George Springer’s time as an everyday player is likely over

The Toronto Blue Jays are floundering, and George Springer’s ongoing struggles atop the lineup are a big reason why. Springer has been a shell of the hitter who earned down-ballot MVP votes last season as a designated hitter. He’s been worse than league average by every metric. 

Father Time catches up to everyone—the 35-year-old’s time as an everyday player is likely over. 

What should the Blue Jays do with Springer?

Springer entered Sunday with a dismal .216/.307/.366 slash line through 267 plate appearances. His 83 OPS+ and 91 wRC+ are both the lowest of his career. 

His struggles have been most pronounced against right-hander pitchers, against whom his OPS is just .629 as of Sunday morning. He has, however, recorded a much more respectable .791 OPS versus southpaws. 

His overall numbers are eerily similar to those he posted in 2024, when the conversations were primarily about how the team could survive the final two years of his contract. Then 2025 happened. Still, this kind of sub-.700 OPS production isn’t exactly unprecedented from Springer. 

The writing on the wall is clear: the Blue Jays need to deploy Springer in a platoon against lefties moving forward. Continuing to bat him first against right-handers is managerial malpractice from John Schneider. 

Using Springer in such an arrangement would benefit the Blue Jays in several ways.

The first is being able to use one of Yohendrick Piñango or recently-injured Jesús Sánchez as the designated hitter. Both have hit well yet struggled mightily in the outfield. Plugging one of them in as the DH while Daulton Varsho, Nathan Lukes, and eventually Addison Barger patrol the outfield is the ideal scenario against righties. 

Benching Springer in these matchups could also free up more opportunities for Brandon Valenzuela. Playing time for him has been hard to find since Alejandro Kirk returned from the injured list. He’s platoon neutral as a switch-hitter and has been more productive than Springer. It would be great to get him and Kirk in the lineup together more often. 

Springer likely won’t be enthusiastic about this proposition as an accomplished veteran, but the Blue Jays have to prioritize winning baseball games over feelings at this point in their season. They’re teetering on the precipice of becoming sellers at the trade deadline less than a year after making an amazing run to the World Series.

This isn’t to say there won’t still be opportunities for Springer to help the Blue Jays, either. He has fared well enough against left-handers to keep batting him first in those matchups. He’ll also be needed off the bench in every close game when the opposing manager brings in a lefty reliever to face someone like Piñango.

It’s equal parts disappointing and sad how far Springer has fallen after his fantastic 2025 campaign and playoff heroics. But the numbers are the numbers, and the Blue Jays desperately need to win baseball games. A role change is necessary. 

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