2 biggest surprises, 2 biggest disappointments for the Blue Jays 2 months into the season 

It's very rare for any team to have a 25-man roster where everyone is making a positive contributions. The 2025 Toronto Blue Jays are no exception to that rule. They are getting some surprising contributions from unexpected players, while at the same time, experiencing the disappointment of players who haven't lived up to their expectations.

As a result, we'll take a look at the two biggest surprises, and two biggest disappointments for the Blue Jays thus far after two months in the books.

2 biggest surprises, 2 biggest disappointments for the Blue Jays 2 months into the season 

Surprise: P Brendon Little

When it comes to the Blue Jays’ revamped bullpen for 2025, many had their eyes on key veterans such as Jeff Hoffman, Yimi García, Chad Green and Erik Swanson to lead the way. However, a surprising candidate has arisen from their relief corps and has taken the reigns as the top arm coming out of bullpen for Toronto. That player is none other than Brendon Little.

After putting together a solid 2024 campaign with Toronto, Little has been lights out this year for the Blue Jays, posting a 3-0 record with a stellar 1.37 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, along with a whopping 37 strikeouts in just 26.1 IP, over 28 appearances. Not only has he been the Jays’ best relief pitcher, he is among the top relievers in the entire league. Pretty good for someone that was once thought to be just a pitching depth signing during the 2023-24 offseason for Toronto.

Surprise: C Tyler Heineman

It’s not everyday that you see a backup catcher outperforming a starter. But despite the strong campaign that Alejandro Kirk has been having with the Blue Jays, backup catcher Tyler Heineman has actually been one step better. In 19 games played to date, Heineman has been having a career year, flirting with a .400 average at .396 with a team-leading .953 OPS, with 10 runs scored, four doubles, one home run, six RBIs and even going two-for-two in stolen base attempts.

He has also been solid as a rock behind the plate, posting an impressive .994 fielding percentage, 3 Defensive Runs Saved, along with throwing out a league-leading 58.3% of the baserunners trying to steal off of him. Now back with the Blue Jays after being out for more than a week due to a concussion, Heineman will look to continue his breakout campaign with Toronto.

Disappointment: P Bowden Francis

After putting together one of the best stretch run performances in franchise history last season, pitcher Bowden Francis was fully expected to be a key rotation cog for the Blue Jays this year. After all, he was 5-3 with a tidy 1.80 ERA, 0.60 WHIP, giving up just 13 earned runs in total with 58 strikeouts in 65 innings pitched in 11 appearances post-All Star break. He also came within a few outs to throwing a no-hitter twice.

However, Francis’ 2025 campaign has been quite the disappointment to say the least. His confidence and demeanor that he showed towards the end of 2024 have been largely absent. Instead, the 29-year-old right-hander has compiled a dismal 2-7 record with a 5.84 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, giving up a league-leading 17 home runs in just 57 innings of work over 12 starts.

Francis is also coming off his worst start of 2025 on Tuesday against the Philadelphia Phillies, yielding seven runs and failing to get out of the second inning. At this rate, his hold on a rotation spot in the near future could be in jeopardy if the Blue Jays intend to legitimately challenge for a playoff spot.

Disappointment: OF Anthony Santander

Star outfielder Anthony Santander was supposedly the crown jewel of the Blue Jays’ free agent signings this past offseason. For a team that had been struggling mightily offensively during the past couple of seasons, Santander was thought to be a potential saviour in that regard. That was because the 30-year-old outfielder was coming off his first ever 40+ home run, 100+ RBI campaign in 2024 with the Baltimore Orioles, and he was expected to bring more of that to the Jays’ lineup.

However, Santander has had a disastrous first half with his new club, putting up a paltry .179 average, .577 OPS, along with 14 runs scored, five doubles, six home runs and 18 RBI in 50 games, before landing on the 10-day inured list. Even if he manages to turn it up a notch in the coming months, it will be in tough for him to crack the 30-home run and 80-RBI mark in 2025. As a result, unless he drastically turns things around, Santander, without question, has been the Blue Jays biggest disappointment.