3 Blue Jays who were inexcusably left off the MLB top 100 players list 

When the MLB Network recently came out with their top 100 players list for 2026, the Toronto Blue Jays certainly had some good representation on it overall. That included the Blue Jays’ face of the franchise Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hitting the top 10 at No. 10, a rejuvenated George Springer at No. 47, an elite contributor both at the plate and behind the plate in Alejandro Kirk at No. 74, as well as the newly acquired Dylan Cease rounding it out at No. 100.

However, there were some other Toronto players that were inexcusably left off the MLB top 100, despite their pedigree and previous performances.

3 Blue Jays who were inexcusably left off the MLB top 100 players list 

Daulton Varsho 

For positional players, the experts likely just focused on their offensive impact on the game on a daily basis. But to really assess the value of the player, defensive aspect should get as much weight as well. As a result, Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho should have been able to sneak onto the list based on his work and performance from last season. 

Sure, Varsho was injured for a significant portion of the 2025 season with Toronto. But when he was healthy, he provided tremendous impact for the ballclub.

In just 71 games played, the 29-year-old outfielder recorded 43 runs scored, 20 home runs, 55 RBIs, along with a career-best .833 OPS. Which meant over a 162-game schedule, Varsho would have been on pace for 98 runs scored, 46 home runs and 125 RBIs for the season. 

Defensively, he was at his Gold Glove best once again with 10 DRS and only one error committed all year, together with nine Outs Above Average in just 68 games in the field. With such elite numbers all-around, Varsho deserved being in the top 100 entering 2026.

Shane Bieber

Prior to his Tommy John surgery, Shane Bieber had been consistently among the top pitchers in all of baseball. After all, with a career 66-34 record, 3.24 ERA, 995 strikeouts in 883.1 innings, along with a Cy Young Award, two All-Star nominations and a Gold Glove, Bieber clearly showed what was meant by elite-ness.

Yes, his numbers in 2025 might be just a little off his usual standards. But to come back after missing over a year and a half and post a 4-2 record with a 3.57 ERA, 1.02 WHIP in seven starts to help the Blue Jays reach the postseason, that was quite the feat in itself.

Not to mention being able to come up with two more big wins during Toronto’s postseason run to reach all the way to the World Series. It’s no wonder the Blue Jays worked quickly to retain the star right-hander this offseason.

As a result, for such an exceptional performance coming off from major surgery, added to his prior pedigree in the league, Bieber truly should have been recognized for his greatness on the MLB top 100 list.

Kevin Gausman 

Finally, we have one of the most consistent and reliable pitchers in the entire league during the past few seasons in Blue Jays’ ace Kevin Gausman. As one of the best free agent signings in recent years, Gausman has helped convert the Blue Jays into perennial contenders since joining the team in 2022. In addition, he has registered a 48-41 record, 3.48 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, with 793 strikeouts in 733.2 total innings during his tenure with Toronto so far. 

Just this past season, Gausman compiled a solid 3.59 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, with 189 strikeouts in 193 innings pitched, while averaging over six innings per start. And he is still managing to do all of this at age 35 heading into the 2026 season.

More importantly, Gausman was a rock for the Blue Jays during their World Series run, amassing a 2.93 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, while recording two key wins including appearing in relief, trying to do all he could to help the team win.

For someone that has been that good for so long, it just seems mind blowing to not see the Blue Jays’ ace not even make the top 50 players in the entire league, let alone the top 100. As a result, Gausman should use that as motivation to show the entire baseball world this coming season that he truly belongs in that group.