Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider explained how his team can get back on track after a rough start to the 2026 MLB season.
On Thursday afternoon, the Blue Jays dropped a 2-1 defeat to the Milwaukee Brewers, their second straight outcome by the same score. It was the Blue Jays’ fifth straight series loss after sweeping the Athletics to open the season. The team’s record now stands at 7-11 after the first 18 games of the season, as the Blue Jays are tied with the Boston Red Sox in the basement of the American League East.
Considering the Blue Jays went to Game 7 of the 2025 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, and then went out and arguably improved their team during the offseason, this was not the start anyone expected for this year. But this is where the Blue Jays are right now, and they need to turn things around soon before they dig themselves too much of a hole that they can’t get out of.
Speaking to reporters after their series loss to the Brewers, the Blue Jays’ skipper Schneider explained how he believes his team can get out of the AL East basement and get back to where they expect to be, which is challenging for the AL pennant. According to Schneider, it’s a matter of finding the big hit when the team needs it the most.
“We need some extra-base hits. We need to slug,” Schneider told reporters (as relayed by Keegan Matheson. “We need to get back to everyone doing their part, whether it’s contact or slug. It seems like we’re missing that extra-base hit right now.”
Toronto Blue Jays Have Second-Worst Run Differential in American League
The Blue Jays had a vaunted offense in 2025, but so far in 2026, things have not gone as expected. As of this time of writing, the Blue Jays have a -25 run differential, which is the second-worst run differential in the AL, just ahead of the Chicago White Sox.
In terms of runs scored, the Blue Jays have scored just 68 runs in 18 games for an average of 3.8 runs scored per game. Last year, the Blue Jays averaged 4.9 runs scored per game, so this is a huge difference and a big reason why the Blue Jays are not winning games. Incredibly, the Blue Jays are the only team in baseball who have not hit a home run with runners in scoring position.
Outfielder Nathan Lukes, who has just two singles in 31 at-bats, is one of the worst hitters in baseball so far to start the year, plus new third baseman Kazuma Okamoto has struggled to start his MLB career, often looking overmatched at the plate. And though he has been getting on base, superstar Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has just one home run this year, which just isn’t going to cut it when the team is so reliant on him to come through with the big hit to win games.
In addition, the Blue Jays have also struggled to prevent runs, having allowed 93 runs so far this year, for an average of 5.2 runs allowed per game. The team has also made 12 errors so far, which is the third-worst rate in the AL. The combination of poor hitting, iffy pitching, and bad defense has led the Blue Jays to have a poor start to the year, and has some fans wondering if they can get back on track and become the vaunted World Series contender everyone thought they would be.
Blue Jays Have Several Key Players Injured
One of the reasons for the Blue Jays’ struggles so far this season, in addition to the poor performance of its regulars who are healthy and playing, is the number of key players who are currently on the injured list.
Starting catcher Alejandro Kirk, starting designated hitter George Springer, and starting right fielder Addison Barger are all currently banged up, and outfielder Anthony Santander may not play this year at all. In addition, the Blue Jays have several key pitchers who have not pitched this season, including starters Shane Bieber, Jose Berrios, and Trey Yesavage, plus Cody Ponce, who suffered a potential season-ending injury in his first start of the year. Injuries are a part of the game, and Schneider has been quick to point out that all teams deal with them, but there is no doubt the Blue Jays have been hit harder by the injury bug than most.
Ultimately, the Blue Jays have enough talent on their roster that they can turn things around and get back into playoff contention. However, the turnaround has to happen sooner rather than later, as the AL seems more balanced than in recent years, meaning the season will likely come down to the final few days to see which teams ultimately make it to the postseason.
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