeouts. He’s punched out at least 214 batters each of the past five seasons. The better question is can he make Blue Jays history? He’d need 232 of them in 2026 to crack the franchise’s top-five list in a single season. 
Innings pitched: Kevin Gausman
Gausman led the Blue Jays with a career-high 193 innings pitched in 2025, and has eclipsed 174 in each of the last five seasons. The only real challenger in this category is Cease, who doesn’t have a great track record of pitching deep into games. 
Saves: Jeff Hoffman 
Hoffman appears as if he’ll be the team’s closer on Opening Day, thus getting the bulk of the save opportunities. He’ll likely have built up a big enough lead in this race even if he winds up getting replaced by season’s end.

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