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Bold predictions for Blue Jays in Spring Training: Breakouts, busts and surprises 

These three Blue Jays could be the talk of spring training.
ByEdward Eng|
New York Mets v Toronto Blue Jays
New York Mets v Toronto Blue Jays | Brandon Sloter/GettyImages
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Blue Jays bust: Jeff Hoffman

It is hard to put the bust label on a key offseason acquisition so early, but Hoffman has the best chance to start out as a bust among the new faces at Spring Training.

Why is that?

Well, Hoffman is coming off the best season of his career with the Philadelphia Phillies in which he amassed a stellar 2.17 ERA, 188 ERA+, 0.97 WHIP, along with a whopping 89 strikeouts in just 66 1/3 innings pitched over 68 appearances. But most of that was done without the pressure of being Philadelphia's everyday closer. With Hoffman likely to start the season as the Jays' closer, he will need time to adapt and, in doing so, will likely struggle a bit.

More importantly, he's coming off an offseason where some prospective teams flagged his medicals, which could potentially affect his overall effectiveness.

Hoffman’s numbers might not be as pretty coming out of the gate, which could lead to him being a Spring Training bust.

Blue Jays Surprise: Nathan Lukes

Every spring training there's is a player or two that comes out of nowhere and puts on a show. That player for the Jays this year will be Lukes, who has put together a solid showing in Spring Training over the past three years.

In 2022, he posted a .400 average and 1.147 OPS along with one home run and four RBI in 25 at-bats in Spring Training. In 2023, he hit .286 with a .796 OPS and six RBI over 42 at-bats. Finally in 2024, he was back up to a .450 average with eight runs scored, six RBI and two stolen bases in 40 at-bats. Despite all of that, Lukes still hasn't gotten a shot at establishing himself with the club, as he was often given limited playing time in the majors.

That will change this year, as we think Lukes will once again star during Spring Training and make the roster out of camp thanks to Daulton Varsho starting the year on the injured list. While Lukes will need to outduel Joey Loperfido, Davis Schneider and Addison Barger, he's proven that he can excel in the spring.

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