Projecting the Blue Jays Opening Day Starting Lineup

The Toronto Blue Jays have finalized a 26-man roster and their starting pitcher for Opening Day. Now, let's take a look at a potential starting lineup.

Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter George Springer hits a home run. | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

The stage is almost set for the Toronto Blue Jays' 2026 season opener. Kevin Gausman will toe the rubber in front of the home crowd on Friday as they square off against Luis Severino and the Athletics.

The 26-man roster has been finalized, and all that is left for manager John Schneider is to set the Opening Day lineup against Severino. While Toronto suffered multiple injuries to the pitching staff, the position players stayed relatively healthy through camp, outside of Anthony Santander.

Now, let's take a look at what Schneider could potentially throw out there for the first game.

Blue Jays Projected Opening Day Lineup

Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Kazuma Okamoto rounds the bases. | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

1. George Springer (DH)
2. Daulton Varsho (CF)
3. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (1B)
4. Addison Barger (RF)
5. Alejandro Kirk (C)
6. Jesús Sánchez (LF)
7. Kazuma Okamoto (3B)
8. Ernie Clement (2B)
9. Andrés Gímenéz (SS)

With how many outfielders Toronto is carrying, there will be several iterations of this lineup. Severino is a right-handed pitcher, so this is how Schneider could stack up his team against righties. In this projected lineup, Sánchez is getting the start in left field.

The big question on this team is how the offense will perform after Bo Bichette's departure. Gímenéz will take Bichette's spot at shortstop, but his value is on defense. Varsho batting second could be the key. He's coming off a tremendous spring camp where he batted .380 and hit five home runs. Varsho is also entering a contract year, which could set up a big season for the center fielder.

Okamoto is a little further down the lineup with Severino on the mound. However, fans should be really excited about the 29-year-old's first season in the MLB. He brings a lot of power from the right side and should be a solid run producer.

Expectations Have Risen in Toronto

Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider looks on. | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

It's incredible what a difference one year can make for a franchise. The Blue Jays went from scraping the bottom of the barrel without a real direction to a legitimate contender. The belief that Toronto can be a real threat in the American League was backed up this offseason. General manager Ross Atkins was extremely aggressive and brought in several quality players.

Even with the loss of Bichette, Guerrero Jr. is more than capable of taking the reins of this offense and producing at a high level. There may be some initial bumps in the road as the pitching staff attempts to return to full strength. But Schneider's team has a lot of confidence heading into the 2026 season.