2 Blue Jays who have played their way onto the Opening Day roster, 2 who played their way off

Leo Jiménez is playing himself off the Opening Day roster

Known for strong defensive play throughout his minor league career, Jiménez finally made his MLB debut with the Jays in 2024. And he kept that reputation up in the big leagues, as he registered a solid .980 fielding percentage in over 204 chances along with 2 DRS while taking reps at both shortstop and second base.

On top of that, Jiménez managed to show glimpses of his offensive potential at the plate as well, recording 11 doubles, four home runs and 19 RBI in 179 total at-bats over 63 games played. In particular, he had a strong stretch during the month of August in which he posted a solid .261 average, .851 OPS with seven doubles, three home runs and 10 RBI in just 69 at-bats.

That solid performance gave Jiménez a good shot at making the Jays’ roster as a utility infielder for 2025. However, things haven’t gone as planned as Jiménez has struggled immensely this spring. He has compiled a dismal .160 average, .584 OPS, together with just five runs scored, two doubles with zero home runs and RBI in 12 games. 

With Opening Day fast approaching, there doesn’t appear to be much runway left for Jiménez to convince Toronto's brass that he deserves a spot heading into the regular season.

It also doesn't help that Davis Schneider and Addison Barger have both made their most of their opportunity in their quest toward a bench spot. Jiménez’s seems destined to begin the year with Triple-A Buffalo.