2025 Blue Jays player breakdown: How Nathan Lukes and Myles Straw are performing so far

When the Toronto Blue Jays took to the field for their series finale against the Seattle Mariners, they were sporting an outfield of Jonatan Clase, Myles Straw, and Nathan Lukes. If you had told fans of the team that the trio would be starting a game this early in the season, they would surely think something horrible had happened.

The truth is, they wouldn’t be completely wrong. Prized free-agent acquisition Anthony Santander has struggled for most of the season and missed all three games in Seattle due to a sore shoulder. While he’s back in the lineup against the Rays, the slugger is still looking to get off the season-long skid, hitting just .190 with five homers and a .600 OPS, but has seen some better numbers since the calendar turned over into May. Center fielder Daulton Varsho has returned to the club following rotator cuff surgery and will eventually play every day, and Alan Roden bullrushed his way to an Opening Day roster spot but was demoted to triple-A after struggling to adapt to major league pitching. George Springer was the DH on Sunday and has been the team’s best player through the first 40 games while also playing across the outfield when needed. 

The injuries and inconsistencies have created some opportunities, and Straw and Lukes have taken advantage, with these two bats being one of the reasons the Jays have been able to tread water with a .500 record despite having a shaky offence.

Nathan Lukes

Lukes was a surprising member of the initial roster, as the Blue Jays opted to start the season with six primary outfielders given Varsho’s injury, and the veteran minor leaguer authored a .222/.364/.361 slash line through 36 at-bats this spring. After appearing in just 51 games with barely over 100 at-bats over the last two seasons, the 30-year-old is getting a real chance to show his skillset this year after a thumb injury in triple-A last year had him on the shelf for some time.

He’s started at all three outfield spots and has displayed considerable contact abilities with some power over the last two weeks. In May, the left-handed hitter is batting .333 (9 for 27) with a double, home run, seven RBIs, and a .919 OPS across ten games. He was one of several Jays to take an extra base (going from first to third on a single) over the weekend, and drove in three runs during that set.

The California product has been a pleasant surprise for the Blue Jays this season, whether starting or coming off the bench, and has held his own to a +1 DRS across all outfield positions. His season-long slash line of .270/.373/.397 and his 120 OPS+ is a step in the right direction and he’s already put together a 0.5 bWAR through a quarter portion of the schedule.