The Toronto Blue Jays made a big splash last offseason, signing slugger Anthony Santander to bolster their offense.
Santander was coming off a 44-home run season with the Baltimore Orioles and inked a five-year, $92.5 million deal with the Blue Jays. However, the first year of the contract was disastrous as Santander dealt with injuries for most of the season.
The switch-hitting slugger played in just 54 games with the Blue Jays and hit .175 with 6 home runs. Yet, despite the injury-filled season, MLB analyst David Singh of Sportsnet predicted Santander will lead the Blue Jays in home runs in 2026.
“Anthony Santander was one of the Blue Jays’ prized off-season additions, but his campaign was essentially doomed by a left shoulder injury that he suffered in May,” Singh wrote. “The switch-hitting outfielder finally returned during the final week of the regular season, yet it was clear Santander just wasn’t himself.
“Before signing in Toronto, Santander spent eight years with Baltimore and had become an important pillar in the Orioles’ clubhouse. With the Blue Jays, though, it just seemed like he never found his footing. By the time October rolled around, much was being made of the team’s cohesiveness, and Santander was forgotten. That changes next year. Similar to Harper, Santander will return to form and I say he cranks out more homers than Springer and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to lead the team.”
Santander averaged 35 homers with a 124 OPS-plus from 2022 to 2024, showing off the power. If he can get to 35 home runs, there is a good chance he can lead the Blue Jays in home runs. It would also be a welcome sight, especially if Toronto doesn’t sign Kyle Tucker or Bo Bichette.
Blue Jays Confident Santander Will Rebound in 2026
Toronto had high expectations for Santander to be an impact player for the Blue Jays in 2025, but the injuries derailed his season.
Santander dealt with a back and shoulder injury for most of the season. Despite the disappointment, Blue Jays manager John Schneider said the team is expecting a bounce-back season for Santander.
“Tony is going to be huge for us,” said Schneider. “Speaking to him at the end of the year and in the postseason, he battled to get back. … He wanted to be part of it so bad. He wanted to get off on the right foot. It didn’t happen.”
Not only do the Blue Jays expect a bounce-back season, but Schneider said the team needs it as well.
“He is motivated. He is hungry to get back to the player we know he is,” Schneider added. “He’s a big part of what we’re doing. Again, I don’t want him — I’ve told him this, ‘I don’t want you to think you have to do anything you don’t do well. You don’t have to come back and hit .300 with 50 homers to make up for last year.’ We need Tony to fit in the way we know he can when we signed him.”
Santander appeared in 5 playoff games, hitting .200 with 2 RBIs before being shut down due to an injury.
Toronto Looking to Add a Bat
The Blue Jays have been aggressive this offseason, but the team has yet to sign a bat.
Even if Santander has a rebound season, Toronto likely needs a bat, which Schneider said is key.
“Probably a bat of some sort,” Schneider said at the Winter Meetings on Dec. 9. “We are coming off a really, really good offensive year in a lot of different ways. We did it and scored runs. There was a time we did it without Tony (Anthony Santander). A time we did it without Bo for a little bit.
“You feel good about your offense, but adding would be nice, and I think that is a priority.”
Toronto has been linked to the likes of Kyke Tucker, Bo Bichette, and Alex Bregman.
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