Saturday, March 22

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Spring Training needs to matter for something, right? 

The meaning of it all tends to vary depending on who you ask. The third baseman batting .571 in camp will tell you that Spring Training stats matter very much, but the pitcher with a 24.00 ERA is more likely to tell you that they’re just working on some things. Funny how that happens. 

There’s still a level of fundamental importance, though, even if the stars only use the past five weeks to warm up. Let’s take a look at what we’ve learned, for better or worse, about each position on the Blue Jays.

Catcher: Eat your Wheaties, Alejandro

The Blue Jays will give Alejandro Kirk as much as he can handle behind the plate this season. Perhaps that falls into the range of him catching 115 games, but regardless, someone else will need to play meaningful reps for this team. Tyler Heineman’s 40-man roster spot has always given him the inside track, but it’s also important that he caught Kevin Gausman in Monday’s split-squad game while Kirk caught Chris Bassitt. That’s a loud hint.

First base: Vladdy and who?

It’s unlikely Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will play much third base this season, so we should see him at first for a good 130-plus games, with DH days mixed in. Will Wagner feels like the second option, which was still up for discussion when camp opened, and Anthony Santander could be an option in a pinch. There’s no “traditional” backup, though, like we’ve seen with Spencer Horwitz, Justin Turner, Brandon Belt and others. 

Second base: The revolving door is closed

You’re going to love watching Andrés Giménez play defense, but in the bigger picture, having a permanent starter at second changes the dynamics of this roster completely. Eight players started at second base in 2024, and it was particularly important for someone like Davis Schneider as it gave him positional versatility. Now, it’s Giménez’s show and Schneider will need to earn time with his bat alone.

Shortstop: Bo and who?

Manager John Schneider said earlier in camp that Ernie Clement would likely be Bo Bichette’s backup at shortstop, allowing Giménez to stay at second to keep that side of the bag stable. This could directly impact Leo Jimenez, who is an MLB-caliber shortstop, especially as the Blue Jays try to piece together their bench puzzle.

Third base: The new 'flex' spot?

This brings us to third, which feels like the new second base. At least one bench player -- maybe two -- will need to be able to handle third, which is good news for someone like Addison Barger. Wagner could get a few reps there, too, because while Clement has earned the right to be the starter, this is starting to feel like the spot on the diamond that John Schneider could cycle through to maximize his lineups.

The outfield: Musical chairs

Let’s start operating under the assumption that Daulton Varsho will not be ready for Opening Day. In that scenario, George Springer and Santander would remain in the corners, but the Blue Jays will need someone in center. Joey Loperfido has gotten most of the spring reps, which gives him a significant advantage for that roster spot, while Nathan Lukes is getting more looks lately and the club clearly trusts him. 

Others will compete for a spot there, including Myles Straw, who’s having a very impressive camp with his new club, but No. 5 prospect Alan Roden is the X-factor in all of this. He’s had the best spring of any hitter in camp and has forced the Blue Jays to make a decision. But with Davis Schneider rolling at the same time, Toronto could still choose to open Roden in Triple-A Buffalo with everyday at-bats -- for now. 

The rotation: Thumbs… up? Down?

It’s amazing how much importance one thumb can hold. 

If Max Scherzer’s right thumb improves and he can start the season healthy, this is a very good rotation with the potential to be great when healthy. If Scherzer needs extra time, that could pull Yariel Rodriguez back into the rotation, and suddenly, it’s time to be nervous about rotation depth again. The good news? No. 6 prospect Jake Bloss has really helped himself these past few weeks.

The bullpen: A work in progress

This feels like a better group, but with Erik Swanson and Ryan Burr behind schedule, they’re going to need some depth arms -- think Zach Pop and Nick Sandlin -- to step into more meaningful roles. If they’re competitive in 2025, you can already smell that big Trade Deadline addition. 

Meet Peyton Williams, “The Iowa Meat Truck”. He might have one of the best nicknames in pro baseball, but beyond that, he’s also earned a spot on the Blue Jays’ top prospects list (No. 29) and is earning praise from all of the right people around camp. 

“We only have a couple of guys in the system, one of them being Vladdy, who can hit the ball as hard as he does,” said Joe Sclafani, the Blue Jays’ director of player development. “The exit velocities have always been there, but he wants to be a hitter first. If you watch some of those games last year with the game on the line or big spots, he’ll just take an outside pitch and flip it through the six hole to win a ball game.”

New Hampshire’s Delta Dental Stadium can be very, very friendly to left-handed hitters who pull the ball with an extremely short porch in right field. If Williams can continue lifting the ball to right, everything is in place for him to have a “boom” year like Rowdy Tellez did with the Double-A Fisher Cats in 2016. 

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