Predicting the Toronto Blue Jays’ 2026 Stat Leaders and Award Winners
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The Toronto Blue Jays of 2025 were one of the more fun teams to watch in Major League Baseball down the stretch. Ultimately punching their ticket to the World Series, the 2026 version of the Blue Jays is looking for similar success, only a different result at the end.
But for Toronto to return to the promised land that is the playoffs and the World Series, the franchise has to have players step up like they did last season. That being said, let's predict which players will lead the franchise to success in 2026, broken down by specific categories.
Team MVP: Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
It's hard not to choose Vladimir Guerrero Jr just based on what kind of player he has been for the Blue Jays since making his MLB debut. Last season was a down year in the power department, but Guerrero Jr hits the ball harder than anyone on the team, regardless of whether it goes over the wall or not.
His leadership and MVP-type capabilities will be the reason the Blue Jays are successful across several facets of the game in 2026. Now with Bo Bichette gone, a fan favorite with the Blue Jays, Toronto fans have another superhero at first base for the foreseeable future.
Team Cy Young: Dylan Cease
The Blue Jays spent a lot of money this offseason, and the biggest contract they handed out was to Dylan Cease. When he's healthy, Cease has shown to be a league Cy Young candidate, and from what he displayed this spring, he's taking his first season in Toronto very seriously.
Cease is coming off a season with the San Diego Padres where he held a 4.55 ERA and a 1.1 WAR, the lowest it's been since 2022 with the Chicago White Sox. Kevin Gausman could be an option for this award, but expect big things from Cease on the mound in 2026.
Best Rookie: Kazuma Okamoto
In his first season in Toronto, Kazuma Okamoto should turn heads easily. While he might not be a rookie to the game of baseball, he is to Major League Baseball. And while this award could easily go to Trey Yesavage, with Okamoto starting the season healthy, he should hold down the fort well at third base.
This spring was successful for Okamoto, hitting over .300 with one home run and four RBIs across 19 at-bats.
Home Run Leader: Daulton Varsho
This could go to Guerrero Jr, but why not think a tad out of the box? Daulton Varsho has been a beast this spring training and looks to carry that power into the regular season. He has hit a career high of 27 home runs in the past; who's to say he can't do it again or improve upon it in 2026?
Varsho hit 20 home runs in 71 games last season and has smashed five this spring across 50 at-bats. Varsho will hit free agency after this year, so it's added encouragement for the slugging outfielder.
Stole Base Leader: Andres Gimenez
Not too long ago, Andres Gimenez was a stolen base threat on the base paths with the Cleveland Guardians. Last season with Toronto, he stole just 12 bags, but he has 30-35 stolen base kind of speed to his name. His second season with the Blue Jays would only improve his status as he moves to shortstop.
Dominic Minchella is a 2024 Eastern Michigan University graduate with a BA in Communications, Media, and Theatre Arts and a Journalism minor. He covers Major League Baseball for On SI and spends his free time watching games and sharing his insights.