Could the outfield end up being a strength for the Blue Jays this season?

The Blue Jays outfield picture was seemingly always in flux last season. The Blue Jays ended up having 13 players play a game in the outfield last year, ranging from Daulton Varsho (136 games) to Ernie Clement, Luis De Los Santos and Isiah Kiner-Falefa (one game). 

Those 13 outfielders ended up being bang average last year, as they were worth 5.9 fWAR last season, which was 15th in baseball, which is perhaps the biggest reason Toronto’s front office signed Anthony Santander to a five-year, $92.5 million contract in the offseason.

But even with that signing, most expected Toronto’s outfield to be a position of weakness this year. But, if the first week of spring training is any indication, the position could end up being one of Toronto’s strengths this season. 

With that in mind, here’s a look at the Blue Jays’ outfield picture as we head into March.

The established guys

George Springer, Daulton Varsho and Anthony Santander

Santander hasn’t played in a spring training game yet this year as he works through a visa issue (he seems set to make his debut soon), but he’ll be a mainstay in the regular season as the Blue Jays' right fielder or designated hitter. 

Santander’s presence will also bring about a position change for Springer, who led the team with 123 appearances in right field last year. That didn’t amount to a ton of success for the 35-year-old, as he hit just .220 and finished with an OPS+ of 92 out of the leadoff spot. 

He’s said that he’s willing to play left field and hit lower in the lineup to help the Blue Jays. His single on Wednesday was 104.8 mph, which is a promising sign. 

"My job is to do whatever I can to help us win, whether that’s hitting first, second, fifth, fourth," Springer said earlier this spring. “I don’t care. I’m going to be the same guy. I’m going to be the hitter I know how to be. I will do anything to help us win, so I’m excited about it.”

Neither outfielder is known for their defense (Springer was worth -1 Outs Above Average last year; Santander was worth -2), but they should benefit from having Varsho in center. 

The biggest key with these two will be around how they adjust to new situations. For Springer, it’ll come down to how he adjusts to his new position in the batting order and in the field while Santander's seson will come down to him adjusting to a new team and ballpark (he’s hit .194 in 27 career games at Rogers Center). 

Varsho was worth 5.0 bWAR last year in a Gold Glove season despite only hitting .214. He should get the lion’s share of starts in center field, but could potentially miss the start of the season as he recovers from offseason rotator cuff surgery.

And if Varsho ends up needing to miss any period of time, there are plenty of guys who could step up in his place.

The next men up

Steward Berrora, Jonatan Clase, Joey Loperfiedo, Nathan Lukes and Davis Schneider 

Every team’s worst case scenario played out for the Blue Jays on Tuesday when Joey Loperfido banged his head into the center field wall while trying to track down a fly ball.

While no one wants to get hurt playing in an exhibition, Loperfido is one of the numerous Blue Jays trying to play his way into the outfield picture, so it makes sense as to why he went all out to try to make the catch. Luckily for Loperfido and the Blue Jays, the collision ended up looking a lot worse than it actually was, as the young outfielder didn’t show any concussion symptoms and should be back in the lineup soon.

Of this group, Loperfido and Schneider likely have the inside track for the two roster spots available. Schneider struggled last year but had a historic start to his career in 2023, while Loperfido was part of the Blue Jays’ return from Yusei Kikuchi. 

Berrora’s had the best start of this group as he's 4-for-9 with a double this spring after he underwhelmed in a small MLB sample size last year (.189 average in 28 games). Loperfiedo and Schneider both have one hit, with Schneider's hit coming in the form of a 101.7 mph double. Lukes has yet to record a hit but had an outfield assist on Thursday.

All these players are on the 40-man roster, so it would be relatively easy to shift between them at the MLB level.

The non 40-man roster options

Alan Roden, Myles Straw and RJ Schreck

This group is highlighted by Roden, who has generated plenty of buzz at camp. Roden had a great game Sunday with two doubles and a diving catch and is hitting .500 with two walks in four games. Roden’s not on the 40-man roster which could prevent him from being in the MLB picture right away, but he seems destined to make his debut at some point this season.

Straw, who is in camp as a Non-Roster Invitee was acquired in a trade with the Guardians in the offseason in exchange for international pool money and is a former Gold Glove winner with speed.

That said, he posted an OPS+ in the 60s in 2022 and ‘23 and is still owed $13.8 million over the next two seasons. He’s 3-for-6 with three RBI so far in the spring and, like Roden, will likely fit into Toronto’s outfield picture at some point this season. 

Lastly there’s Schreck, who was acquired from the Mariners in the Justin Turner trade. He’s 1-for-7 in the spring with two walks, but hit a ball 106 mph in the spring opener. He’s hit .253 across his two minor league seasons and had 77 walk compared to just 81 strikeouts last season. 

All of these players are intriguing depth options who, while incomplete players, could end up being a part of Toronto's big league plans this season.