Blue Jays Missed the Boat on Current NL Batting Leader
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So far this season, the Toronto Blue Jays bear little resemblance to the offensive juggernaut team of 2025. They have seen a decline in runs per game (4.93 to 4.04), batting average (.265 to .243), on-base percentage (.333 to .306) and OPS (.761 to .676). Key 2025 stalwarts Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and George Springer have struggled to replicate their form from last season, while the absence of Bo Bichette in the middle of the lineup has been felt.
The Blue Jays' offensive struggles have even been acknowledged by manager John Schneider, who called the team out earlier in the week, telling Sportsnet's Shi Davidi, "If it’s not going to be continuous hits or productive at-bats adding on, there needs to be some slug."
Meanwhile, as Toronto's bats remain cold, Otto Lopez of the Miami Marlins continues to produce at career-best levels down south.
Lopez currently reigns as the National League's batting leader, hitting .342 (68-for-199) as the Marlins' everyday shortstop. So far this season, he has recorded four home runs, 30 runs scored, 21 RBI and 19 extra-base hits, all the while being entrenched near the top of Miami's batting order.
Lopez's MLB Journey Began in Toronto
Seeing Lopez enjoy a breakout season with the Marlins has to be bittersweet for the Blue Jays, who signed the Dominican-born and Montreal-raised 27-year-old as an international free agent in 2016.
Lopez would make his MLB debut during the 2021 season, striking out in his lone plate appearance. However, he would offer a hint of what was to come in 2022, going six for nine during a short, eight-game cup of coffee with Toronto at the big league level. For whatever reason, the Blue Jays decided they had seen enough, designating him for assignment after the 2023 season before ultimately trading him to the San Francisco Giants for cash considerations.
When the Giants placed Lopez on waivers soon after trading for him, Miami swooped in and hasn't looked back since. Two decent seasons that saw him develop into an MLB regular have now given way to this year's league-leading campaign. He and second baseman Xavier Edwards have given the Marlins one of the better middle infield tandems in baseball.
And yes, the Blue Jays could certainly use some of that production right now. As Lopez and his Miami squad prepare to make their way to Toronto for a three-game series starting Monday, it's hard not to notice that the Team Canada representative at this year's World Baseball Classic would lead his old team in batting average, hits, runs, stolen bases and own a share of the club lead in extra-base hits.
The Blue Jays have a pretty good shortstop in their own right in defensive whiz and surprise RBI leader Andrés Giménez. However, you can't blame the organization if they happen to be a little envious of the Marlins for reaping the benefits of a talented hitter who Toronto happened to develop.
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Ben Fisher is a long-time sportswriter and baseball lover, dating back to 2008, when he was a member of the media relations team for the Toronto Blue Jays. He has covered a wide range of sports for a seemingly endless array of publications, including The Canadian Press, Fansided and The Hockey Writers. When he isn't writing about sports, he can be found coaching his equally baseball-obsessed sons' Little League teams.