At least one player from the Blue Jays could lift a trophy in 2026

The Toronto Blue Jays are rightfully one of the favorites to win the 2026 World Series, having come up just short in 2025.

The team certainly hasn't sat on its hands after losing in extra innings of Game 7 of the Fall Classic, signing Dylan Cease, Cody Ponce, Tyler Rogers, and most recently Kazuma Okamoto in their quest for a title. With a core of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Trey Yesavage, and George Springer already in place, those new pieces should lift the Blue Jays right back to the top of the American League.

However, nothing is guaranteed in the baseball world. The Los Angeles Dodgers are still the back-to-back reigning champions, and the AL East will be a gauntlet in 2026, with every team seriously competing for a spot in the postseason. As good as the Blue Jays are, there's no way to ensure they'll be the last team standing next season.

Luckily for Guerrero, he'll be playing the 2026 World Baseball Classic with a loaded Dominican Republic team, which could give him a prime chance to lift a trophy for his home country.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Kazuma Okamoto could represent Blue Jays as title winners in 2026 WBC

ESPN's David Schoenfield is a big supporter of the Dominican Republic's chances in the upcoming WBC, predicting that they'll win the whole tournament with no losses on their ledger. "After winning in 2013, the D.R. had early exits in 2017 (second round) and 2023 (group play), going just 6-4. Looking for some memorable home runs, some big bat flips and perhaps an undefeated run to the championship [in 2026]," he wrote.

Much like the Blue Jays in the MLB, the Dominican Republic will face steep competition in the 2026 WBC. Team Japan is the reigning champ and features Los Angeles Dodgers stars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, not to mention recent stateside converts like Tatsuya Imai and Kazuma Okamoto.

Team USA also can't be ignored, having finished as the runner-up in 2023. They are now led by Aaron Judge, Cal Raleigh, Tarik Skubal, and Paul Skenes. It'll be difficult for anyone to overcome their laundry list of MVP and Cy Young candidates.

And yet, the D.R. may just have the kind of talent to overcome both nations' superteams. Guerrero Jr. is the obvious face of the team, but he'll be flanked by Juan Soto, Ketel Marte, Jose Ramirez, Fernando Tatis Jr., and others. With Albert Pujols locked in as the manager, there's no denying the star power they bring to the table.

With Okamoto in tow, the Blue Jays will have strong representation on two of the best teams in the WBC pool. It'd hardly approximate a World Series title, but there's no better way to start off the 2026 season than with one of Toronto's star infielders bringing home some hardware.