5 biggest surprises on the Blue Jays Opening Day roster

Following Sunday’s spring training finale, the Toronto Blue Jays finalized their roster for Opening Day. For fringe players like Davis Schneider, Alan Roden and Myles Straw, their hard work throughout the spring resulted in a roster spot.

While that finalization of the roster means that Blue Jays Opening Day is nearly here, it also means that we have plenty of questions about what the decisions mean for the future of the team. Here, we will take a look at a few surprises from the Opening Day roster that could make or break the Blue Jays season.

5 biggest surprises on the Blue Jays Opening Day roster

Tyler Heineman winning the battle for backup catcher

Heineman entered 2025 as the lone catcher on the 40-man roster behind Alejandro Kirk, so many believed that the backup spot was his to lose — especially since he doesn't have any minor league options But then Toronto added veteran Christian Bethancourt into the mix in January to gave Heineman some competition.

Both players failed to take full advantage of their opportunities this spring, with Heineman compiling a .227 average in 11 games played while Bethancourt hit .200 in nine games. Heineman won the roster battle and will break camp with the Blue Jays, but was it the right decision?

While Kirk will still get the bulk of the starts, his backup will still likely see around 50 to 60 games of action. Having a backup who is adept on both the offense and defense end could be a difference maker for the Blue Jays.

As a result, it would make more sense to have Bethancourt, who has put up double-digit home runs and 30+ RBI in two of his past three seasons, instead of Heineman, who has a grand total of one home run and 15 RBI over his five-year MLB career to date.