These are the 5 storylines to follow in Blue Jays camp
Keegan Matheson
@KeeganMathesonDUNEDIN, Fla. -- Covering veteran players in Spring Training has been an education in what actually matters.
¡°Strictly the win-loss record,¡± Blue Jays manager John Schneider joked before Saturday¡¯s Grapefruit League opener.
The long winter leaves us eager to react -- and overreact -- to every little thing, but it¡¯s still February. Walking into TD Ballpark for the club¡¯s Grapefruit League opener against the Yankees Saturday morning, most of Toronto¡¯s payers were still bundled in layers and hoodies. It¡¯s early.
I¡¯ve learned over the years that, even if Chris Bassitt comes out throwing his fastball 79 mph in his Grapefruit League debut, it¡¯s probably not worth asking about. He knows what he¡¯s doing. Yusei Kikuchi¡¯s 2024 Spring Training is another great example.
A year ago, Kikuchi got shelled in spring games. He allowed 14 runs -- including five homers -- in just 7 2/3 innings, and it felt like the 2022 version of Kikuchi had come stumbling back. Instead, this was just Kikuchi working on a specific pitch, which he was throwing over and over to get feedback from opposing hitters.
When a young pitcher gets rocked in camp, it¡¯s worth noting, but when that same thing happens to a veteran? They might just be tinkering with a changeup.
Looking ahead to the next month in Florida, here¡¯s what actually matters to the Blue Jays:
1. Bichette¡¯s opening act
Bo Bichette has been the MVP of the back fields early in camp. Facing his own pitchers in live BPs, Bichette has been barreling up absolutely everything, including this deep home run to left-center off Bowden Francis earlier in the week:
It¡¯s February, but Bichette looks as good as you could possibly hope at this point. No player on this roster can do more to change Toronto¡¯s trajectory in 2025 than Bichette, and with free agency waiting at the end of this season, he won¡¯t lack motivation. You should see some vintage Bichette this camp.
2. Which infielders look like big leaguers?
From the crowded infield depth group, someone needs to separate themselves. Ideally, that¡¯s someone such as Orelvis Martinez, who can provide some legitimate power, but that¡¯s an uphill battle until his defense is MLB-ready. It¡¯s that side of the game that the Blue Jays will be most focused on.
¡°We always look offensively, right? We¡¯re not going to do that,¡± Schneider said. ¡°We want to see their game clock, their situational awareness on defense. Whether that¡¯s [Addison] Barger at third, Orelvis at second, Leo [Jim¨¦nez] at short and second -- they¡¯ve all made tons of positive strides. I want to see that carry over. I¡¯m not going to get caught up in the at-bats in Spring Training.¡±
3. Count the reps in center
Joey Loperfido got the first start in center field Saturday, which matters. Daulton Varsho is doing very well in his rehab from right shoulder surgery, but if he needs an extra week or month out of the gate, then the Blue Jays need a consistent option in center.
Loperfido will be joined by Jonatan Clase, Nathan Lukes, Myles Straw and even George Springer, but Toronto will tip its hand by who gets deployed most often in February and March. Early advantage: Loperfido.
4. The backup catcher battle
It¡¯s Tyler Heineman vs. Christian Bethancourt, with Ali Sanchez, Phil Clarke and others on the periphery. This is one spot where Schneider has been open about saying that spring at-bats and numbers will matter. Like Schneider says, ¡°Most backup catchers can either really hit or really catch.¡±
This one is wide open ¡ and it¡¯s still possible the winner of this competition isn¡¯t on the roster yet.
5. The bullpen battle ¡ and Yariel Rodr¨ªguez
The Ryan Yarbrough addition feels like it has shrunk the bullpen competition by a spot, but there¡¯s still a large group of relievers in a true competition in which every inning matters. The stakes are high for Ryan Burr, Zach Pop, Easton Lucas, Nick Sandlin, Josh Walker, Jacob Barnes, Mason Fluharty and Richard Lovelady, among others.
The fun wrinkle here is Rodr¨ªguez, who could still break camp in any of a half-dozen roles. The most interesting storyline from here, though, would be if the Blue Jays¡¯ rotation stays healthy and Yarbrough slides back into the role he thrived in at the end of last season. That would allow Toronto to shorten up Rodr¨ªguez, which would bring some exciting potential. Keep an eye on that come mid-March.