Watch: Anthony Santander's First Blue Jays Home Run Comes Against Former Team
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The Toronto Blue Jays were big game hunting again this past offseason.
After coming up short in the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes, they were finalists for coveted Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki before he spurned the Blue Jays in favor of the Los Angeles Dodgers once again.
In an attempt to capitalize on the window of having Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette under contract -- prior to the superstar slugger signing his lucrative extension -- Toronto went out and signed Anthony Santander to a five-year, $92.5 million contract.
The hope was his addition would add more pop to their lineup, creating more offensive threats outside of Guerrero and Bichette.
But, it hadn't gone that way for Santander to the start the season.
Entering play on Saturday, he had a .185/.290/.204 slash line with just one extra-base hit, two RBI and no home runs.
That changed in his second at-bat on Saturday, though.
Facing his former team -- the Baltimore Orioles -- and returning back to his previous home stadium, Santander hit his first home run as a member of the Blue Jays.
Anthony Santander hits his first @BlueJays home run! pic.twitter.com/MI5p3dLaO1
— MLB (@MLB) April 12, 2025
The solo shot put Toronto up 3-0 in the third inning, giving fans an idea of what this lineup might look like going forward with Guerrero, Bichette and Santander responsible for all three runs produced.
Hopefully this is the turning point for Santander.
No matter how welcoming an organization is, it's always a challenge for players in the early going after changing teams.
To hit his first long ball as a member of the Blue Jays against his former team had to be a little bittersweet, but with that chapter of his career in the past, he'll be looking to become the star slugger that his new team expects him to be.
