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Blue Jays announce only one coaching staff change ahead of 2027 season and it’s an odd one

The manager and hitting coaches remain after one of the league’s worst offensive seasons.
ByEdward Eng
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Oct 25, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Addison Barger, right, sits with major league mental performance coach John Lannan, center, during batting practice prior to game two of the 2025 MLB World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Oct 25, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Addison Barger, right, sits with major league mental performance coach John Lannan, center, during batting practice prior to game two of the 2025 MLB World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Toronto Blue Jays were expected to make some wholesale changes after a disappointing 2026 campaign that saw them painfully miss the playoffs. Many assumed the biggest moves would come at the management level as the club looks to get back into contention in 2027.

On Tuesday, the Blue Jays made their first coaching change of the offseason, and it wasn’t one many saw coming. GM Ross Atkins told reporters that Toronto has let go of their mental skills coach John Lannan, as per Mitch Bannon of The Athletic.

Lannan, a former MLB pitcher of eight years, joined the organization in 2020 as the mental performance coach for the Blue Jays' minor league system. He was promoted to the big league level ahead of the 2024 MLB season and held that role until now.

One change to Blue Jays coaching staff is somewhat surprising given their failures in 2026

The move was somewhat of a surprise, since several other members of the staff appeared to be on much hotter seats than Lannan. The most obvious is manager John Schneider, who failed to match the success of 2025, when Toronto went all the way to the World Series.

Hitting coach David Popkins and assistant hitting coaches Cody Atkinson and Lou Iannotti were also logical candidates. The Blue Jays boasted one of the worst offenses in the league in 2026, ranking dead last in runs scored (648) and home runs (152), and second last in OPS (.691).

Instead, Lannan became the scapegoat. As a mental skills coach, he was responsible for keeping the players in the right mindset day in and day out, which is key to building a winning, sustainable formula. So perhaps Atkins believed that was lacking in the clubhouse and contributed to the team’s underwhelming performance. In particular, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the team's biggest star, just didn’t look right throughout 2026.  Perhaps the Blue Jays felt he didn’t get the proper help when he needed it most, as he put up some of the worst numbers of his MLB career.

With the first domino falling at the coaching level, could others be next? Atkins indicated that this is the only coaching staff change for now, which leaves the door open for more moves down the road. Whatever ends up happening, the Jays will be hoping it gets them back on track.

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