Inside The Blue Jays

MLB Insider Gives Bold Prediction on Blue Jays Pitching Staff Next Season

The Toronto Blue Jays are poised to be a top contender in 2026.
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The Toronto Blue Jays have had an impressive offseason thus far. A season ago, they went from a bottom feeder in the A.L. East to a perennial contender, as they marched to the World Series. It has been a remarkable turnaround, and the Blue Jays don't appear satisfied.

As Toronto turns the page towards 2026, one consistent theme that should stay this year is their offense. The Blue Jays were a top five offense in baseball a season ago, and with majority of the lineup sticking around, that should continue. The biggest uncertainty revolves around Bo Bichette. It's still unclear whether he wears a Toronto uniform next year, but there are plenty of secondary options if those plans fall through.

The biggest upgrades have come within the starting rotation, and one insider has a bold prediction for the Blue Jays in 2026.

Could the Blue Jays Have the Best Starting Rotation in Baseball?

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Dylan Cease (84) delivers a pitch against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning at
Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The Blue Jays made significant additions to their starting rotation, signing Dylan Cease to a massive seven-year, $210 million deal and bringing in Cody Ponce. They also got a big boost when Shane Bieber opted in for next year. Keegan Matheson of MLB.com writes, "Add in rookie sensation Trey Yesavage and Jose Berrios, and the Blue Jays have incredible depth on top of their high-end talent."

Not to mention Kevin Gausman is coming off a solid year and can help spearhead this rotation. They make a good case for the best starting rotation of baseball. Not many teams can deploy a trio as talented as Toronto's with Gausman, Cease, and Yesavage. Their blend of experience and youth makes the rotation lethal.

It seems that the Blue Jays are going with a different strategy when it comes to adding pitching this offseason. Many of the top relievers flew off the board quickly, and Toronto joined the party adding Tyler Rogers. However, the starting pitcher market has moved much slower. Guys like Framber Valdez, Ranger Suarez and Shota Imanaga are still without teams. Meanwhile Toronto has added the most to their starting pitching of any team.

Two Toronto Starting Pitchers Are Still Free Agents

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer (31) pitches against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fourth inning during game seven of
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Max Scherzer and Chris Bassit remain unrestricted free agents. Even if Toronto is unable to bring either of them back, the starting rotation is as deep as any team in the league. Teams like the Seattle Mariners and the Los Angeles Dodgers made it far in October with their pitching staff, and the Blue Jays are following a similar path.

They finished sixth in the MLB in total strikeouts and adding Cease will certainly aid that cause. It will be difficult for any opposing team to string together runs. Should Toronto add one more bat, they could take it a step further and have the most complete team in the league in 2026.


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Zion Trammel
ZION TRAMMEL

Zion Trammell graduated from TCU in 2023 with a degree in sports broadcasting and journalism. He currently writes for TCU Horned Frogs on SI. In addition to writing, he is the play-by-play voice for Southlake Carroll baseball and hosts a TCU show on the Bleav Network.

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