3 Blue Jays who deserved more playing time down the stretch, 3 Blue Jays who deserved less

The Toronto Blue Jays and their playoff hopes are now hanging by a thread after a crushing 4-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Monday night. The loss was the Blue Jays’ fifth in their past seven games and ninth of their past 14. Toronto decided to slump at the worst possible time.

Many fans have been wondering if things could have played out differently if manager John Schneider made different calls down the stretch. Perhaps by tinkering more with their lineup and awarding playing time based on a meritocracy, the Blue Jays could have had a better shot. Here are three examples of players who should have played more, and three who should have played less.

If these three Blue Jays were used more down the stretch, perhaps the outcome this season looks different

Paul Sewald should have been used more

Paul Sewald might have had a forgettable 2026 tenure with the Arizona Diamondbacks, but since joining the Blue Jays in mid-August, Sewald has been lights out for Toronto. In 15 relief appearances, the 36-year-old right-hander has compiled a 0.73 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, giving up just one earned run with nine strikeouts in 12.1 innings of work.

Considering that Sewald not only has been the Blue Jays’ best reliever down the stretch, he was perhaps one of the best in the entire league during that same time frame. As a result, he should have been used a lot more than the 12+ innings that he logged. He could have also been used more frequently in high leverage situations.

Ernie Clement should have played less

He may have been an All-Star earlier in 2026, but Ernie Clement was struggling for much of August and September. Schneider should have cut down on some of his playing time to give him a chance to reset and regroup.

After all, Clement has posted a feeble .192 average, .465 OPS, along with just one home run and 13 RBIs since the beginning of August, a span of 45 games. At the same time, opportunities could have been given to others such as Josh Smith, who was having a power stroke, or even rookie Charles McAdoo, who was swinging a slightly hotter bat.

Charles McAdoo should have played some more

After hitting his first big league home run during a solid MLB debut in May, McAdoo struggled shortly afterwards and was sent back down to the minors for more seasoning. The 24-year-old infielder came back stronger in his second stint with Toronto in August. Since Aug. 10, McAdoo has amassed a .286 average, .724 OPS, with eight runs scored, three doubles, one home run, nine RBIs and two stolen bases in 63 at-bats over 25 games played.

However, his playing time cut back considerably during September where he has only made three starts with just 15 at-bats overall for the month.

Brandon Valenzuela should have played a little less frequent

Brandon Valenzuela was one of the main reasons the Blue Jays stayed afloat when Alejandro Kirk went down to injury earlier this year. However, Valenzuela has been struggling mightily at the plate in recent weeks, registering a measly .143 batting average and .467 OPS with zero home runs in 25 games played since the start of August.

For a Blue Jays team that was desperate to make the postseason, they really couldn’t afford throwing him out there every third or fourth game. Especially with how hot Kirk's bat was.

Myles Straw deserved some more playing time

Not really known for his offense but more for his defense, Myles Straw has actually quietly put together a solid second half at the plate for the Blue Jays. In particular, Straw has batted .288 with a .769 OPS, with 10 runs scored, five RBIs, 11 walks and eight strikeouts in his last 30 games.

More importantly, he was coming up with some big hits, and scoring in some big moments that helped the Blue Jays earn some victories. As a result, it was surprising he wasn’t used more by Schneider, especially with Daulton Varsho moved at the trade deadline and those reps going to Jesus Sánchez.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. should have played less and rested

Finally, he may be the face of the franchise, but if something doesn’t seem to be going right for Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the Blue Jays should have actively done something about it. He is only 27-year-old and entering his prime while coming off a 2025 postseason performance for the ages, which makes the drop off in his performance astounding.

There has been some speculation that he may have been playing hurt and he was recently held out of games this week due to lower back tightness. If that is indeed the case, Guerrero should have been given enough time to rest and recover so that he could contribute effectively at 100%. But instead, Schneider and the Blue Jays kept playing him, resulting in his year-long struggle that has ultimately cost Toronto.

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