Griff’s Blue Jays update and 2025 MLB Power Rankings

Jays have plenty of room to improve while ranking 12th overall

Apr 21, 2025

BLUE JAYS 26-MAN BREAKDOWN:

Starting Pitchers: RH Jose Berrios; RH Kevin Gausman; RH Chris Bassitt; RH Bowden Francis; LH Easton Lucas; (IL Max Scherzer)

Summary: One of the deepest, most durable, veteran rotations in the AL, the Top 3 in the group have remained healthy and held together into their third season. As hard as it is to explain, this top three of this reliable set of veterans does not get the respect they deserve within the game, with most MLB rankings, for Top 40 starters, not including any Jays. Gausman has re-found his velocity, while losing slightly on movement of his split. Berrios takes the ball every fifth day and gives you a chance to win. Although, in fact, did M’s notorious Jays-slayer Cal Raleigh uncover Berrios tipping his pitches? Recall that the Jays coaches believed that it was happening in 2022, when Jose had struggled all year. Starter 3, Bassitt has been cerebrally outstanding leaving hitters mostly guessing wrong. When Francis toes the rubber, you immediately start thinking, twice through the order, no hits. Lucas, the replacement for Scherzer, early on, benefitted from the dugout presence of Scherzer, in almost a Mad Max mind meld. In fact, lately, with the future Hall-of-Famer gone for a second opinion on his wonky thumb and then to Dunedin to begin his rehab at the PDC, Lucas has struggled in two straight losses, allowing 14 runs and five homers in 6.1 innings. That fifth spot without Scherzer now needs to be addressed.

Bullpen: CL Jeff Hoffman; RH Yimi Garcia; RH Chad Green; LH Brendon Little; RH Yariel Rodriguez; LH Mason Fluharty; RH Dillon Tate; RH Paxton Schultz; (IL - RH Erik Swanson; RH Nick Sandlin).

Summary: Within the Jays bullpen, the overall 2025 stats will not tell the story on its true effectiveness. It’s the high leverage group continuing to do its job that will likely determine end-of-season success or failure. That group of leverage arms, at the moment, includes Hoffman, Garcia, Green and Little. A healthy Sandlin is in that group but is currently on the IL with a right lat strain. Depth, however, is the only way the “leverage” ‘pen can be ready for a necessary streak of winning moments. It’s when the secondary group does its job and eats up innings in games either won or lost big that makes the difference. When you have a big lead, don’t make the big boys remove their jackets! The Jays No. 1 option out of the pen is Hoffman, being given his first career opportunity in that role. But other Jays joining him, with closing experience, are Garcia (stuff) and Green (savvy). The top lefty, Little has become swing-and-miss dominant in left-on-left situations, but walks a tightrope of hitter’s counts. The caveat, looking back, is that entering the ‘24 season, Jays bullpen seemed capable of similar depth, but injuries and unanticipated failures led to deadline deals sending the relief corps into a death spiral that resulted in a last place finish. NOTE: Out of nowhere, on Sunday, Schultz made his debut, at 27-years-old and excelled maybe due to his unfamiliarity with the opponent and adrenaline-fuelled command of a four-pitch mix, tying a major-league record with eight Ks in a MLB debut as a reliever.

Catchers: Alejandro Kirk; Tyler Heineman.

Summary: Surprisingly effective both behind the plate and with a bat in his hands, backup Tyler Heineman has proved a solid choice as Alejandro Kirk’s complement. The switch-hitting reserve is on an early pace for 52 starts and boasted an April OPS over 1.000 while throwing out more than 30-percent of base-stealers. Kirk was expected by his manager to make 110-120 starts at catcher, so this is an exact pace. If Heineman can maintain anywhere near to his April performance, it will be him all year. At 5-8, 245 lbs., Kirk has never made more than 89 starts in a season.

Infielders: 1B Vlad Guerrero Jr, 2B Andres Gimenez; SS Bo Bichette; 3B Ernie Clement; 3B-1B-2B Will Wagner.

Summary: When Clement is playing third and given the new consistency that a healthy Bichette has found in the field, this is one of the best defensive infields in the AL. Bo, plus the linedrive bat of Gimenez, who won’t be batting cleanup much longer, gives this infield unit a chance to be far more productive offensively than last year. While Guerrero seemed to struggle defensively for a week at the time his fledgling contract extension was dominating his attention, the infield’s ability to save the staff outs and pitch-count, will be one of the things that takes the rotation deeper into games. Wagner’s lefthanded bat-to-ball skills are far ahead of his D at third.

Outfielders: LF-RF-DH Anthony Santander; RF-CF-LF George Springer; CF Myles Straw; LF-RF Alan Roden; OF Nathan Lukes; 3B-RF Addison Barger; (IL Daulton Varsho).

