Blue Jays manager John Schneider reveals his hand-picked spring MVPs

The 2026 MLB season is here. The Toronto Blue Jays have reloaded their roster in hopes of another trip to the World Series, except they're hoisting the trophy this time. They begin their season at home with a three-game series against the Athletics and Colorado Rockies, and then travel to the Chicago White Sox. The Blue Jays, on paper, should be off to a 9-0 head start before their World Series rematch at Rogers Centre against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

But before all that really gets going, the Blue Jays had some time to reflect on their spring session. Mitch Bannon, who covers the Blue Jays for The Athletic, interviewed manager John Schneider and received the coach's personal MVPs of the Grapefruit League campaign.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider reveals his hand-picked spring MVPs

Max Scherzer has been a big surprise this spring, posting a 0.00 ERA and holding batters to a .091 batting average over 13.2 innings. However, he's only struck out nine while walking five, but what do you expect from a pitcher that turns 42 in July? Gone are the days of the three-time Cy Young Award winner delivering 220 strikeouts. The Blue Jays aren't expecting this form of Mad Max; they need someone to eat quality innings and that's what he can deliver now that he is fully healthy.

It was a question mark what his role would be this season, but with José Berríos, Shane Bieber, and Trey Yesavage starting the season on the injured list, Scherzer slides into the fifth spot in the rotation. Yesavage isn’t expected to be out for long; this may be a workload-management tactic to keep their prized rookie healthy all season. Once he returns, Lauer will likely rejoin the bullpen, but the timetables for Bieber and Berríos are still unclear.

The reliever MVP, Brendon Little, has been electric at times, but also struggling with control. He’s thrown six scoreless innings while striking out 11, but his four walks match the number of hits the lefty has allowed.

During the first half of last season, Little excelled with a 2.03 ERA over 44.1 innings, striking out 65 batters. He was often the only left-hander in the bullpen after Lauer needed to join the rotation in June when Bowden Francis suffered a shoulder impingement injury that kept him out of the rest of the season.

The second half of the season was a different story, as Little struggled over 24 innings, posting a 4.88 ERA. He only struck out 26 hitters, but walked 17. The struggles in the second half could have been due to the extended workload. His 68.1 innings were the most in his three-year MLB career, though he only threw 0.2 innings in 2023 and 45.2 innings in '25. The Blue Jays are expecting big things from Little this season from the go-to lefty out of the pen while Lauer is in the starting rotation.

Both these MVP picks are well deserved, but Schneider's offensive MVP is questionable. Ok, not questionable, it's downright wild. He chose Kazuma Okamoto, who has had a home run, four runs, and four RBIs over 23 plate appearances. To defend his pick, Okamoto hit .316/.435/.632, which is encouraging from a batter coming over from Japan. He makes his MLB debut at the age of 29 and looks to fill a vital power role in the Blue Jays' lineup this season.

However, Daulton Varsho hit five homers, scored 12 times, and knocked in 14 runs over 54 plate appearances. His new approach, letting the ball travel more, has been a revelation for the 29-year-old, as he's hitting the ball to the opposite field more often. Schneider did joke, "Gonna keep the carrot at the end of the stick, contract year for Daulton. He's not getting all the awards right now, but he was pretty good."

Whether you agree with Schneider or not, the Blue Jays are primed for another outstanding season. Sit back and enjoy, fans, it's going to be a fun ride, and hopefully the Commissioner’s Trophy will be making its way to Toronto this season.