The Toronto Blue Jays have been digging themselves a hole this season, and John Schneider is making the ballclub’s faults incredibly clear. Currently ranked 20th in baseball, tied with the Colorado Rockies and the Texas Rangers with 44 homers, there are some serious deficits that need to be addressed sooner rather than later.
Tuesday, the Blue Jays dropped the second matchup of their four-game road series against the New York Yankees. Similar to their first meeting, which resulted in a tight 7-6 loss, Toronto came up just short, finishing 5-4 this time around. A victory at Yankee Stadium shouldn’t be too out of reach for the Blue Jays, but their offense has been sputtering, leaving the ballclub frustrated.
John Schneider Weighs In on Blue Jays Offense
Per Keegan Matheson of MLB.com, following Toronto’s latest loss, skipper John Schneider stated, “If it’s not going to be continuous hits or productive at-bats adding on, there needs to be some slug. There need to be extra-base hits or home runs with guys on… it seems like we’re stuck in the middle somewhere.”
This statement couldn’t be more true — while the franchise has proven itself to have unmistakable power at the plate, the stars aren’t aligning for the hitters quite yet. This shouldn’t come as a major surprise, however. During the Blue Jays’ 2025 campaign, the ballclub took some time to heat up, but once they did, they were well on their way to the World Series.
During Toronto’s latest matchup, the lineup included major slugging potential, particularly with George Springer in the first slot, followed by Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Daulton Varsho and Kazuma Okamoto. These are all players who Schneider knows to be capable of hitting, yet the power just isn’t there right now.
As Schneider mentioned, something needs to give — adding some slug is the answer.
Two Players Who Need To Step Up
Guerrero and Springer are two of the most productive offensive players Toronto has on deck. But as history has shown, Guerrero is not a slugger who tends to hit the ground running at the start of the season. Instead, he is more of a slow burn.
As for Springer, he is another prime example of a player who isn’t performing up to standards. During his 2025 campaign, he slashed .309/.399/.560 with a shocking .959 OPS and 32 homers through 140 games. This year, he is slashing .196/.274/.321 with a .595 OPS and just three homers through 29 games. Since May began, he has only logged one home run.
It certainly wouldn’t be wrong to say there’s still plenty of time left in the season for Toronto to kick things into high gear, but there needs to be a sharp turn approaching on the horizon. If the Blue Jays want to become serious contenders, Springer and Guerrero will undoubtedly be two important pieces of the puzzle.
As Toronto gears up for its final two matchups of its set in the Bronx, more shifts in the lineup could be underway as John Schneider makes a strong effort to set the ballclub up for success at the plate. There’s still hope for a tied series against the Yankees, but doing so will be no easy feat.
Main Image Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
