George Springer Named Top Hitter Bust Potential for Blue Jays This Year
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Considering how active the Toronto Blue Jays have been in the offseason this year, expectations are quite high for them to reach the postseason once again, and possibly earn a second chance at the 2026 World Series.
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They've acquired key players, and they've been able to retain some of their top veterans, including 36-year-old George Springer, who brings 12 years of Major League Baseball experience to the plate. Widely known as an elite slugger, Springer has been one of the most recognizable faces with the ballclub for the past five years. Despite his powerful hits, he seems to have raised some red flags.
In fact, Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report stated that he could end up being a potential bust as a hitter this year. Will he start to lose his slugging abilities?
Making a Case for Springer
During Springer's five-year stint with the Blue Jays, he has slashed .263/.343/.461 with a .804 OPS and 119 homers and 650 games. But if Reuter is correct, he could see a drop in performance during his upcoming campaign, primarily due to his age and his 2024 stat sheet.
In 2024, Springer slashed .220/.303/.371 with a .674 OPS and 19 homers through 145 games—the least productive year in his MLB career. However, he bounced back in 2025, slashing .309/.399/.560 with a stunning .959 OPS and 32 homers through 140 games. It's entirely possible that his poor results in 2024 were simply an undesirable fluke.
Reuter questions his ability to sustain bounce-back performances, and while that's a legitimate concern, it's also one that Springer was able to put to rest last year.
With three well-deserved Silver Slugger Awards under his belt, one of which was presented to him after his successful 2025 season, it's hard to imagine that the 36-year-old wouldn't have, at the very least, at least one more jaw-dropping campaign on the horizon.
After coming up just short in the World Series last year, having faced a heartbreaking loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto is hungry for a second chance, and they need Springer to be performing at his top level.
If his red flags become more apparent as his 2026 season progresses, the Blue Jays could be in for a troubling campaign. Without Springer at his best, the ballclub is bound to face difficulty on offense, particularly considering he was their top slugger last year. Can he pull off one more year of power at the plate?
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Maria Aldrich lives in the captivating Adirondack Mountains in New York where she can be found scaling cliffs, hiking in the High Peaks and paddling down local rivers. After graduating from SUNY Potsdam with a degree in Exercise Science and a minor in Wilderness Education, Maria began documenting her backcountry experiences through written stories. Over the years, she has found herself drawn to sports journalism and now focuses on MLB, WNBA, NCAA and NHL writing. She can be reached at mariaaldrich20@outlook.com.