Surprise Offseason Signing Tabbed as Blue Jays Breakout Player in 2026

The Toronto Blue Jays head into the 2026 season as a perennial contender. Their impressive offseason produced multiple starting pitchers, an excellent reliever in Tyler Rogers, and a highly coveted bat in Kazuma Okamoto.

While several Blue Jays players are off competing in the World Baseball Classic (including the entire starting infield), positional battles ensue. But, as the 2026 season quickly approaches, everyone is looking for the next breakout player on their team.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.

Last year, it was Trey Yesavage who burst onto the scene in the postseason and helped send Toronto to the World Series. ESPN's Kiley McDaniel listed one breakout player for each team, and this Blue Jays player has a lot of potential.

Cody Ponce Could Make a Major Impact

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Cody Ponce pitches. | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

Dylan Cease has been the standout free agent signing for Toronto and for good reason. The right-handed flame thrower is one of the best strikeout pitchers in baseball, and he is now the ace in this starting rotation.

However, one move may have flown under the radar in the winter. Cody Ponce inked a three-year, $30 million deal in December, completing his return to the major leagues after a stint in Korea. He was absolutely dominant in 2025, finishing with a 17-1 record and a 1.89 ERA.

He secured the KBO League MVP while setting a KBO single-season record in strikeouts with 252. He previously played for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2020 and 2021, but struggled. In 20 appearances, he posted a 5.86 ERA and allowed 13 home runs.

Ponce Reinvented Himself in Korea

What made him so successful in Korea and what can make him successful in his second go-around in the big leagues is his new pitch arsenal. His fastball velocity has increased three mph since 2021, with an average of 96 mph.

He also developed a kick change, and it has already shown results this spring. David Adler of MLB.com said that his changeup is "sitting at 89 mph with a super low spin rate of 780 rpm, which should give it strong tumbling movement even at its high velocity for an off-speed pitch."

Ponce has had a limited sample size in spring training, but he has impressed. Through three appearances, the 31-year-old has thrown six innings and has only allowed one run. He's struck out five hitters and, more notably, hasn't walked anyone.

Ponce doesn't have to be a top-level starting pitcher in this stacked starting rotation. The Blue Jays have plenty of capable arms, so the pressure on Ponce is low. However, if he can live around a three ERA and control his pitches, Toronto's ceiling becomes a lot higher.