During a recent Toronto Blue Jays broadcast, Sportsnet’s Joe Siddall described certain players’ performances as “under-the-hood” contributions—a fitting way to describe some of the undervalued Blue Jays who have been making a significant impact this season.
When looking back at some of the best Blue Jays rosters of the past decade, Toronto’s 2015 and 2016 teams come to mind, making deep playoff runs before ultimately falling in the American League Championship Series. Yes, these teams were carried by the likes of Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista, and Edwin Encarnación. But if it were not for the contributions of players such as Ben Revere, Ezequiel Carrera, Ryan Goins, and Brett Cecil, to name a few. You would not be far-fetched to wonder whether these teams would have made deep playoff runs.
The Blue Jays’ playoff push last year was much the same. Ernie Clement, Nathan Lukes, and Trey Yesavage all came out of the woodwork and played a level of baseball that Toronto probably would not have gone as far without.
It is fair to say that the same energy has bled into this season, with several of the quieter names on the roster making a loud impact.
Undervalued Blue Jays
The Blue Jays’ Unsung Outfielders
It was only a couple of weeks ago when Myles Straw put together a 14-pitch at-bat in Boston against Payton Tolle—the longest of any Blue Jay all season. Nathan Lukes did much the same on Canada Day, leading the game with a nine-pitch battle against the Mets’ Freddy Peralta, which led to him being pulled in the fourth inning with a pitch count of 91.
Both Lukes and Straw have a knack for wearing down pitching, setting the tone for the rest of the lineup.
George Springer on Myles Straw‘s 14-pitch at-bat earlier in the #BlueJays‘ win:
“That fired up the dugout and got everybody going. He’s playing for the name on the front, not the name on the back.”
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) June 17, 2026
While quality at-bats do not necessarily appear in the box score, they represent the kind of “under-the-hood” value that directly impacts the game—and these two provide it.
But for Lukes the numbers stand out as well. As it stands, he ranks fourth on the team in wins above replacement at 1.0, behind Kazuma Okamoto, Brandon Valenzuela, and Clement. He has the second-highest on-base percentage on the roster among those with at least 100 at-bats, behind Vladimir Guerrero Jr., at .341, ranks first in defensive runs saved with six, and has gone from spending a decade in the minor leagues to establishing himself as an everyday player.
In June alone, Lukes hit .292 with 26 hits, four home runs, eight RBI and 10 runs scored. Lukes has emerged as one of the most undervalued Blue Jays, and at an average annual salary of $808,500, the club is getting a bargain.
Though they may not garner the same attention as outfield duos such as Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger, or Andy Pages and Teoscar Hernández, Straw and Lukes embody what it means to be team-first players and have become the faces of Toronto’s under-the-hood contributors—two of the most undervalued Blue Jays on the roster.
The Ninth Inning “Animal”
When “Animal I Have Become” by Three Days Grace blasts through the Rogers Centre speakers and Blue Jays bullpen coach Graham Johnson delivers a two-handed slap to the back of Louis Varland, Toronto fans know the game is all but over.
You would be hard-pressed to find a trade that has paid off better for Toronto than the one that brought Varland in at the trade deadline just under a year ago.
With an ERA below 1.00, a perfect 18-for-18 in save opportunities and an American League Reliever of the Month award already under his belt, Varland is quietly putting together a season worthy of what could be his first All-Star selection. The Blue Jays’ closer’s 2026 campaign so far can be measured against the upper echelon of Blue Jays relief seasons: B.J. Ryan in 2006, Duane Ward in 1993 and Tom Henke in 1991.
The closer role has long been considered one of the more undervalued roles on a big-league roster. This season, however, Toronto has rediscovered just how valuable a ninth-inning arm can be. Varland isn’t merely closing out games—he is putting together one of the best relief seasons Toronto has seen in quite some time.
The Rookie Stabilizer
You would not expect to see Brandon Valenzuela’s name among the Blue Jays’ leaders in wins above replacement—but that’s exactly where he is. He trails only Okamoto on the team in WAR and is tied for second with Clement, both at 1.2.
His offensive output has been solid, as he is slashing .240/.420/.747 with seven home runs and 19 RBI. He also ranks in the 100th percentile among MLB catchers in framing, according to Statcast, a skill that pays significant dividends in managing a pitching staff.
Valenzuela has quietly carved out a place for himself among the list of undervalued Blue Jays. His numbers are not flashy but rather stable—exactly what Toronto needed when he stepped in to fill the void left by Alejandro Kirk.
Still, it is easy to get lost in the recent storylines surrounding this team. What do they need to fix on offense? Will Guerrero Jr. snap out of his slump? Will the starting rotation begin to work deeper into games?
This group of undervalued Blue Jays may not get the spotlight it deserves, but it has certainly earned its flowers. The Jays have dug themselves into a hole in the division, but they remain just 2.5 games back of a Wild Card spot. As the playoff race intensifies in the coming weeks and months, these “under-the-hood” contributors may have more to say about Toronto’s success than many realize.
Main Photo: Eric Canha- Imagn Images
