Toronto Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins explained why his team has struggled so much to start the season.
The Blue Jays made it to Game 7 of the World Series last year, losing a heartbreaker to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The team made several big moves during the offseason with ambitions of making it back to the Fall Classic this season, but so far in 2026, the Blue Jays have struggled out of the gate with a 10-14 record. The Blue Jays currently sit in fourth place in the stacked American League East, and their -25 run differential is fourth-worst in the major leagues. For a team with championship ambitions, it has no doubt been a slow and often frustrating start to this season.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the Blue Jays’ series opener on Friday night in Toronto against the Cleveland Guardians, Atkins was asked why he thinks his team has struggled so much this year. According to Atkins, the team simply needs to be better in every facet of the game.
“Obviously, we’d like to be in a better situation in the win/loss column. Our team is built and constructed to put pressure on teams in all aspects of the game. Offensively, defensively, baserunning, with our pitching, it’s an aggressive brand of baseball, and we have to be better at all of that in order for us to realize our best outcomes and play to our potential. So we’ve seen signs of that this year. We’ve been in every game for the most part, except for a couple. Especially over this road trip, we had a chance to win all of them, and that’s encouraging,” Atkins said.
“But that aggressive style of play on every side of the ball, playing really good defense, running the bases well, we’re going to continue to put balls in play. We’ve thrown the ball pretty well for the most part. We’re seeing that trending a little more positively and believe that’s going to correct. But to the first part of your question, we’d certainly like to be in a better situation from a win/loss standpoint.”
Blue Jays Favored to Miss Playoffs
Looking at Kalshi, the Blue Jays are currently favored to miss the playoffs, as the market is giving the team just a 45% chance of making it back to the postseason. For a team that went all the way to the World Series last year and nearly beat the Dodgers to win it all, it’s been a shocking turn of events seeing the Blue Jays struggle so much to start 2026.
But in a stacked AL East division with the powerhouse New York Yankees, plus perennial contenders like the Tampa Bay Rays, Baltimore Orioles, and Boston Red Sox, it won’t be easy for the Blue Jays to win the division for the second straight year, let alone earn a Wild Card spot. If the Blue Jays are going to play in October again this year, they need to start consistently winning games now, and getting several key players back from the injured list should help on that front.
Blue Jays Getting Reinforcements Soon
Atkins was asked during his media scrum about several of the team’s injured players, and he gave positive updates on all of them.
Designated hitter George Springer should be back soon as he recovers from a toe fracture, while outfielder Addison Barger is also on the mend. Pitchers Jose Berrios, Trey Yesavage, and Yimi Garcia are all making their way back soon, too, while Shane Bieber is still a month or so away.
For a team that has been as banged up to start the season as the Blue Jays have, getting these hitters and pitchers back could be the key to helping the team turn things around quickly and show everyone that this slow start to the season was just a blip on the radar.
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