Plagued Rotation Knocks Blue Jays Down in Latest MLB Power Rankings
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The Toronto Blue Jays have been having a rather brutal start to their 2026 campaign after suffering numerous injuries to their pitching staff. Heading into the season, the Blue Jays were looking quite solid, with hopes held high for a potential run to the postseason and beyond.
But now, their pitching staff is plagued with various injuries. Among those out of commission are Trey Yesavage, Shane Bieber, Yimi García, José Berríos and Cody Ponce, to name a few. With such a dwindling pitching staff, the Blue Jays could be in trouble.
Ahead of Opening Day, the Major League Baseball power rankings revealed that Toronto was ranked at No. 2, just shy of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who, as expected, came in at No. 1. However, with the Blue Jays' troubling trajectory, they've found a new home in the rankings.
Toronto Drops in Latest Rankings, Pitching Staff To Blame
According to Brent Maguire of MLB.com, the Blue Jays now come in at No. 6, now trailing the Seattle Mariners (No. 5), Atlanta Braves (No. 4), Milwaukee Brewers (No. 3), New York Yankees (No. 2) and the Dodgers (No. 1). A noticeable drop was inevitable, considering the state of the team.
Maguire confidently noted that despite the persistent pitching woes, there's still something special about this team. As he wrote, "This team is still plenty talented to weather the storm, but their depth is already being tested."
Toronto undoubtedly put in immense effort during the offseason when it came down to navigating free agency and the hectic trade market, landing notable names like Dylan Cease, Kazuma Okamoto, Max Scherzer and Eloy Jiménez. But despite the well-rounded acquisitions, they are being challenged, and it doesn't look like things will ease up any time soon.
Their rotation is primarily led by Kevin Gausman, Cease, Scherzer and Ponce, but things are already looking shaky among a handful of starters, and the struggles are starting to show.
The Blue Jays struggled against Los Angeles on Monday night, but they still have two games left against the reigning champions on Tuesday and Wednesday. If this is indicative of how this season is going to play out for the ballclub, Toronto will be in for a grueling journey.
Given that it's only the beginning of the season, there's plenty of time to turn things around, but only if the pitching staff can get back on its feet and remain healthy.
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.