Toronto Blue Jays Player Awards for the Underwhelming First Month of Season
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The Toronto Blue Jays have been mired in mediocrity for the last few years.
Looking to take that next step and become playoff contenders in the American League, they spent a little bit of money this offseason. Unfortunately, things haven’t yet clicked for the team on the field.
The Blue Jays went 14-16 through April despite starting the season 12-8. Their late-month swoon has put them in a tough predicament, now sitting at 16-18 and in a tie for 10th place in the AL.
They are going to need some hot starts to continue and other players to get on track to climb back into the race. Who would qualify as such?
Here are some award winners from the first month of the season for Toronto.
MVP - George Springer
This is a blast from the past. Looking like Father Time was catching up with him over the last few seasons with his OPS+ numbers remaining stagnant or dropping for five straight years, he has turned back the clock thus far in 2025.
Springer had a slash line of .306/.406/.482 in April with two home runs, seven doubles, one triple, 12 RBI and four stolen bases. He has remained hot early in May, going 3-for-9 with one double and one home run.
This is production that looks sustainable, with many of his underlying metrics and numbers looking excellent. The only downside to this hot start is he no longer looks to be an impact fielder, but he is more than making up for it with his bat.
LVP - Anthony Santander
Desperate to add some pop to the middle of their lineup, Toronto made a splash signing Santander away from their AL East rivals, the Baltimore Orioles, in free agency. The two sides agreed to a five-year, $92.5 million deal that could be worth as much as $110 million through six years.
Thus far, the team has received zero return on that investment.
He had a .175/.258/.316 slash line with four home runs and four doubles. 31 strikeouts was a lot as well.
For someone whose entire value is tied to their performance at the plate, Santander has fallen woefully short if expectations out of the gate. Can he live up to the pressure of his price tag?
The Blue Jays certainly hope so.
Cy Young - Jeff Hoffman
Starting pitcher Chris Bassitt certainly made a strong case for this spot, but it was the team’s new closer who ultimately won out.
Toronto wasn’t Hoffman’s first choice in free agency or even his second. But after the Orioles and Atlanta Braves both flagged his physical, the Blue Jays swooped in with a three-year, $33 million deal and have be thrilled with the early results.
He has been lights out with seven saves and a 1.13 ERA across 16.1 innings. His stuff remains dominant with 23 strikeouts, thriving at the end of games with a 1.2 WAR, only two walks allowed and a 3-0 record.
Virtually all of his metrics are elite, putting himself in the discussion as the best reliever in baseball thus far this year.
Cy Yuck - Bowden Francis
A top 20 prospect in the organization, there was some hope that Francis would be a solid depth piece in the starting rotation. It is far too early to write him off completely, but his performance as a full-time starter has left a lot to be desired.
He has made seven starts, throwing 35 innings and has a 5.66 ERA. His 11 home runs allowed are the most in the MLB. Limiting walks is about the only thing he has done well to this point with his Baseball Savant page being entirely blue.
It will be interesting to see if he holds onto a spot in the rotation once Max Scherzer is healthy or if he transitions to a role in the bullpen, where he performed much better in recent years.
