Dream Blue Jays starting lineup for the 2026 season

The story of the 2025 Toronto Blue Jays wasn't just about how well the team played on the field, but how much the players wanted to win for each other. The post game interviews following their loss to the LA Dodgers in Game 7 of the World Series were filled with tears of sadness. Not just because they had gotten so close and lost, but knowing that would be the last time some of those players were all in the same clubhouse getting ready to play baseball together.

The silver lining though, is that many of those faces WILL be back in 2026. Not all, but a lot of them and that's what makes this exercise so difficult. In trying to pick a "Dream Team" for the Blue Jays lineup next season, one has to weigh the accomplishments of those already employed, plus the very real notion that there may be some regression in the performances.

We also don't want to go "to crazy" and say the Blue Jays should sign everybody they desire to fill the holes, but at the same time, the Blue Jays do have money to spend. With all those parameters in place, here is a lineup that would be a dream come true for the Blue Jays if they had the perfect offseason.

The Dream Lineup for the 2026 Toronto Blue Jays

Lineup vs RHP
1. George Springer DH
2. Kyle Tucker LF
3. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 1B
4. Bo Bichette 2B
5. Munetaka Murakami 3B
6. Alejandro Kirk C
7. Addison Barger RF
8. Daulton Varsho CF
9. Andrés Giménez SS

Bench:
OF Nathan Lukes, OF Luis Arràez, C Tyler Heineman,
INF Ernie Clement, UTIL Davis Schneider

Lineup vs LHP
1. George Springer RF
2. Kyle Tucker LF
3. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 1B
4. Bo Bichette SS
5. Munetaka Murakami 3B
6. Alejandro Kirk C
7. Ernie Clement 2B
8. Luis Arràez DH
9. Daulton Varsho CF

Bench: OF Nathan Lukes, UTIL Addison Barger, C Tyler Heineman,
SS Andrés Giménez, UTIL Davis Schneider

This scenario has the Blue Jays adding some significant dollars to their payroll. Tucker is expected to get the biggest contract on the market, while Bichette isn't expected to sign for anything less than $130 million and five years. Murakami will also be looking to ink a lucrative deal and Arràez will command double digit figures as well. But if the Blue Jays want to beef up the roster and raise the ceiling, not just the floor, of last years team, this is a lineup you can dream on.

The Blue Jays would be adding some hefty power potential with Tucker and Murakami joining the fray. It's a lineup that also allows for some flexibility as the bench is deep with guys who can both hit and be used in a variety of roles, except for maybe one - more details below. There are also lots of platoon advantages for the Blue Jays by subbing out the lefty hitters on days they face a lefty pitcher, or in late game situations.

With Springer and Varsho both set to be free agents after 2026, the Blue Jays outfield depth quickly thins. That's why giving Tucker a longer term deal makes sense for a guy who is yet to hit 30. Murakami is also only 26 and he showcased his incredible power at the World Baseball Classic a few years ago and is now entering his actual prime power years.

Arràez is basically the one guy who is only there to do one thing, and that's hit the ball. He grades below average at basically every other aspect, but what the Blue Jays were a team built on guys who can put the ball in play and Arràez has been the absolute best at doing exactly that over the last handful of years.

The downside would be that the Blue Jays would have to probably eat Anthony Santander's contract in order to create some space on the roster and if they manage to trade him, they won't be getting much back. There's a world in which Santander comes back healthy and makes some of these moves completely redundant, but look, we're dreaming here. This configuration also makes Manager John Schneider's job tough to find playing time for everyone, but he showcased an ability to make it work with the roster he had this season.

How likely is any of this to come to fruition? Well at the very least, the hope is the Blue Jays bring back Bo and a healthy Santander adds some missing pop. But the Blue Jays are in a great spot as it is, the point of this exercise is to see how loaded could they potentially get, and this lineup would easily make them World Series favourites.