5 Blue Jays who impressed in the first week of spring, and 5 who disappointed

Saturday’s (Feb. 28) split-squad action officially put the first week of Spring Training in the books, and for Toronto Blue Jays fans around the country, it was a much-needed breath of fresh air. After a winter spent dwelling on a World Series Game 7 heartbreak, the return of the boys in blue - including the arrival of some new high-profile faces - has finally provided a cure for the offseason-induced baseball withdrawal.

While we’re only through the first seven days in Dunedin, we’ve already seen enough to separate the early-standouts from those still looking to find their rhythm.

5 Blue Jays who impressed in the first week of spring, and 5 who disappointed

5 Who Have Impressed

Daulton Varsho
Varsho didn’t take long to find his swing this spring as he launched a 382-foot oppo-taco blast in just his second plate appearance. He punished an elevated 98-mph fastball - which historically has been a weakness in his swing - and displayed some of the same pop he had while healthy last year. The Jays are surely hoping he can continue to supplement the middle of the order with a refined, all-fields power stroke to pair with his elite outfield defense.

Charles McAdoo
As the prized return for Isiah Kiner-Falefa that sent the super-utilityman to Pittsburgh in 2024, McAdoo has quickly raised eyebrows this spring. While known more as a ‘bat-first’ type of player, McAdoo has proved that the consensus evaluations of his defense being lacking are wrong in just the first week of action, flashing the leather at both third base and first base comfortably. He’s swinging it well too, having posted a 1.174 OPS to this point.

Josh Kasevich
Widely regarded as a plus defender with both 55-grade evaluations for his arm and fielding ability, Kasevich has been an offensive surprise this spring. He most notably flexed his power in a game versus the Boston Red Sox, taking MLB-caliber reliever Devin Sweet way deep to left field for a 2-run shot. If Kasevich can keep it up with the bat and continue to impress with the glove, he looks to give the out-of-options Leo Jiménez a run for his money in a similar backup-infielder type of role.

Eloy Jimenez
Non-roster invite Eloy Jimenez is looking to earn a spot on a team that seemingly has some question marks surrounding lineup construction vs left-handed pitching. In just 15 ABs, he’s showcased his eye-popping exit velos and pull-side power - rocking a Brayan Bello fastball off The Green Monster and hammering a hanging changeup out the yard in recent action versus the Red Sox - posting a 1.171 OPS so far.

The New Kids on the Block (Cease/Ponce/Okamoto)
All three of these guys deserve to be mentioned as well, with how much promise they’ve all shown in the first week. Dylan Cease didn’t mess around in his first outing Saturday afternoon - touching 99 mph and punching the tickets of Philadelphia's elite in Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper. Cody Ponce’s Statcast data showed promising signs for the season to come, flashing a 96-mph average fastball velocity paired with a devastating changeup/cutter combo, helping him pick up two Ks in an inning of work. Kazuma Okamoto has been an absolute joy to watch - playing a solid third base and getting some really nice swings off MLB-caliber arms.

5 Who Have to Figure it Out

Yariel Rodriguez
It’s been a rough start to the spring for Yariel. After having been outrighted to AAA Buffalo during the offseason, his first outing was disastrous as he allowed six earned runs in just 0.2 innings. Most alarming, his fastball was down about three ticks - averaging 92.9 mph - quite different from the flashes of 96-97 mph he was showing in early 2025 and found success. It seems like at this rate he may be destined to start the year in the minors.

Eric Lauer
No amount of praise can do Eric Lauer the justice he deserves after a masterful 2025 campaign. Whether it be posting a 134 ERA+ as the regular season swingman, or the 4.2 scoreless innings he threw in the marathon World Series Game 3 in LA, Lauer was a critical part of the Blue Jays success last season. In light of recent roster additions, Lauer looks at odds with a starting spot to begin the year - competing for what seems to be a swingman type role once again. In his 2.2 innings so far, he’s struggled a bit with quality command. As a finesse arm, it’s imperative he finds a feel for all his pitches sooner rather than later, especially before he gets jumped in the pecking order.

Nathan Lukes
Lukes was a reliable contributor in 2025, but has had a slow start to his spring. With guys like Jesús Sánchez and RJ Schreck potentially threatening his playing time in an overcrowded outfield, he can’t afford a prolonged slump.

Jorge Alcala
Alcala was a fun flier pick up for the Blue Jays to dream on - he has had successful seasons in the past with Minnesota - attributed to his electric fastball and wicked slider. However, it was concerning that during his first outing, his 89th percentile fastball velo that made him so intriguing appeared was more like 10th percentile, sitting around 91 mph, along with the slider being thrown with noticeably less depth. On Friday vs Tampa Bay, he was able to redeem himself in his second appearance, flashing a top of 97.5 mph on the day. He’ll look to maintain that velocity and showcase some of the swing-and-miss stuff he possessed back in 2021 and 2024.

RJ Schreck
While Schreck had an impressive steal of home and an unbelievable catch in right field during Saturday’s matchup against the Phillies, his bat seems to be lagging a few games into camp. As a prospect many have pegged for a breakout, he’s had some tough at-bats. Displaying an uncharacteristic approach - poor swing decisions and prone to whiff - he’ll need to show some more consistency at the plate.

Not The Time to Overreact

It’s week one. Growing pains are real and some guys take longer than others to get going. For those killing it already - riding that high over the course of the next month and into the regular season is the goal. For those struggling to start, taking the time to reset and trust the process is key before the grueling roster crunch begins. Reminder: Alan Roden was a monster in 2025 Spring Training and projected to be a lineup stalwart, only to be traded by the deadline. On the flip side, George Springer had four hits all Spring Training last year, arguably could’ve been cut, and ended up having a career year. Baseball is funny sometimes.