Blue Jays limping into World Series rematch with offense no where to be found

After sweeping the Athletics in three games to open the 2026 season, the Toronto Blue Jays offence has completely dried up. The Blue Jays have lost back-to-back series against two of the most inferior opponents in the majors, the Colorado Rockies and the Chicago White Sox. The Blue Jays went 1-5 against the two clubs who both lost over 100 games a year ago.

And while many can point to the pitching, and the ill-timed instances in which the bullpen has allowed the other team to score, the offense has been coming up completely empty handed in key situations through the first nine games of the year - a bad omen with their World Series rematch on deck.

Blue Jays set to host LA Dodgers while looking like a shell of themselves from last year's World Series

What made the Blue Jays so good last year was their combination of putting the ball in play consistently, doing that with runners on base, and not striking out in key situations. So far, they are doing the exact opposite of all of that.

Starting with the strikeouts, the Blue Jays offence has recorded the least amount of strikeouts in the league, tied with the Atlanta Braves with only 67 times being set down via an opposing pitcher punching them out. However, when looking at the numbers with runners in scoring position, the Blue Jays have 19 strikeouts in 75 at-bats. That's 25% of those at-bats ending in strike three against the Blue Jays.

The numbers with runners in scoring position overall are down from last year. They are currently slashing .213/.315/.267 with none of their home runs coming with men on second and / or third yet in 2026. Last year as a team, the Blue Jays slashed .292/.361/.449 with 42 of their 191 home runs hit with RISP. That was the best batting average, the second best on-base percentage and third best slugging percentage in MLB.

The Blue Jays also aren't extending rallies either and are having a hard time cashing in runs with two outs. Only seven runners have crossed the plate when the Blue Jays are hitting with two outs in the inning. Five of their 21 hits are for extra-bases with two-down, but this was an area that just made them so hard to pitch against last year is that in two-out situations, the Blue Jays had 74 home runs and 198 two-out walks, both fourth best in MLB, while driving in 299 RBI's which ranked second.

After scoring 16 runs in the first three games of the year against the Athletics, the Blue Jays scored 18 in six games against the Rockies and the White Sox. It's early, and the Blue Jays didn't really get hot until the end of May last season, before they went on a roll right into September - but the difference is, they are playing teams right now they are supposed to be beating and the schedule gets a whole lot harder staring on Monday (Apr. 6).

That's when the Dodgers come to town for their World Series rematch. A three game stint at Rogers Centre is on tap - the same place in which the Dodgers snatched victory away from the Blue Jays in an electric seven game series that went down as one of the best ever played. But right now, the Blue Jays look nothing like the team that played the Dodgers in that series.

While Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is having a fine start with a .299/.436/.387 slash line and Ernie Clement is leading the team with 11 hits after leading everyone in the entire history of baseball with 30 hits in the playoffs, the rest of the lineup is trying to pick up their game.

Maybe the series in the Dodgers reignites that fire and the Blue Jays step up to the task, and the plate, with some more inspired play. But with Alejandro Kirk and Addison Barger both getting injured during the White Sox series, it is a lot easier said than done.