The 2026 Toronto Blue Jays have dealt with injury after injury, but over the past several weeks, they’ve gotten healthier. In their last series against the Philadelphia Phillies, the team got back two starters in Dylan Cease and Max Scherzer, and ahead of their weekend series with the rival New York Yankees, perhaps the biggest return of all is looming.
While getting All-Star catcher Alejandro Kirk back is a major positive for a team that ranks 22nd in the league home runs, it has also created a key question over another pivotal roster move for Toronto. Earlier in the season, the obvious move would be to option Brandon Valenzuela back to AAA and keep Tyler Heineman, but now, the breakout star of the Blue Jays is going to force the front office into another tough decision.
There are opportunities for the Blue Jays to potentially keep all three catchers, but with Kirk needing to be in the everyday lineup, let’s break down the decision that Toronto have on their hands.
Brandon Valenzuela’s Breakout Campaign With the Toronto Blue Jays
GettyBrandon Valenzuela of the Toronto Blue Jays.
Prior to the 2026 season, Valenzuela had never appeared in a Major League Baseball game, but given his immense framing abilities to go along with a strong arm behind the plate, the team knew what they had in him. Defensively, he’s been all he was hyped up to be and more, with a DWAR of 0.5 ranking him top 30 in the league and the 6 catcher framing runs ranking him first in the entire league, with the defense ranking in the 97th percentile at the MLB level.
However, he’s completely shocked even the strongest Blue Jays supporters at the plate, and in recent times he’s been on fire, posting 6 home runs and 15 RBI over his past 32 games played. On the season, he’s also hitting .252 with an OPS of .790, ranking him second on the team behind only veteran Jesus Sanchez.
All of this was punctuated on Tuesday night when Valenzuela capped off the Blue Jays 9th inning rally for his first career walk-off against the Phillies, with the pressure now squarely on the front office as the young rookie continues to win over fans in Toronto.
The Veteran Presence of Tyler Heineman
GettyTyler Heineman against the Los Angeles Angels.
On the flip side is Tyler Heineman, a player who was critical to the Blue Jays success in their 2025 post-season run, hitting .289 on the season and playing well in the moments he was needed behind Kirk. In 2026 though, he’s taken several steps backwards, as he’s now hitting just .154 on the season with 12 hits through his 31 games played.
Heineman has appeared in 204 games at the big-league level, and in that time he’s got just five home runs, as he is already outpaced by Valenzuela, who has more than that across his last 32 games played.
Defensively, Heineman is a solid catcher, but beyond his veteran experience, there’s very little that he offers that neither Kirk nor Valenzuela offer, and that’s a big problem for the 34-year-old.
What Goes Into This Decision for the Blue Jays?
On paper, it’s an obvious call to move the veteran in favor of a player that could potentially garner All-Star consideration this season, but it goes deeper than that.
Right now, the Blue Jays catching depth in the organization is suspect at best, with 29-year-old Willie MacIver in AAA being the only other catcher with MLB experience on the 40-man roster. With options remaining for Valenzuela and none for Heineman, meaning he would need to clear through waivers to remain in Toronto, and given his experience, it’s highly unlikely that would happen.
So, the question comes down to, would you prefer to have Valenzuela in AAA getting consistent at bats before becoming a permanent fixture on the roster a year from now? Or would you prefer to split the catching time between he and Kirk, while giving the other the opportunity to get at bats at the DH position given the struggles of George Springer?
Three weeks ago, the obvious move for Toronto would have been to keep Heineman and continue Valenzuela’s development, but in that time, he’s widened the gap between he and the veteran an immeasurable amount. Not only is he a better defensive catcher, but the bat has come alive, as he not only needs to be catching as often as possible ahead of Heineman, but he needs to be pencilled into the Blue Jays lineup as often as possible.
While it would be tough for Heineman to lose his role in Toronto, one that he worked hard to earn over the past 18 months, he’s simply not been good enough, and no amount of roster management decisions should make GM Ross Atkins overthink this one.
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