Summary: Gold Glove centre fielder Daulton Varsho, who had a great spring training with the bat as he rehabbed his injured throwing shoulder, is beginning to play real games at Class-A Dunedin. He will be promoted to AAA-Buffalo while the Jays are on this next road trip and will likely join the MLB team and be activated on April 29. Amazingly, with Varsho sidelined, centre field defence has not been an issue, with another Gold Glover, Straw, with Springer and Lukes all drawing starts. Meanwhile, the pure rookie Roden has been a revelation, surprisingly making the opening day roster and then earning 17 starts in the first 22 games. He sat out Sunday after slamming into the back side of a beefy Rowdy Tellez at first base. Springer is off to a strong start with the bat, then seemingly hurt his wrist on a couple of in-game swings, but didn’t need IL time and is back. Suddenly, the Jays’ minor-league system seems teeming with outfield prospects, meaning no room on the four-man bench for Davis Schneider. A revelation has been the mid-April recall of Barger, who seems to be more of a right fielder than third-baseman moving forward. His three assists over two innings on Saturday, tied a single game club record and was within one assist of the MLB record, four in a game, last done in 1931 by Wally Berger (Braves). On the third Barger assist, he hosed Tellez at third, who tagged, ill-advisedly, on a medium depth flyball, toward the line, with a flat-footed 98-mph throw. While Santander may not be as much of an outfield liability as many believe, he is seeing significant time at DH.

IMMEDIATE FUTURE: The Jays through 22 games were tied for 5^th among the best records in the AL, despite shaky power, a couple of holes in the front-end of the bullpen and the ability to improve in most areas other than the rotation’s Top-4 and team defence. The other five teams in the AL power-6 are the Yankees, Rangers, Tigers, Guardians and Mariners. The Jays have played 13 at home and 9 on the road in a difficult schedule in terms of opponents, to start the year.

2025 Division Combined Record (thru April 20)

1-NL West +16 … 2-AL West +4…

3-AL East +2 … 4-NL East 0

5-NL Central -5 … 6-AL Central -17

Griff’s 2025 Power Rankings (Last ’25 Ranking in parentheses)

1-Dodgers (1) … The Dodgers manager would not trade his roster for any team in baseball. That leaves them No. 1 … MGR: Dave Roberts … Most Important Players: DH Shohei Ohtani; LH Blake Snell … Highest Paid: Ohtani $70.0M.

2-Padres (9) … Gathering of talented, highly-paid, mercenary athletes playing in a great climate, with a fabulous ballpark and fewer earthquakes … MGR: Mike Shildt … Most Important Players: 3B Manny Machado; RH Michael King … Highest Paid: SS Xander Bogaerts $25.5M

3-Yankees (10) … LHP Max Fried is the real deal and RF Aaron Judge is comfortable in his role as the most important offensive force in baseball. Rotation needs healthy RH Clarke Schmidt and more … MGR: Aaron Boone … Most Important Players: OF Judge; LH Fried … Highest Paid: OF Judge $40.0M

4-Rangers (2) … Much concern for offence from right side of the infield. 2B Marcus Semien struggling for second straight year, while 1B Jake Burger feeling pressure of new team. RH Tyler Mahle coming off a lost season has opened eyes. Respect lingers for amazing ’24 WS win … MGR: Bruce Bochy … Most Important Players: SS Corey Seager; RH Nate Eovaldi … Highest Paid: RH Jacob deGrom $40.0M

5-Diamondbacks (3) … RH Corbin Burnes has not had the impact – yet, but the return of LH Eduardo Rodriguez gives them a talented, deep rotation. OF Corbin Carroll is an early MVP candidate … MGR: Torey Lovullo … Most Important Players: OF Carroll; RH Burnes … Highest Paid: RH Burnes $35.0M

6-Mets (16) … RF Juan Soto suggested he’s being pitched differently without Aaron Judge hitting behind him. One guy not happy with that quote should be 1B Pete Alonso. Alonso has 24 RBIs and an OPS 350 points higher than Soto’s. Soto has been smattered with CitiField boos … MGR: Carlos Mendoza … Most Important Players: SS Francisco Lindor; RH Kodai Senga … Highest Paid: OF Soto $61.9M.

7-Giants (18) … Coming off a meat-grinder 10-game trip to the Bronx, Philly and Anaheim, the lineup’s usual suspects have struggled offensively, but RH Logan Webb and LH Robbie Ray lead a solid starting group … MGR: Bob Melvin … Most Important Players: 3B Matt Chapman; LH Ray … Highest Paid: 3B Chapman $25.2M

8-Phillies (4) … CL Jordan Romano has struggled badly. Veteran leadership won’t allow team to feel sorry for itself. One of these years this talented GM Dave Dombrowski roster will break through … MGR: Rob Thomson … Most Important Players: C J.T. Realmuto; RH Zack Wheeler … Highest Paid: RH Wheeler $42.0M

9-Cubs (17) … After losing those two games in Japan to the Dodgers, the Cubs are asserting themselves with RF Kyle Tucker and CF Pete Crow-Armstrong the driving forces … MGR: Craig Counsell … Most Important Players: RF Tucker; LH Shota Imanaga … Highest Paid: SS Dansby Swanson $28.0M.

10-Tigers (20) … Is facts of 4 starters (including LKH Tarik Skubal) with sub 3.00 ERAs, plus closer RH Tommy Kahnle being perfect, sustainable? 1B Spencer Torkelson finally reaching potential … MGR: A.J. Hinch … Most Important Players: OF Riley Greene; LH Skubal … Highest Paid: SS Javy Baez/Jack Flaherty $25.0M

11-Mariners (8) … This team still built around the power rotation. M’s still struggling to produce runs, while all-star C Cal Raleigh needs to see more Jays on the schedule … MGR: Dan Wilson … Most Important Players: CF Julio Rodriguez; CL Andres Munoz … Highest Paid: RH Luis Castillo $24.2M

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Griff’s The Pitch

Griff’s Blue Jays update and 2025 MLB Power Rankings

Jays have plenty of room to improve while ranking 12th overall

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