Aug 23, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider (14) walks off the field after a pitching change against the Miami Marlins during the seventh inning at loanDepot Park. Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

Blue Jays' Extended Stretch of Mediocrity Should Be Concerning

Originally posted on Toronto Blue Jays on SI
By Nick Ziegler | Last updated Sep 6, 2025 7:09 PM ET

With the Toronto Blue Jays facing the New York Yankees in a pivotal weekend series, the team will be trying to find some momentum.

Despite being in first place in the American League East and having one of the best records in baseball, the Blue Jays haven’t done anything overly special in quite some time. Toronto was a team that got extremely hot before and right after the All-Star break. After trailing the Yankees ahead of the Midsummer Classic, a four-game sweep of New York completely changed the trajectory of their season.

A little over a month ago, the Blue Jays were able to get to over 20 games over the .500 mark. That is an extremely good number to reach to at any point in the season, but over the last several weeks, they have yet to build upon that.

While Toronto hasn't played poorly, they also haven't done anything to put the AL East out of reach for the Yankees or Boston Red Sox. The Blue Jays should certainly be a playoff team in 2025, but winning the division is the top goal right now.

Will Blue Jays Get Hot Again?

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

It will only take one hot streak from the Yankees or Red Sox to put some real pressure on the Blue Jays in the standings, and with Bo Bichette leaving Saturday's contest with an apparent injury, it's going to be all hands on deck for them to avoid that.

One of the reasons for the mediocre play has been the lineup cooling down a bit. While George Springer is in the middle of a historical stretch and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has heated up following his hamstring injury, the rest of the players in the order have come back to earth compared to how they were performing when the team was dominant.

Because of that, all eyes will be on a potential return of Anthony Santander from the injured list. The switch-hitting slugger could be a complete game-changer if he produces upon his return after Toronto signed him to a lucrative deal this past winter.

With the recent addition of Shane Bieber, who has looked like the ace of the staff they have needed, the team should be in a strong position come October. If a little slump from the lineup is the top concern for the team right now, they are set up for success.