The Blue Jays, needless to say, had a disappointing 2026 campaign.
Following a magnificent run that brought Toronto to within two outs of its first World Series title in more than three decades, the Jays finished in last place in the American League East last season.
One of the major reasons for their struggles? A major power outage at the plate. The Blue Jays hit 152 home runs during the 2026 season, fewest in the Majors. In a sport in which power plays, Toronto will need to find some pop in the lineup if it wants to compete in a tough division in ’27 -- one from which three teams reached the playoffs this year.
But given a thin free-agent market in terms of power hitters, where is that pop going to come from?
Vladdy must lead the way
The heartbeat of this team is also the man they need to anchor the lineup. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. generated the lowest offensive output of his Major League career last season, posting a .688 OPS with only nine home runs (eight of which came on the road) in 609 plate appearances.
It appears that much of the trouble for Guerrero at the plate stemmed from a loss of rhythm. He’ll need to get it back in a hurry if the Blue Jays are going to see a rejuvenated offense in 2027.
As Vlad goes, it seems, so goes the Blue Jays’ lineup. And outside of perhaps Kazuma Okamoto, he has the most power potential of the group. Given his status as the emotional leader of the club, ignition of his bat could be the spark needed to revive an offense that ranked at or near the bottom of baseball in many categories.
No sophomore slump for Okamoto
Okamoto delivered a strong rookie campaign for the Blue Jays in 2026, belting a team-leading 33 home runs and also pacing the club with 92 RBIs (no one else had more than 59; Guerrero had 57).
Something that can be a problem for players early in their Major League careers is a “sophomore slump” -- an adjustment period during which pitchers have figured out some of a batter’s weaknesses and the batter struggles to counteradjust.
Toronto can’t afford that with Okamoto given that he was the team’s best run producer this past season. The Jays would like to see their slugging third baseman replicate the 13.1% barrel rate he produced in 2026 (89th percentile among qualified batters, according to Statcast).
Acquire a power bat in the outfield
The free-agent market for difference-makers at the plate is slim, but there are a couple of corner outfielders who could fit for Toronto: Seiya Suzuki and Randy Arozarena.
The Blue Jays didn’t get much power output from the lineup as a whole, and the outfield was no exception -- particularly in right. The club’s right fielders combined for a .247/.298/.356 slash line and 13 homers.
Enter Suzuki, who has proven his bat can add some slug to a batting order. The 27-year-old Japanese star has hit 20 homers in each of the past four seasons for the Cubs, including a career-best 32 in 2025.
Suzuki is also a great defender in right field and the dollars that could be involved in signing him seem to be doable for Toronto. Rumors indicate the Blue Jays are showing interest in Suzuki and willing to spend to bolster the lineup.
Arozarena, meanwhile, is coming off a career year in his age-31 season. He posted an .865 OPS with 26 homers, 26 steals and an AL-best 113 runs scored for the Mariners. With his legendary postseason exploits and his ability to deliver consistent results throughout his eight-year Major League career, Arozarena could be a good match for the Blue Jays in left field.
Both Suzuki and Arozarena have a qualifying offer attached to their free agencies, but given Toronto's glaring need for a power bat, that might be a moot issue.
Thin FA market? Let’s make a deal
When the free-agent pool is shallow, sometimes you’ve got to consider the trade route. While Toronto is more likely to bolster the lineup through free agency given its financial flexibility and a farm system ranked among the bottom 10 in MLB, if the Blue Jays were to go that direction, there are some intriguing possibilities out there -- particularly of the middle-infield variety.
The D-backs could be looking to move veteran second baseman and three-time All-Star Ketel Marte. His bat would instantly be one of the best in Toronto’s lineup, and while the price in terms of a return package was reportedly high when Arizona shopped him last offseason, it could perhaps be lower now given that he had a down year at the plate and a no-show incident in Boston last season.
Indeed, rumors have linked the Blue Jays with interest in Marte as a trade candidate.
Over the past four seasons, Marte slugged .496 and averaged 28 homers. There are certainly cons to the notion of acquiring him, as well -- he’s entering his age-33 campaign, has a fairly lengthy injury history and has a contract that runs through 2031 (though he’s owed $87.5 million over the remainder of the deal, which is quite reasonable for a player of his caliber).
Another middle-infield power upgrade could be Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams, who broke out for a career-high 33 homers for Washington last season. The Nats could certainly be looking to shop the 26-year-old, who has two more years of club control remaining -- though some reports indicate he may be staying put.
And the Angels’ new regime could look to deal shortstop Zach Neto, who has launched 23 or more homers in each of the past three seasons for the Halos and has three more years of club control entering next season.
Something’s gotta change
However the Blue Jays go about it, something’s going to have to change if Toronto is to bounce back and resume its quest to win its first World Series championship since 1993.
Depending on several factors -- primarily on the offensive side -- an underwhelming 2026 campaign could be looked back upon as a brief hiccup or the beginning of a longer climb back to status among the best teams in the AL.