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 Have Two Legitimate Concerns Heading into Postseason

Originally posted on Toronto Blue Jays on SI
By Nick Ziegler | Last updated Sep 8, 2025 4:00 PM ET

The Toronto Blue Jays are coming off a very disappointing weekend series against the New York Yankees in which they lost two out of three games.

Even though the Blue Jays have played the Yankees very well in 2025, in a pivotal late-season series, they lost to New York and have seen their lead in the American League East drop to just two games. With a tough series coming up against the Houston Astros now, Toronto could be in a bit of trouble.

Despite the offense being great for most of the year, they did not perform well in the last two games against the Yankees and combined for just four runs in the losses. While the Blue Jays haven't played poorly of late, they also haven't been nearly as good as they were around the All-Star break. With success in October being the main goal, the team might have some concerns.

What Could Hold Blue Jays Back in October?

David Schoenfield of ESPN recently wrote about the potential reason why the Blue Jays could struggle in October, and it isn’t the most obvious choice.

“The Blue Jays have gone 0-6 in the playoffs since 2020 because they haven't hit -- they slashed .230/.288/.330 with just four home runs in the six games. Hoffman still has strikeout stuff and could get on a roll, but Toronto's offense will determine its fate.”

Should Hoffman Be Top Concern?

Mark Smith-Imagn Images

Come postseason time, a strong bullpen has been key to success. While every team is constructed differently, relief pitchers have accounted for about 50 percent of innings pitched in October in recent years.

For Toronto, this was a unit that they tried to address at the trade deadline with the additions of Seranthony Dominguez and Louis Varland. So far, the trades haven't helped much with Varland, in particular, struggling.

Furthermore, the performance of Jeff Hoffman of late is a major concern. Toronto is relying on the right-hander to be the anchor of the bullpen. Since the All-Star break, the veteran has totaled a 4.29 ERA, which is far from ideal in the back end of the bullpen.

While the team should rightfully be concerned about the bullpen heading into October, somewhat recent struggles have been the offense that has surprisingly held the team back in their most recent playoff appearances.

So far in 2025, the lineup has been fantastic overall for the team. The trio of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, and George Springer has helped create one of the best units in the league. These three have all had great campaigns and are a major reason for their success.

However, Guerrero has especially struggled in the playoffs so far in his young career, and the team needs him to be their best player. With a bit of a lingering hamstring issue as well now, worrying about the offense if their top slugger isn't 100 percent is a fair concern.